Beyond the Helm: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Story of Resilience and Victory
Charting the Course: Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Rise to NFL Fame
Learn more about The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Welcome to The Sporting Blog franchise overview series. In this series, we will review each National Football League franchise and give you an in-depth history of who they are and how they came to be.
In today’s edition, we are talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
The Bucs - History
The Buccaneers became the league’s 27th team in 1976. Tampa was the perfect destination for a new NFL franchise and the Bucs quickly became a staple in the community. The team name, the “Buccaneers” was chosen as part of a fan naming contest. There were over 400 submissions and a committee settled on the name the Buccaneers because Florida’s western coast was often raided.
Hugh Culverhouse, the team’s first owner, hired John McKay as the first head coach of the team. McKay had great success at the University of Southern California but it was not immediately apparent in the NFL.
The Bucs lost their first 26 games. It to this day is the longest losing streak in the National Football League. They finally got their first win against the New Orleans Saints. McKay stepped down as the head coach and in 1977, the Bucs shocked the football world in 1977 by reaching the NFC Championship game.
Stadium
The Buccaneers originally played in Tampa Stadium which was nicknamed the “Sombrero.” The Bucs used the Sombrero up until 1997. It had at that point hosted two Super Bowls and helped the get the Bucs to Tampa in the first place.
They now play in Raymond James Stadium, which was opened in 1998. Known as “Ray Jay”, the stadium holds over 65,000 fans and even has a Pirate Ship that blasts air cannons every time that the Buccaneers score.
Playoffs and Championships
Tampa Bay has been to just a lone Super Bowl back in 2003. They won Super Bowl 37 when they took on the Oakland Raiders in San Diego. The Bucs won the game in dominating fashion, blowing Rich Gannon and the Raiders out 41-28. Dexter Jackson was the game’s MVP and helped the best defense in the league topple the best offense in the league.
The win came just a season after the Bucs traded for head coach Jon Gruden of the Raiders. Gruden helped build the Raiders back into a glory team and then turned around and help beat them following year.
In the postseason, the Bucs have a record of just 6-9. That’s right, in their over 40 year history, the Buccaneers have played in just 15 games. They have six divisional titles, one NFC Championship win and of course the Super Bowl win. In total, Tampa has played in three total NFC Championship games.
The Best Coach in Bucs History
The Buccaneers have had a revolving door of head coaches during the 21st century. Only one coach has won a Super Bowl with the team, that was Jon Gruden. But Gruden isn’t considered the best coach in franchise history.
That honour goes to Tony Dungy. Yep, that’s the same coach who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. Dungy helped rebuild the Buccaneers in the late 90’s and make them into one of the greatest defenses (but not THE greatest defense) in NFL history. He coached in Tampa for six seasons and went to four playoffs. He went 54-42 in his Buccaneers career and helped develop players like Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Ronde Barber and Warrick Dunn.
Three Best Players in Franchise History
Lee Roy Selmon - Defensive Tackle
Selmon was the first draft pick in Buccaneers history and is coincidentally the greatest player in Buccaneers history. He was the team’s first Pro Football Hall of Famer. His signature season came in 1977 when he had 110 tackles, five forced fumbles and a career-best 13 sacks. He made the first of his six Pro Bowls in 1979 and was the Defensive Player of the Year in ‘79.
Lee Roy Selmon
Derrick Brooks - Linebacker
Brooks was the key piece in the Buccaneers dominant defense that landed them a Super Bowl ring. Brooks was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, went to 11 Pro Bowls and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2002. He’s the Bucs’ career leader in tackles and forced fumbles, ranks fifth in interceptions (as a linebacker) and second in games played.
Warren Sapp - Defensive Tackle
Sapp was the third Buccaneers player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played in Tampa for nine seasons and is the franchise’s all-time sacks leader with 77 sack. He is considered a cornerstone of the defense that helped Tampa Bay to its only Super Bowl victory. In 1999, Sapp was named NFL defensive player of the year after grabbing 12.5 sacks and leading the Bucs to the NFC title game.
Greatest Draft Pick in Team History
The Bucs greatest draft pick is a tough one simply because their greatest players were all home-grown talents that ended up in the Hall of Fame. As we just told you about Selmon, Brooks and Sapp, all three of those guys were drafted by the Bucs. The same can be said for great players like John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Mike Alstott, Doug Williams, Mike Evans, Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David and so many others
But in staying consistent, Selmon would be considered the Buccaneers greatest draft pick. He was their first Hall of Famer and the player that the Bucs were able to build around starting in 1976. He was one of the best defensive players in the game but also known as one of the nicest.
Best Free Agent Signing or Trade in Bucs History
The way that the Bucs were able to get into Super Bowl 37 was a mixture of great draft picks and excellent free-agent additions. The Bucs had a dominant defense and part of that was owed to the playing of Simeon Rice. Rice was already a fully-formed pass-rushing star when he left Arizona for the Buccaneers. Rice led all NFL players in sacks from 1999-2005. In the Buccaneers' first and only Super Bowl appearance, Rice recorded two sacks as Tampa Bay dominated the Oakland Raiders, 48-21." Rice had a total of four sacks during that three-game playoff run, adding to his team-high 15.5 QB takedowns from the regular season.
The Team’s Greatest Moment
While you could argue that breaking a 26-game losing streak to give the franchise its first win is a pretty great moment, the Buccaneers will always hold Super Bowl 37 close to their hearts. They were one of the most dominant franchises in NFL history and have never come close to that level of success again.
