Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Current season
Established 1976 (1976) Play in Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida Headquartered in One Buccaneer Place Tampa, Florida
Logo
League/conference affiliations
National Football League (1976–present) American Football Conference (1976) AFC West (1976) National Football Conference (1977–present) NFC Central (1977–2001) NFC South (2002–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Red, Pewter, Black
Mascot	Captain Fear
Personnel
Owner(s)	Malcolm Glazer
Chairman	Bryan Glazer, Edward Glazer, Joel Glazer
President	Malcolm Glazer
Head coach	Lovie Smith
Team history
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976–present)
Team nicknames
The Bucs
Championships
League championships (1) Super Bowl Championships (1) 2002 (XXXVII)
Conference championships (1) NFC: 2002
Division championships (6) NFC Central: 1979, 1981, 1999 NFC South: 2002, 2005, 2007
Playoff appearances (10)
NFL: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007
Home fields
Tampa Stadium (1976–1997) a.k.a. Houlihan's Stadium (1996–1997) Raymond James Stadium (1998–present)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL) – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West. The team, along with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. The Bucs played their first season in the AFC West as part of the 1976 expansion plan. After the season, they switched conferences with the Seattle Seahawks and became part of the NFC. The club is currently owned by Malcolm Glazer. They play their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

The Buccaneers are the first post-merger expansion team to win a division title, win a playoff game, and to host and play in a conference championship game, this was accomplished during the 1979 season. They are also the first team since the merger to complete a winning season when starting 10 or more rookies, which happened in the 2010 season. In 1976 and 1977, The Buccaneers lost their first 26 games. After a brief winning era in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the team suffered through 14 consecutive losing seasons. Then, for a 10-year period, they were consistent playoff contenders and won Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the 2002 season, but have not yet returned to the Super Bowl; thus the Bucs, along with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets, are the only NFL teams to win their lone Super Bowl appearance.

"Tampa Bay"

The name "Tampa Bay" is often used to describe a geographic metropolitan area which encompasses the cities around the body of water known as Tampa Bay, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bradenton and Sarasota. Unlike in the case of Green Bay, Wisconsin, there is no municipality known as "Tampa Bay". The "Tampa Bay" in the names of local professional sports franchises (Buccaneers, Rowdies, Rays, Lightning, Tampa Bay Storm, etc.) denotes that they represent the entire region, not just Tampa or St. Petersburg.

Franchise history

1976–1978

The Buccaneers joined the NFL as members of the AFC West in 1976. The following year, they were moved to the NFC Central, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West. This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan, so that both teams could play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once during their first two seasons. Instead of a traditional division schedule of playing each division opponent twice, the Buccaneers played every conference team once, plus the Seahawks.^[1]

The Tampa Bay expansion franchise was originally awarded to Tom McCloskey, a construction company owner from Philadelphia. McCloskey soon entered a financial dispute with the NFL,^[2] so the league found a replacement in Hugh Culverhouse, a wealthy tax attorney from Jacksonville. Culverhouse's handshake deal to purchase the Los Angeles Rams from the estate of Dan Reeves was thwarted by Robert Irsay's purchase of the team, which he then traded to Carroll Rosenbloom in exchange for the Baltimore Colts, a complete trade of teams between two owners. Culverhouse had long been alleged to be in line for an expansion franchise through a settlement of his antitrust lawsuits in which he accused the owners of conspiracy to prevent his purchase of the Rams.^[3] A name-the-team contest resulted in the nickname "Buccaneers", a reference to the pirate legends of Southwest Florida.^[4] The team name was opposed by St. Petersburg businessmen on the grounds that it emphasized Tampa at the expense of other Bay Area cities, until NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle himself met with them to encourage their support.^[5] Their uniforms and "Bucco Bruce" winking pirate logo were designed by Tampa Tribune artist Lamar Sparkman, with colors drawn from the state's four major college teams: orange from the universities of Miami and Florida, and red from FSU and the University of Tampa. They were one of the few teams to wear white home uniforms, forcing opponents to wear their dark uniforms in Tampa's 90-degree fall heat.^[6] The team's first home was Tampa Stadium, which had recently been expanded to seat just over 72,500 fans. Steve Spurrier was the quarterback for Tampa Bay during their expansion season.

Tampa Bay did not win their first game until the 13th week of their second season, starting with a record of 0–26 (though the Bucs had beaten the Atlanta Falcons 17–3 in a 1976 pre-season game before their first regular season).^[7] Until the Detroit Lions in 2008, the 1976 Bucs held the dubious title as the least-winning team in NFL history. Their losing streak caused them to become the butt of late-night television comedians' jokes.^[8] Their first win came in 1977, on the road against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints' head coach Hank Stram was fired after losing to the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay only needed one more week to get their second victory, a home win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1977 season finale. The Cardinals also fired their coach, Don Coryell, shortly afterward.^[9] The team continued to improve in 1978, although injuries to several key players kept the team from achieving the winning record promised by McKay.^[10]

1979–1982

The Bucs' situation improved rapidly in 1979. With the maturation of quarterback Doug Williams and future four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmie Giles, the first 1000-yard rushing season from running back Ricky Bell, and a smothering, league-leading defense led by future NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, the Bucs kicked off the season with five consecutive victories, a performance that landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated.^[11]

With four games left in the season, the Bucs needed to win only one of them to make the playoffs. In the first, STP was put all over the goal posts in Tampa to prevent the goalposts from being ripped down in the event of a celebration. Four blocked kicks later, the Bucs wasted the oily substance, falling to the Minnesota Vikings 23–22. STP was wasted again the following week as the Bucs were shut out 14–0 by the Chicago Bears, and in O. J. Simpson's final home game in San Francisco, Tampa Bay lost its third straight attempt to clinch a division title against a 49ers team which came in with a 1–13 record. However, in the season finale at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, which was played in the worst downpour in Bucs history, Tampa Bay pulled out a 3–0 victory. Finishing with a 10–6 record, the Bucs had their first winning season in franchise history, and won the Central Division in a tiebreaker over the Bears. In an upset, the Bucs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24–17 in the divisional round of the playoffs.^[12] Because the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the other NFC playoff game, the Bucs hosted the NFC Championship Game the following week in Tampa. The Bucs lost to the Rams 9–0. In their fourth season, the Bucs seemed on the verge of fulfilling McKay's five-year plan.

The Bucs made the playoffs again by winning their division in the 1981 season. The 1981 season came down to a thrilling final game at Detroit. The winner would take the Central Division crown and the loser would miss the playoffs. The Lions had not lost at home all season. Although the Bucs trailed early, an 84-yard touchdown bomb from QB Williams to WR Kevin House and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by DT David Logan sealed the win for the Bucs. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Bucs, 38–0 in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The 1982 season started 0–3 for the Bucs, before a player's strike shut down the NFL for seven weeks. When the league resumed play, the Bucs were nicknamed the "Cardiac Kids" for winning five of their next six games, all in the final moments, to go 5–4 and qualify for the expanded playoff slate. In the first round, the Bucs once again faced the Cowboys at Dallas, losing 30–17. As it turned out, this would be the last winning regular season under Culverhouse's ownership.

1983–1996

Before the 1983 season, Williams bolted to the United States Football League in a salary dispute. They finished 2–14, the first of 12 consecutive ten-loss seasons—an NFL record. Included was the drafting of Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson with the first pick in the 1986 draft. Jackson had let it be known that he would never play a down for Hugh Culverhouse at Tampa Bay. Making good on his threat, he opted instead to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals. Jackson would later return for parts of football seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders. Along with Williams, who later was a Super Bowl champion QB for the Redskins, two other Buc quarterbacks during this era led other teams to Super Bowl wins. Steve Young won with the 49ers and Trent Dilfer won with the Ravens.

Under Culverhouse, the Bucs were one of the NFL's more profitable teams during the 1980s; however, this was largely because he kept the payroll among the lowest in the league, hampering their ability to sign quality players. Attendance also sagged; at one point the Buccaneers went parts of three whole seasons without having a home game televised locally.

1997–2001

Despite the profitability of the Buccaneers in the 1980s, Culverhouse's death revealed a team close to bankruptcy, which surprised many observers. His son, Miami attorney Hugh Culverhouse, Jr., practically forced the trustees of his father's estate to sell the team, which cast doubt on the future of the franchise in Tampa. Interested parties included New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, the latter of whom publicly declared he would move the team to Baltimore, as the city did not have an NFL franchise at that time. However, in a last-minute surprise, Malcolm Glazer outbid both of them for $192 million, the highest sale price for a professional sports franchise up to that point. Glazer immediately placed his sons Bryan, Edward, and Joel in charge of the team's financial affairs, and the family's deep pockets and serious commitment to fielding a winning team finally allowed the Bucs to become competitive. The team's performance dramatically improved when the Glazers hired Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Tony Dungy as head coach, jettisoned the old uniform designs (see below), and convinced Hillsborough County voters to raise sales taxes to fund the construction of Raymond James Stadium.

During Dungy's first season in 1996, the team continued to struggle, starting the season 1–8. But in the second half of the season they finished 5–2, primarily due to the performance of a defense ranked seventh in the NFL led by Hardy Nickerson and the maturing of Wyche's draftees Brooks, Lynch, and Sapp. Dungy, with his even-tempered personality, quickly brought balance and morale to the team, and his Cover 2 defensive scheme, sharpened to perfection by defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and linebackers coach Lovie Smith, became the foundation for Tampa Bay's future success. Their version of Cover 2 was so successful that it became known as the Tampa 2. It has been brought to the Chicago Bears by Smith, Detroit Lions by Rod Marinelli, Kansas City Chiefs by Herman Edwards and to the Indianapolis Colts by Dungy himself, and copied by several other teams.

The team started the season 5–0, picking up where they left off the previous year, and this quick start once again landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice.^[13][14] The Bucs went 10–6 for their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1982, as a wild-card team. In the Bucs' final home game at Houlihan's Stadium (formerly Tampa Stadium), the team defeated the Detroit Lions 20–10. They lost at Lambeau Field to the eventual NFC champion Green Bay Packers 21–7. Still, there was reason for optimism, and the expectations were high for the following season.

The 1998 season, the first to be played in the newly constructed Raymond James Stadium, saw the Bucs lose several close games en route to a disappointing 8–8 record. The Bucs had to play the first 6 football games of the year (including preseason) on the road as the new stadium was not quite finished.

The 1999 season brought much better fortune. On the strength of the NFL's number 3 overall defense and a surprising performance by rookie QB Shaun King, the Bucs finished the season with an 11–5 record and won their third NFC Central Division Championship. They beat the Washington Redskins 14–13 in the Divisional round, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams in an unusually low-scoring NFC Championship Game, 11–6. The Bucs' loss was controversial, highlighted by the unusual reversal of a pass from King to WR Bert Emanuel, which ended the Bucs' chances at continuing their last-minute drive for a possible win. In league meetings later that year, NFL later changed the rules regarding what constituted an incomplete pass, which was considered a backhanded admission that the reversal was incorrect.

While the Bucs played well in 2000 and 2001 and made the playoffs in each season, they were unable to fulfill their primary goal of a Super Bowl victory. The wild card spots that Tampa Bay earned forced them to go on the road for their postseason opener in each year, and unfortunately for the warm-weather team, both road games took them into frigid Philadelphia to play the Eagles. The two losses also continued an unusual losing streak for Tampa Bay: they remained winless all-time in games played when the temperature was less than 32°F (0°C).

2002: Super Bowl champions

Dungy was fired by the Buccaneers following a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles 31–9 in the Wildcard Round of 2001 and soon thereafter hired as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, while the Bucs mounted a prolonged and much-maligned search for his replacement. Several potential candidates were offered the job, including University of Florida head coach Steve Spurrier, former New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells, and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. Spurrier jumped to the Redskins when he was offered the most lucrative salary package ever offered to an NFL head coach, and Parcells eventually passed on the Bucs' offer—the second time he had done so in the history of the franchise. Bucs general manager Rich McKay threw his support behind Lewis. The Glazer brothers were so displeased with the selection of yet another defensive-minded coach that they overruled McKay and took control of the candidate search themselves. They made it clear that their top choice was Jon Gruden. The problem was that he was still under contract to the Oakland Raiders.

While talks with the Raiders were secretly under way, the Glazers publicly pursued another respected offensive mind, San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci. Just when initial reports indicated that Mariucci had agreed to become both the Bucs' head coach and their general manager, Raiders owner Al Davis agreed to release Jon Gruden to Tampa Bay.

The Glazers' shrewd move eventually paid off in acquiring Gruden, but it was costly. The team hired Gruden away from the Raiders on February 20, 2002, but the price was four draft picks, including the Bucs' first and second round picks in 2002, their first round pick in 2003, and their second round selection in 2004, along with $8 million in cash; the league as a result prohibited any further trading of draft picks for coaches. Gruden was frustrated by the limitation of his coaching authority by Davis and was more than pleased to return to Tampa Bay. His parents lived in Carrollwood, and he had spent part of his childhood in Tampa in the early 1980s when his father was a running backs coach and later a scout for the Bucs.^[15]

Upon his arrival in Tampa, Gruden immediately went to work, retooling a sluggish offense. The league's sweeping realignment sent the Bucs to the new NFC South Division, along with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.

Led by the league's top defense, the 2002 campaign was the Buccaneers' most successful season to date. Linebacker Derrick Brooks was named the 2002 NFL Defensive Player of the Year with a tendency to make big plays. They won the NFC South title with the team's best ever record, 12–4, and went on to rout Gruden's former team, the Oakland Raiders who had the league's number 1 offense, by a score of 48–21 in Super Bowl XXXVII, nicknamed "The Pirate Bowl".

2003–2008: Period of peaks and valleys

Soon after the Super Bowl victory, a growing number of press reports indicated Gruden's lack of patience with general manager McKay. McKay was a major architect of the Bucs' rebuilding effort over the previous ten years, and he, like Gruden, had long-established ties to the Tampa Bay area. However, during the 2003 season, the Gruden-McKay relationship deteriorated as the Bucs struggled on the field. In November, Keyshawn Johnson was deactivated by the team ten games into the season for his conduct, which included sideline arguments with Bucs coaches and players. Johnson was eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Joey Galloway, who later in his career played for the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Washington Redskins.

In December, the Glazers allowed McKay to leave the Bucs before the end of the regular season, and he promptly joined the Falcons as president and general manager. Thus, McKay watched his first game as a Falcons executive sitting next to owner Arthur Blank in a Raymond James Stadium skybox. The Falcons defeated the Bucs 30–28. The Bucs suffered a sluggish start and finished the season 7–9. With the Raiders' dismal 4–12 performance, neither Super Bowl team reached the playoffs that year.

For 2004, Bruce Allen was hired as general manager. After Allen's arrival, both John Lynch and Warren Sapp were released, stunning many Buccaneer fans. The distracted Buccaneers began the 2004 season with a 1–5 record, their worst start under Gruden. The fading accuracy of kicker Martin Gramatica did not help matters, as the team lost many close games en route to a 5–11 record.

In the 2005 season, the Buccaneers celebrated their 30th season in the league, and returned to their winning ways. The Bucs selected Cadillac Williams in the first round of the 2005 draft, and the rookie would provide a running game the Buccaneers had not possessed since the days of James Wilder in the 1980s. Cadillac Williams would later go on to receive the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. After starting 5–1, the team entered a midseason slump hampered by a season-ending injury to starting QB Brian Griese. Replacement starter Chris Simms struggled early, but came into his own leading to the team to a last-minute win over the Redskins. The Bucs won the NFC South Division finishing 11–5. The season ended abruptly, however, with a 17–10 loss in the Wild Card round, in a rematch with the Redskins.

After winning the division in 2005, the Bucs suffered through an abysmal 2006 season. The season was plagued by injuries, with starters such as guard Dan Buenning, wide receiver Michael Clayton, running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, defensive end Simeon Rice, cornerback Brian Kelly, and quarterback Chris Simms all being placed on injured reserve at some point in the season. The season also saw a lot of rookies starting for the Bucs, such as quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, tackle Jeremy Trueblood, and guard Davin Joseph.

The Bucs started off the season 0–3, with QB Chris Simms throwing only 1 touchdown to 7 interceptions. In the third game of the season, a last-minute loss to the Panthers, Simms's spleen was ruptured, and he was placed on injured reserve for the balance of the season. After their bye week, the Bucs elected to start rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, a 6th-round pick from Toledo. After nearly beating the Saints, Gradkowski led the team to last-minute wins over the Bengals and Eagles. The success was short-lived, however, and the Bucs lost five of the next six games. Tim Rattay replaced Gradkowski as quarterback late in the season, and the team finished 4–12. The aged defense, with 5 starters who had played there for a decade or more, was ranked 17th overall, the first time a Tampa defense was not ranked in the top ten since 1996.

After a disappointing 4–12 effort in 2006, the Buccaneers for the first time in several seasons had money to spend in free agency. They brought in quarterback Jeff Garcia, offensive tackle Luke Petitgout, defensive end Kevin Carter, and linebacker Cato June. On April 28, the Buccaneers drafted Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams with the 4th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. After the draft the Buccaneers picked up tight end Jerramy Stevens and defensive tackle Ryan Sims.

The offseason changes resulted in the Buccaneers winning the NFC South title in the 2007 season, finishing with a 9–7 record, and the 4th seed in the NFC. The division crown was the second one in three seasons under Gruden. In the Wild Card round of the playoffs held on January 6, 2008, the Buccaneers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants by a final score of 24–14.

During the 2008 offseason, the Bucs re-signed head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen through the 2011 season. They also acquired former players Warrick Dunn, who had spent the last 6 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, and Brian Griese who was the starting quarterback for the team in 2005 until a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Chris Simms was finally released, having not played in a game since his injury in 2006. The Bucs got off to a great start in 2008, with a 9–3 record going into the final month of the season, tied for first place in the division, with a chance at the top seed in the conference. On December 2, it was announced that defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin would be leaving the team after the season's end, for the same job at the University of Tennessee, serving under his son Lane Kiffin, who had just been named the new head coach at the school. After the announcement, the Buccaneers would lose the final four games of the season to finish 9–7 for the second consecutive season. Unlike 2007, it was not enough to secure the division championship, nor a playoff appearance.

2009–2011: The Raheem Morris Era

Raheem Morris was named the replacement for Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator in December 2008. In January 2009 the Buccaneers fired Jon Gruden and swiftly elevated Morris to the head coach position. Bruce Allen was also let go, with Mark Dominik his successor as general manager. Several veterans were released including Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, and Jeff Garcia.^[16] The new staff traded for tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., signed quarterback Byron Leftwich, and drafted Josh Freeman with the 17th overall pick.

The 2009 squad started out 0–7, behind Leftwich and later Josh Johnson. Following their bye week, the team elevated Freeman to starting quarterback, resulting in the team's first win of the season. The team finished 3–13, the worst record since 1991.

In 2010, the Buccaneers surprised many, producing the greatest single-season turnaround in franchise history, going 10–6.^[17] This was largely behind the stellar performances of Freeman,^[18][19] rookie receiver Mike Williams,^[20][21] and LeGarrette Blount.^[21][22] Despite the effort, the team narrowly missed the playoffs, losing out on the wild card tiebreaker to eventual Super Bowl XLV champions Green Bay.^[23]

Tampa Bay began the 2011 season with high hopes, adding several key defensive players through the draft. After a 4–2 start, however, the Buccaneers collapsed. They lost ten consecutive games to finish the season 4–12. On January 2, the team fired head coach Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Greg Olson and the rest of his corresponding staff. During the Morris era, the lack of on-the-field success, along with several contributing factors, including the recession, saw attendance slip, precipitating local television blackouts for the first time since the mid-1990s.

2012-2013: Greg Schiano era

About three weeks after firing Raheem Morris, the Buccaneers hired Greg Schiano from Rutgers as the new head coach. During his introductory conference he stated "There will be Buccaneer men, and there will be a Buccaneer Way." The phrase "The Buccaneer Way" became a slogan amongst fans and local media, describing the new regime and attitude. The team filled out the coaching staff with new faces, including Mike Sullivan, Bill Sheridan, and Butch Davis. In 2013, Dave Wannstedt was also added as special teams coach. In the first day of free agency, the club signed top prospects Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks, as well as Eric Wright. The $140 million committed to the team during that 24-hour period is considered the largest investment the Glazer family has put into the team going back almost a decade.

The team would finish the 2012 season at 7–9, notably ranking first in rushing defense. Furthermore, the rushing offense was highlighted by the breakout performance of Doug Martin. After two seasons of game day local television blackouts, the improved team began seeing increased attendance and attention, and some blackouts lifted. Schiano's strict and regimented coaching style, however, drew criticism at the end of the game against the Giants, ordering his defense to continue to aggressively tackle the offense as the quarterback was taking a knee to end the game.

Coming into the 2013 season, fans and analysts had better than average expectations for Tampa Bay. They were expected to improve their record, and potentially make a playoffs run. The predictions proved unfounded, as numerous issues on and off the field saw the team collapse. During training camp, a reported rift began to divide Schiano and quarterback Josh Freeman. After an 0-3 start, Freeman was benched, and ultimately released. Schiano started rookie Mike Glennon, but the team continued to lose. The fans' confidence of Schiano began to decay rapidly, and after an 0-8 start, the team finally got its first win of the season on a Monday night against Miami. A brief win streak saw improvements with Glennon at quarterback, and Bobby Rainey took over at running back with stellar numbers after Doug Martin went down with a shoulder injury.

Despite some individual improvements, and some impressive performances by members of the defense, the team dropped the last three games of the season, and finished 4-12. The team ranked last or near the bottom in almost every offensive category. On December 30, 2013, Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik were fired.^[24]

2014–present: The Lovie Smith and Jason Licht Era

On January 1, 2014, Lovie Smith was hired as the new head coach of the Buccaneers, replacing Greg Schiano. Smith had previously spent 5 seasons with the Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001 coaching the linebackers under Tony Dungy. During his first news conference with the Bucs, Smith talked about restoring the quality of the team from the late 1990s and early 2000's: "There was a certain brand of football you expected from us," Smith said. "You know we would be relentless. There was a brand of football that you got from us each week at Raymond James Stadium. It was hard for opponents to come in and win. We have gotten away from that a little bit, and it’s time ... for us to become a relevant team again."

On January 21, 2014, Jason Licht was hired as the new general manager, replacing Mark Dominik. He was officialy introduced at One Buc Place on January 23, 2014. In his first news conference, Licht talked about his philosophy: "Our philosophy is going to be to build through the draft. That's where we find our stars. That's where we find the next generation. But also in the short term and long term we're going to supplement our roster through free agency" "But we're going to look for value. We're going to spend wisely."

Team facilities

Since 1998 the Buccaneers have played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Prior to that they played in Tampa Stadium since their establishment.

In 1975, the Buccaneers built a small practice complex with offices near Tampa International Airport called One Buccaneer Place. As other NFL teams upgraded their facilities, Bucs players and coaches stepped up their complaints about the aircraft noise, cramped offices, small locker rooms and run-down condition of One Buc Place. Even then-head coach Jon Gruden has sarcastically referred to the facility as "The Woodshed." For much of the team's existence, the Bucs held training camp on the University of Tampa campus, then at the expansive and better-equipped Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando (2002—2008).

In August 2006, the Bucs unveiled their new training facility. Conveniently located across the street from Raymond James Stadium (on the former site of Tampa Bay Center), this state-of-the-art complex (145,000-square-foot (13,500 m²) facility on 33 acres (13 ha)) is the largest in the NFL. Its features include offices and meeting rooms, three natural grass practice fields, a theatre for meetings and press conferences, an expanded weight room, a fully equipped kitchen and dining room, a rehabilitation center with three separate pools and a locker room twice the size of the former location. The building is capped off with a giant five-story glass and steel football as a key design element. A third practice field, featuring artificial turf, was also planned. In 2009, the team began holding training camp at the new upgraded facilities in Tampa.

In the second week of September 2007, statues of important figures from the Bucs 2002 Championship season were moved into the lobby area in an exhibit called "Moment of Victory". The life-size statues included players Mike Alstott, Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, Brad Johnson, John Lynch, Shelton Quarles, Simeon Rice, Warren Sapp, and head coach Jon Gruden. The statues are modeled after images from the sideline towards the end of Super Bowl XXXVII.^[25]

Practices at the currently unnamed facility will remain closed to the public, although the existing mall parking on the west side of the property is still available for use on game days. The facility is still referred to as One Buc Place, or sometimes by local media as One Buc Palace.

Logos and uniforms

1976–1996

When the team began play in 1976, Culverhouse initially picked team colors of red, green, orange and white. However, the shade of green was too close to that used by the Miami Dolphins. A medium shade of "Florida Orange" was substituted for green. Home uniforms included orange jerseys with white numerals outlined in red—the now-infamous "Creamsicle" uniforms. Road white jerseys originally had orange numerals outlined in red, but these colors were reversed for year two and beyond. The color swap provided better visibility, especially for television coverage purposes.

Long-time Tampa Tribune cartoonist and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla member Lamar Sparkman designed the first team logo.^[26] Faced with the difficulty of designing a logo that did not closely resemble that of the other "pirates" in the league, the Oakland Raiders, Sparkman came up with a pirate in a plumed hat and a dagger in his mouth. The pirate appeared to be winking. He came to be known as "Bruce the Buccaneer" or "Buccaneer Bruce" (sometime shortened to "Bucco Bruce"). Sports writer and commentator Nick Bakay once said that Buccaneer Bruce was a pirate who "struck fear in the hearts of no one."

However, there was controversy over where the cartoonist received inspiration for his Buccaneer. Beloit College, located in Beloit, Wisconsin, received a notice from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the college's illegitimate use of their mascot. Beloit College's buccaneer is the mirror image of the Tampa Bay buccaneer, with the creamsicle colors replaced with Beloit's school colors.^[27] Athletic Director Ed DeGeorge said Beloit's Buccaneers have used the logo since the early 1980s, when he chose it from a book while ordering decals for the football team's helmets. The NFL's Buccaneers joined the league in 1976.^[28] However, the Buccaneers withdrew their claim against Beloit College because of the independent decision to redesign the logo.

In 1992, the Buccaneers introduced orange pants to be worn with the white jerseys. Prior to the team's season finale in 1995 against the Lions, lame-duck coach Sam Wyche suggested that the Buccaneers wear the orange pants with their orange jerseys. The idea was vetoed by, among others, Pro Bowl linebacker Hardy Nickerson.

For the 1993 season, the Buccaneers added a commemorative patch to the right sleeve of their orange, away uniforms, which read, "Mr C" in cursive script.^[29]

1997–present

For the 1997 season, the Buccaneers worked with the NFL to develop a more marketable and intimidating look in order to improve the team's image. The Buccaneers changed their team colors to red, pewter, black and orange. "Bucco Bruce" was replaced by a red flag displaying a white pirate skull and crossed sabres which is a modified Jolly Roger (similar to that of Calico Jack). The flag was mounted on another sabre. The "Buccaneers" team name was written in a new font, Totally Gothic, and was either red with shadows of pewter or red and white. Orange pinstriping, and an orange football, was used to maintain a visual link to the former colors. Chris Berman nicknamed them "the pirates in pewter pants," a play on the Gilbert and Sullivan opera The Pirates of Penzance. The Buccaneers planned to stage a ceremony in which Bruce was to walk the plank of a pirate ship in Tampa Bay, but he was pardoned at the last minute by Governor Lawton Chiles.

The new uniforms were adopted while Raymond James Stadium was still under construction, and the new colors would be prominent at the new facility. This new color scheme closely resembled that of the Tampa Bay Bandits, the USFL team that played in the region from 1983 to 1985 and had a color scheme of red, silver, black and white.

The new uniforms provided a combination of either red or white jerseys with either pewter or white pants. The red-on-white combination has been used sparingly, but was brought back for a SNF home game against the Seattle Seahawks in 2008, and it was worn again against the following teams and years; a home game against the New Orleans Saints in 2009, both road and home games against the Carolina Panthers in 2010, and a home game against the Houston Texans in 2011. The Buccaneers reverted to pewter pants with both jerseys under current head coach Greg Schiano.

In 2003, the Buccaneers introduced a practice jersey that featured orange piping. In 2004, a pewter practice jersey was used, with numerals in the Totally Gothic font.

Like many other NFL teams located in subtropical climates, the Buccaneers traditionally wear their white road jerseys at home during the first half of the season — forcing opponents to suffer in their darker colors during the hot summers and autumns in Tampa. Additionally, the visitors' bench of Raymond James Stadium is located on the east side of the stadium, which is in direct sunlight for 1 p.m. eastern games. The west sideline is in the shade. In 1989 the Buccaneers started to wear white at home to accommodate Vinny Testaverde's color blindness. Vinny Testaverde had bad performances in the darker (orange) uniforms and persuaded head coach Ray Perkins to change the team's home uniform to white.^[30][31] In certain years such as 1989–1991, and in 1996 the last year of the original uniforms, the Bucs generally wore white at home for the entire season including preseason. Since the new uniforms were adopted, the Bucs wear the red jerseys for the last few home games, and for nearly all night home games. In the preseason, the Bucs may or may not wear white for their home games. The Bucs have worn their red jerseys for all home postseason games except for a January 6, 2008 playoff match against the New York Giants, where the Bucs wore white instead, as the temperature that day was unseasonably high.

The Buccaneers' 1997 uniform change prompted a 2003 lawsuit by the Raiders, who claimed that the NFL and the Buccaneers had infringed upon key trademark elements of the Raiders' brand, including the Raiders' pirate logo. In the same suit, the Raiders challenged the Carolina Panthers' color scheme, which included silver and black. The Raiders wanted the courts to bar the Buccaneers and Panthers from wearing their uniforms while playing in California. However, since the lawsuit was filed in a state California court, the lawsuit was tossed out because only federal courts have jurisdiction on intellectual property issues.^[32]

Throwback

Following the uniform change in 1997, the Buccaneers did not wear the old uniform, even during popular league-sponsored "throwback" weekends. Team merchandise in the old color scheme was also eliminated for several years. In 2008, the team revealed that they would be wearing the orange throwback uniforms for at least one game in the 2009 season.^[33] Their use was in conjunction with the creation of a Buccaneers Ring of Honor, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the 1979 division championship team.

Throwback merchandise went on sale in the summer of 2009, and referred to the orange color, not as "Florida Orange," but as "Orange Glaze." Considerable research was done using photographs and old uniforms to match the original color schemes. The dagger-biting pirate was given a cleaned-up look, and the orange, red and white uniforms debuted against the Green Bay Packers (Tampa Bay's former division rival) on November 8, 2009. Raymond James Stadium was also transformed via orange banners and classic field logos and fonts back to the classic Tampa Stadium look of the late 1970s. The Buccaneers won their first throwback game (their first victory of 2009) behind rookie quarterback Josh Freeman's first-career NFL start.^[34] The single throwback uniform game has since become an annual tradition, though it will not occur in the 2013 season due to new league restrictions suggesting players wear the same helmet throughout the season for safety reasons. ^[35]

Defense

Throughout their history, the Buccaneers have been known for their suffocating defense. It started with the drafting of Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon with their first pick ever in 1976. Three Buccaneer players have been named the AP Defensive Player of the Year, and the team has led the league in total defense on three occasions. All three of the Buccaneers Hall of Fame inductees are defensive players.

1978–1982

Led by Selmon, Linebackers Dewey Selmon, Richard Wood, Dave Lewis, and Mike Washington, Mark Cotney, and Cedric Brown in the secondary, the early years Buccaneers quickly earned an identity as a defensive team. Their 3–4 defense peaked in 1979 when they led the league in total defense, points allowed, and first downs allowed. Lee Roy Selmon was voted NFL Defensive Player of the Year, but they eventually fell 10 points short of the Super Bowl as the offense held them back in the NFC Championship game in a 9–0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

1997–2008 The "Tampa 2"

The team drafted franchise cornerstones John Lynch in 1993, and Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in 1995 to go along with All-Pro linebacker Hardy Nickerson. That was followed by the hiring of innovative defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin in 1996. The new-look Buccaneers set the stage for one of the greatest defensive runs in NFL history. From 1997 to 2008, the Buccaneers defense finished in the league's top ten every year but one, including eight top-5 finishes, and two top-ranked efforts. Kiffin along with head coach Tony Dungy created the "Tampa 2" defense, a modified version of the established Cover 2 scheme.

Kiffin's defenses were known as gang tacklers with tremendous team speed with a front four that could pressure the quarterback consistently, fast sideline-to-sideline linebackers, and a hard-hitting secondary that caused turnovers. Many teams have copied the Tampa 2, but none have come close to the success the Buccaneers experienced led by numerous pro bowlers and Hall of Famers. The Tampa Bay defense featured Brooks, Sapp, Lynch, Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice, Hardy Nickerson, Donnie Abraham, and other pro bowlers..

2002 Defense

The 2002 Buccaneers defense is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, rivaled only by the 2000 Ravens, 1985 Bears, 1976 Steelers, and few others. In the regular season Tampa Bay led the league in total defense (252.8 ypg), points allowed (196), first downs allowed (14.8 pg), passing (155.6 ypg), interceptions (31), interceptions returned for touchdowns (5), opponent passer rating (48.4), and shutouts (2). They also finished third in opponent rushing average (3.8 ypc), and sixth in sacks (43). Derrick Brooks was awarded AP Defensive Player of the Year as the defense led the way to a 12–4 regular season. The team was even better in the postseason allowing only 37 points in three games combined – all against top ten offenses. In those three playoff games, they intercepted 9 passes returning 4 for touchdowns and collected 11 sacks.

In Super Bowl XXXVII, the Buccaneers delivered one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl history. Playing against the #1 offense in the league led by league MVP Rich Gannon, the defense actually outscored the Raiders offense, allowing 2 offensive touchdowns while returning 3 picks for touchdowns. The defense set two records in the 48–21 blowout, one for most interceptions in a Super Bowl (5), and one for most interceptions returned for touchdowns in a Super Bowl (3). In 19 total games in 2002, the Buccaneers recorded 40 interceptions, 53 sacks, and 9 defensive touchdowns.

Facts and records

Losing streaks

The expansion Buccaneers lost all 14 games during the 1976 regular season, and the first 12 games of the 1977 season, for a record 26 straight losses. Even after the season expanded to 16 games in 1978, they remained the only NFL team in the modern era to experience a winless season until Detroit went 0–16 in 2008.

• Tampa Bay had a 20-game road losing streak against AFC teams that finally ended with a 17–10 victory at Denver on December 26, 1993.^[36]
• In 1980, after beating the Bengals at Riverfront Stadium, the Buccaneers began a 27-game losing streak of games played outdoors on AstroTurf.^{[citation needed]} The streak was broken in 1995, with a victory over the Eagles at Veterans Stadium.
• From their inception, Tampa Bay lost 20 consecutive games in which the temperature at kickoff was below 40 °F (4 °C). The streak ended in the final week of the 2002 regular season, when they beat the Bears at Champaign (Soldier Field was under renovation at the time).
• From their inception in 1976 through 1995, Tampa Bay had a dismal 1–19 record in games played on the west coast.^[37] Starting with a noteworthy comeback victory at San Diego in 1996, the club improved slightly in the pacific time zone, going 6–8 over their next 14 such games, including their victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.
• Tampa Bay was 0–6 in their first six postseason road games. Their first road playoff win did not come until the 2002 season, in the NFC Championship at Philadelphia.
• From 1990–2001, Tampa lost 13 consecutive games on the road against their division rival Green Bay, including one divisional playoff game. The losing streak was snapped in 2005 when Tampa Bay won 17–16 at Lambeau Field, when the two teams were no longer in the same division.
• From their inception until 2008, Tampa Bay had never won a road game in which they trailed by 10+ points in the second half.^[38] The streak was broken with two come-from-behind overtime wins at Chicago^[39] (September 28, 2008) and Kansas City (November 2, 2008). The win against Kansas City saw the Buccaneers rally from a 21-point deficit, the greatest comeback in franchise history.

Records

• Matt Bryant's 62-yard, game-winning field goal against the Eagles in 2006 was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. It is now third, the NFL record is 64 yards.
• The Buccaneers are the first post-merger expansion team to win a division title, win a playoff game, and to host and play in a conference championship game. This was accomplished during the 1979 season.
• They are the first team since the merger to complete a winning season when starting 10 or more rookies, which happened in the 2010 season.^[40]
• Until December 16, 2007, the Buccaneers were the only NFL team to have never returned a kick-off for a touchdown during the regular season. This distinction ended when Micheal Spurlock returned the 1,865th try 90 yards for the score during the week 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons.^[41]
• The Buccaneers hold several distinctive NFL defensive streaks set during a period from 1999–2003.
  • A record 69 consecutive games with at least one sack. The record (previously 68 by Dallas) was broken on November 9, 2003 against Carolina. The streak ended the following week on November 16, 2003 against Green Bay.
  • 50 consecutive games with at least one sack and one forced turnover. The streak ended on November 16, 2003 against Green Bay.
  • 54 consecutive games with at least one forced turnover (interception or forced fumble). The streak ended December 14, 2003 against the Texans. The all-time record was 71 consecutive games by the Eagles.

Players

Current roster

Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster view talk edit
Quarterbacks  8 Mike Glennon -- Mike Kafka Running backs 32 Jeff Demps 25 Mike James 22 Doug Martin 45 Lonnie Pryor FB/RB 34 Michael Smith Wide receivers 18 Skye Dawson 83 Vincent Jackson 80 Chris Owusu 17 Eric Page 89 Russell Shepard 85 Tommy Streeter 19 Mike Williams Tight ends 84 Tom Crabtree 88 Luke Stocker 81 Tim Wright		Offensive linemen 67 Emmett Cleary T 73 Jace Daniels T 69 Demar Dotson T 68 Jason Foster G 75 Davin Joseph G 77 Carl Nicks G 66 Patrick Omameh G 70 Donald Penn T 76 Jeremy Zuttah C Defensive linemen -- Marvin Booker DE 91 Da'Quan Bowers DE 94 Adrian Clayborn DE 74 Everett Dawkins DT 92 William Gholston DE -- David Hunter DT 65 Matthew Masifilo DT 93 Gerald McCoy DT 96 Steven Means DE 60 Scott Solomon DE 97 Akeem Spence DT		Linebackers 54 Lavonte David OLB 59 Mason Foster MLB 58 Ka'lial Glaud OLB 51 Danny Lansanah MLB Defensive backs 39 Marc Anthony CB 27 Johnthan Banks CB 23 Mark Barron SS 33 Deveron Carr CB 31 Bobby Felder CB 26 Anthony Gaitor CB 38 Dashon Goldson FS 29 Leonard Johnson CB 35 Kelcie McCray SS 49 Bradley McDougald FS 28 Rashaan Melvin CB 24 Darrelle Revis CB 37 Keith Tandy FS Special teams 10 Connor Barth K  9 Michael Koenen P -- Patrick Murray K -- Patrick Scales LS -- Jake Schum P				Reserve lists Currently empty Unrestricted FAs 21 Michael Adams CB 82 Nate Byham TE 52 Jonathan Casillas OLB 51 Jacob Cutrera MLB 48 Andrew Economos LS 95 Gary Gibson DT 36 Danny Gorrer CB 57 Adam Hayward OLB 46 Spencer Larsen FB 62 Ted Larsen C 30 Brian Leonard RB  4 Rian Lindell K 41 Erik Lorig FB 79 Jamon Meredith T  6 Dan Orlovsky QB 50 Daniel Te'o-Nesheim DE  1 Lawrence Tynes K 11 Tiquan Underwood WR 56 Dekoda Watson OLB Exclusive-Rights FAs 86 Kyle Adams TE 43 Bobby Rainey RB Rookies in italics Roster updated February 10, 2014 Depth Chart • Transactions 59 Active, 0 Inactive, 21 FAs → More rosters
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAX TEN West DEN KC OAK SD NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI STL SF SEA

Retired numbers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Tenure
63	Lee Roy Selmon	DE	1976–1984
99	Warren Sapp [42]	DT	1995–2003

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Pro Football Hall of Fame Members
No.	Player	Position
8	Steve Young	QB
63	Lee Roy Selmon	DE
64	Randall McDaniel	OG
99	Warren Sapp	DT
55	Derrick Brooks	LB

Individual awards

NFL Defensive Player of the Year Season Player Position 1979 Lee Roy Selmon DE 1999 Warren Sapp DT 2002 Derrick Brooks LB

Super Bowl MVP winners Game Player Position XXXVII Dexter Jackson S

Pro Bowl MVP winners Game Player Position 1982 Lee Roy Selmon DE 2006 Derrick Brooks LB

NFL Rookie of the Year Season Player Position 1991 Lawrence Dawsey WR 1992 Santana Dotson DT 1997 Warrick Dunn RB 2005 Cadillac Williams RB

NFL Comeback Player of the Year Season Player Position 2008 Antonio Bryant WR 2013 Darrelle Revis CB

Maxwell Club NFL Coach of the Year Season Coach 1997 Tony Dungy

Bart Starr Man of the Year Award Season Player Position 2004 Derrick Brooks LB 2009 Warrick Dunn RB

Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award Season Player Position 1997 Hardy Nickerson LB 2003 Derrick Brooks LB

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Season Player Position 2000 Derrick Brooks LB

Tampa Stadium Krewe of Honor

In 1991, the organization initiated the "Krewe of Honor," which featured a mural of the first class of four members.^[43] No additional members were added before Tampa Stadium was closed and demolished.

• Lee Roy Selmon
• John McKay
• Ricky Bell
• Doug Williams

Ring of Honor

On November 8, 2009, the team unveiled a new Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium.^[44]

• 2009: Lee Roy Selmon
• 2010: John McKay
• 2011: Jimmie Giles
• 2012: Paul Gruber
• 2013:Warren Sapp

Pro Bowlers

Many former and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer players have represented the franchise in the Pro Bowl:

Mike Alstott Ronde Barber Josh Bidwell Derrick Brooks Mark Carrier Jeff Christy Trent Dilfer Warrick Dunn Josh Freeman

Jeff Garcia Jimmie Giles Martín Gramática Wayne Haddix Vincent Jackson Brad Johnson Keyshawn Johnson Davin Joseph John Lynch

Doug Martin Tony Mayberry Keenan McCardell Gerald McCoy Randall McDaniel Dave Moore Hardy Nickerson Dave Pear Donald Penn

Shelton Quarles Darrelle Revis Simeon Rice Warren Sapp Lee Roy Selmon Clifton Smith James Wilder

All-time first-round draft picks

Coaches of note

Head coaches

Coach	Seasons	W–L–T (pct.)	Division titles	Wild Card berths	Conference Championship appearances	Conference Championships	Super Bowl Championships
John McKay	1976–1984	45–91–1 (.332)	1979, 1981	1982	1979 (vs. L.A. Rams)
Leeman Bennett	1985–1986	4–28–0 (.125)
Ray Perkins	1987–1990	19–41–0 (.317)
Richard Williamson	1990–1991	4–15–0 (.211)
Sam Wyche	1992–1995	23–41–0 (.354)
Tony Dungy	1996–2001	56–46–0 (.549)	1999	1997, 2000, 2001	1999 (at St. Louis Rams)
Jon Gruden	2002–2008	60–57–0 (.513)	2002, 2005, 2007		2002 (at Eagles)	2002	XXXVII (vs. Raiders)
Raheem Morris	2009–2011	17–31–0 (.354)
Greg Schiano	2012–2013	11–21–0 (.344)
Lovie Smith	2014–present

Current staff

Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff v t e
	Front Office Owner/President – Malcolm Glazer Co-Chairman – Bryan Glazer Co-Chairman – Edward Glazer Co-Chairman – Joel Glazer General Manager – Jason Licht Director of Player Personnel – Vacant Director of College Scouting – Eric Stokes Coordinator of Pro Scouting – Shelton Quarles Senior Personnel Advisor - Scott Cohen Coordinator of Football Administration – Mike Greenberg Head Coaches Head Coach – Lovie Smith Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Jeff Tedford Quarterbacks – Marcus Arroyo Running Backs – Tim Spencer Wide Receivers – Andrew Hayes-Stoker Tight Ends – Jon Embree Offensive Line – George Warhop Assistant Offensive Line – Matt Wiegand Offensive Quality Control – Ben Steele			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Leslie Frazier Defensive Line – Joe Cullen Assistant Defensive Line – Mike Phair Linebackers – Hardy Nickerson Cornerbacks – Gill Byrd Safeties – Mikal Smith Defensive Quality Control -- Dave Borgonzi Senior Defensive Assistant – Larry Marmie Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Kevin O'Dea Assistant Special Teams – Carlos Polk Strength and Conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Dave Kennedy Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Vacant Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Vacant Coaching Assistants Coachng Intern – Quinn Tedford Coaching Intern – Miles Smith → Coaching Staff → Management → More NFL staffs
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAX TEN West DEN KC OAK SD NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI STL SF SEA

Cheerleaders

The Bucs created an official cheerleading squad in their first season, called the "Swash-Buc-Lers." In 1999, they were renamed as the "Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders."^[45]

Radio and television

The Buccaneers' current flagship radio stations are WFUS 103.5 FM and WDAE 620 AM. The play-by-play announcer since 1989 has been Gene Deckerhoff. Former Bucs tight end Dave Moore joined Deckerhoff as analyst for the 2007 season. T. J. Rives works as the sideline reporter.

Broadcast legend and former Green Bay Packers' announcer Ray Scott was the play-by-play man for the Bucs' inaugural season of 1976, and from 1977 to 1988 Mark Champion, who became the voice of the Detroit Lions (1989–2004) and now the Detroit Pistons (2001–present), held that position with the Bucs.

Former Buccaneer Hardy Nickerson served as color commentator for one season in 2006, until he signed with the Bears as a linebackers coach on February 23, 2007. Nickerson had replaced Scot Brantley, who was the commentator from 1999 through 2005. Jesse Ventura, the famous professional wrestler, actor, and former governor of Minnesota, was Deckerhoff's partner on the Bucs radio broadcasts for one year, 1990, and former Buc David Logan held that position after Ventura until his death after the 1998 season. Dave Kocerek and Fran Curci were also color commentors for the Buccaneers during their earlier years.

Ronnie Lane previously worked as a sideline reporter.^[46]

The Bucs have broadcast on FM radio since signing with Top 40 station WRBQ in 1992. The team moved to WQYK-FM, in 1994, then to WFUS in 2004.

While regular season and post-season games in the NFL are all broadcast by national television contracts on CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network, the television broadcasts are for the most part handled by the individual teams. Effective with the 2011 season, preseason games not picked up for national broadcast are seen on WTSP Channel 10.^[47] WFTV Channel 9 simulcasts the broadcast in the Orlando area.

CBS, Fox and NBC games are shown respectively in Tampa Bay on WTSP, WTVT channel 13 and WFLA Channel 8, while they are shown respectively in Orlando on WKMG, WOFL and WESH. Monday Night Football games on ESPN and Thursday night games on NFL Network are simulcast locally on WMOR-TV, who also previously carried the Bucs' Sunday Night Football games when they were televised on ESPN and TNT; previously, the Bucs' appearances on the cable networks were seen locally on WFLA-TV and WFTS.

WFLA was the previous home to Buccaneer preseason games, where they have been televised from 2003 to 2010.^[47] At WFLA, Chris Myers was the play-by-play announcer with John Lynch as color commentator. Both Myers and Lynch work nationally with Fox Sports. Ron Jaworski previously served as color commentator, until he signed with MNF for 2007. Charles Davis also served as color commentator from 2007 to 2008.

WTOG channel 44 also previously broadcast Buccaneer preseason games for many years, ending in 2002. Former CBS play-by-play and ESPN golf broadcaster Jim Kelly was the play-by-play announcer for many of those games in the 1980s, and Joe Namath was a commentator.

In the early years of the franchise, WTVT, then a CBS affiliate, broadcast some Buccaneer preseason games. Sports anchor Andy Hardy handled the play-by-play, and for one game in 1978, his broadcast partner was his friend, Florida State alumni and movie actor Burt Reynolds.

Notes and references

External links

• Official website

v t e Tampa Bay Buccaneers Founded in 1976 Based in Tampa, Florida The Franchise Franchise Seasons History Players Expansion draft First-round draft picks Draft History Starting Quarterbacks Stadiums Tampa Stadium Raymond James Stadium Culture Hugh Culverhouse Malcolm Glazer Buccaneer Bruce Tampa 2 Cheerleaders Lore 0-14 season Snow Bowl Bert Emanuel rule Head Coaches McKay Bennett Perkins Williamson Wyche Dungy Gruden Morris Schiano Smith Rivalries Miami Carolina New Orleans Division Championships (6) 1979 1981 1999 2002 2005 2007 Super Bowl appearances (1) XXXVII League Championships (1) 2002 Playoff Appearances (10) 1979 1981 1982 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2005 2007 Hall of Fame Members Lee Roy Selmon Steve Young Randall McDaniel Warren Sapp Derrick Brooks Retired Numbers 63 99 Current League Affiliations League National Football League Conference National Football Conference Division South Division   Seasons (38) 1970s 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

v t e Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasons 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Bold indicates Super Bowl victory

v t e National Football League (2014)
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NFC	East	North	South	West
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Owners · Officials · Properties · Stadiums (chronology) · Timeline · Defunct franchises · Records (individual, team, quarterback win–loss, Super Bowl) · All-Pro · Hall of Fame · Lore · Nicknames · AFL · Merger · History in Los Angeles, Toronto (Bills Series) · International Series · TV · Radio · Management Council · NFLPA · Player conduct (suspended players) · Draft · Training camp · Preseason (Hall of Fame Game, American Bowl) · Kickoff · Monday Night Football · Playoff streaks · Playoff droughts · Rivalries · NFL on Thanksgiving Day · Christmas games · NFL Charities · Tied games  · Cancelled games · Lockouts · Controversies · Cheerleading

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