Warren Sapp (Andy Lyons /Allsport)
In the early days of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise, there was more entertainment to be had from the criticism of the team by head coach, John McKay than there was to be found on the field. The franchise did eventually improve and actually won Super Bowl XXXVII. The Bucs had some good, but not great skill position players, and QB, in particular, hadn’t been a position of strength. Then came Tom Brady and things changed. This is also a revised list so the Top 10 is actually a Top 12.
10 (b). Jimmie Giles
Giles played tight end for the Bucs for nine seasons and was named to three Pro Bowls. Giles caught 279 passes for 4,300 yards and 34 TDs. Jimmie’s season-high in catches was only 45, but that was more a function of the Buccaneers’ offense than Giles’ skill. Jimmie averaged a very nice 15.4 ypr and was good for 17–18 yards per catch at his peak. Giles is one of only two offensive players on this list.
10 (a). Mike Evans
When it came to Mike Evans, I was slow to get on board the bandwagon, but I’ve come around. Initially I thought Evans had too many drops to be a great receiver. I still don’t know that I would call him great, but he’s good enough to make this list. Five Pro Bowls in ten years to go with 762 catches, 11,680 yards and 94 TDs make for a good resume.
10. Simeon Rice
Rice was a pass rusher of note during his six seasons in Tampa. Simeon racked up 69.5 sacks while there, with a high of 15.5 during the 2002 season. That was the season Rice was named to the Pro Bowl and All Pro team. More importantly, it was the year the Bucs won the Super Bowl. Rice was also named to the Pro Bowl the following season. Some other numbers on Rice: he forced 19 fumbles, recovered one, and intercepted four passes for the Buccaneers. Rice was one of a number of defensive playmakers the Bucs had in the early 200s.
9. Hardy Nickerson
In seven seasons in Tampa, Hardy was credited with 924 tackles. That includes the 214 he was credited with in his career- season of 1993. Those 214 tackles led the NFL that season and resulted in Hardy being named to both the Pro Bowl and All-Pro team. In 1997 Nickerson won both of the awards again. In 1998 he was again named to the Pro Bowl. Nickerson picked off seven passes, forced 13 fumbles, and recovered nine while manning the middle of the Tampa Bay defense. He also threw in nine sacks. Hardy had a very nice career as a Buc.
8. Gerald McCoy
McCoy has been a staple in the Tampa Bay defensive line from 2010–2018. During that time, he was a Pro Bowler six times and named All-Pro once. McCoy has piled up 54.5 sacks during that time. Not bad for an interior lineman. McCoy comes in at number seven on this list.
7. Mike Alstott
Alstott has an unusual set of stats. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times and All-Pro three times. Mike did that and averaged “only” 3.7 yards per carry in 11 seasons with the Bucs. He was, however, a beast in short-yardage situations. Tackling Alstott was like tackling an anvil. Alstott’s numbers really don’t tell the whole story. Mike ran for 58 TDs with the Bucs and caught passes for another 13. Alstott was an outstanding back, it’s just that we don’t see his type very often.
6. John Lynch
Do you like hard-hitting safeties? Then you would have loved John Lynch. Lynch spent 11 seasons with the Bucs and went to the Pro Bowl five times. He was also named All-Pro twice. John wasn’t a huge interception guy, picking off 23 passes while in Tampa. He also forced seven fumbles and recovered eight. He also recorded six sacks. Ultimately, what Lynch was most noted for was his hitting.
5. Ronde Barber
Ronde was another outstanding Bucs defender from the 2000s. He started his career with the Bucs in 1997 and it extended through 2012. Barber was named to five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. Barber intercepted 47 passes and recovered 12 fumbles. Ronde was a scoring threat on defense. He returned eight interceptions for TDs and also returned four fumbles for scores. In addition, he forced 15 fumbles and managed to sack opposing QBs 23 times. Barber led the NFL in interceptions with 10 in 2001. Barber was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Reference All 2000s first team. Ronde played in nine playoff games, picking up another two interceptions, returning one for a TD. And finally, he even returned a punt for a touchdown.
4. Lee Roy Selmon
The early Buccaneers teams were horrendous, but Lee Roy Selmon provided a ray of respectability. Selmon spent nine seasons in Tampa. He was selected to the Pro Bowl from 1979–84 and was named All-Pro in 1979. Lee Roy was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1979. Unofficially Lee Roy recorded 78.5 sacks while with the Bucs. Selmon would have no doubt added to his legacy if a back injury hadn’t led to his retirement after the 1984 season. Selmon was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All 1980s second team.
3. Warren Sapp
From 1995 through 2003 Sapp manned the interior of the Buccaneers’ defensive line. From 1997–2003 he was a dominant force. Sapp was named to the Pro Bowl each season from 1997–2003. He was named All Pro from 1999–2002. Sapp sacked opposing QBs 77 times with the Bucs. His career-high was 16.5 in 2000. Warren also picked off three passes, returning one for a TD. He also forced 15 fumbles and recovered nine. Sapp piled up a boatload of awards during his career. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame second team All 1990s team. In addition, he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Reference All 2000s team. He was also named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team in 1995. Like some others on this list, Sapp was a key part of the Bucs 2002 championship team.
2: Derrick Brooks
While the Buccaneers have had some great defensive players, Derrick Brooks ranks as number one. In a 14-year career with the Bucs, Brooks was named to 11 Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro five times. He too was a member of the Bucs 2002 Super Bowl winner. Brooks was named the NFL’s 2002 Defensive Player of the Year. Derrick led NFL in solo tackles three times. He also intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for TDs. He also forced 24 fumbles and recovered four, returning one for a TD. Derrick wasn’t a big blitzer, picking up 13.5 sacks. Brooks led the NFL in tackles three times. He was just an excellent all-around linebacker.
1. Tom Brady
It doesn’t take Brady long to make his mark on a place. Generally, a player has to play for a team three years before he makes one of these lists, but like in so many other cases, Tom Brady is an exception. I could go into details about Tom’s stats, but I’ll dwell on just one, one Super Bowl championship. Without Brady, the Bucs just don’t get there.
So, who’s on your list?
The Fact that you left out Lavonte David and put in Tom Brady as #1 discredits this entire list. Tom Brady may have helped us win a Championship but he is not an All-Time Buc. His last year in Tampa was Dismal and he had a pretty solid defense and defensive coordinator that helped him through his struggles. In my eyes this is more of a Fan Boy List.