History of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers facts for kids
This article tells the story of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a professional American football team.
Contents
How the Team Started
In 1971, the National Football League (NFL) Commissioner, Pete Rozelle, thought the league would grow. He said the NFL would have 32 teams by the end of the 1970s. On October 30, 1974, the NFL owners sold a new team to Tampa Bay. A builder named Tom McCloskey bought the team for $16 million.
McCloskey soon decided he did not like the deal. So, Hugh Culverhouse, a lawyer from Jacksonville, took over the team.
The new Tampa Bay team was named the “Buccaneers” or "Bucs." This name came from the pirates who visited Florida's Gulf coast long ago. The team's first home was Tampa Stadium. This stadium could hold 72,000 fans.
Early Seasons (1976–1978)
The Buccaneers joined the NFL in 1976. They were part of the AFC West division at first. Later, they moved to the NFC Central division. This change helped both new teams play each other and every other NFL team.
John McKay, a famous college coach, became the team's first head coach. He signed a big $3 million contract.
In 1977, the Buccaneers struggled and lost many games without scoring. But in Week 13, they won their first regular-season game! They beat the New Orleans Saints 33–14. This win was special because they scored three touchdowns from interceptions. This was an NFL record at the time. The Bucs then won their final game at home against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Playoff Appearances (1979–1982)
The Buccaneers started the 1979 season with five straight wins. The team even appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
The team won its last game against the Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs. They finished with 10 wins and 6 losses, their first winning season. They also won their division. The Bucs surprised the Philadelphia Eagles 24–17 in the playoffs. This win allowed them to host the NFC Championship Game in Tampa. However, they lost to the Rams 9–0.
In 1980, the Bucs had five wins, 10 losses, and one tie.
The last game of the 1981 season was against the Detroit Lions. The winner would win the division, and the loser would miss the playoffs. The Lions had not lost at home all season. The Bucs were behind early in the game. But a long touchdown pass from quarterback Doug Williams to Kevin House helped them. A fumble recovery for a touchdown by David Logan sealed the win. The Bucs made the 1981 playoffs. However, the Dallas Cowboys beat the Bucs 38–0 in the next round.
The 1982 season started with the Bucs losing their first three games. Then, a players' strike stopped the NFL for seven weeks. When games started again, the Bucs won five of their next six games. They made it to the playoffs. In the first round, the Bucs lost 30–17 to the Cowboys in Dallas.
Challenging Years (1983–1996)
After the 1982 season, quarterback Doug Williams left the team after a contract disagreement.
The Bucs started the 1983 season by losing their first nine games. They finished with a 2–14 record.
In 1986, the Bucs had the first pick in the draft. They chose Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson. Jackson had told the Bucs he would not play for them if they drafted him. He was upset with the team because of an issue that affected his college baseball career.
The team struggled no matter who coached them. Coach McKay left after the 1984 season. Leeman Bennett took over, but the team had two bad seasons. Then Ray Perkins became coach. He tried to make the team more disciplined. But the players became too tired, and the losses continued. Perkins was fired during the 1990 season. Richard Williamson became the interim coach. He was made the full-time coach after a good finish to 1990. But the team did not keep up the momentum. Williamson was fired after the 1991 season when the team went 3–13.
Because the Bucs were not winning, fewer people came to their games. Often, the only times the stadium was full were when the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers played. Many fans of those teams lived in the Tampa Bay area. This meant most Bucs home games were not shown on local TV. At one point, 32 home games in a row were not televised locally.
Things started to look up when Sam Wyche became coach. Wyche had led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl. Wyche did not have immediate success in Tampa. But he drafted three important players who would later help the team a lot: Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and John Lynch.
The team truly began to change after owner Hugh Culverhouse passed away in 1994.
New Owners and a Return to Winning (1996–2001)
After Culverhouse's death, it was found that the team was close to going out of business. This surprised many people. His son wanted the team to be sold. There was talk of moving the Buccaneers to other cities like Baltimore or Orlando.
But then, Malcolm Glazer bought the team for $192 million. This was the highest price ever paid for a sports team at that time. Glazer put his sons, Bryan, Edward, and Joel, in charge. Their strong commitment helped the Bucs become a winning team. The team got much better when the Glazers hired Tony Dungy as head coach. They also changed the team's old uniforms. And they helped get a new stadium built, Raymond James Stadium.
Dungy’s First Year (1996)
During Dungy's first season in 1996, the team still struggled at first. They started with only 1 win and 8 losses. But in the second half of the season, they won 5 of 7 games. This was mainly because of their strong defense. This defense was led by Hardy Nickerson and the players drafted by Wyche: Brooks, Lynch, and Sapp. Dungy brought a calm and steady leadership to the team. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin created the "Tampa 2" defense. This became a famous strategy copied by other NFL teams.
Back to the Playoffs (1997)
Everything clicked in 1997. The team started the season with five straight wins. This quick start put them on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice! The Bucs finished with 10 wins and 6 losses. This was their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1982. In their last home game at Houlihan's Stadium (old Tampa Stadium), the team beat the Detroit Lions 20–10. This was only the second playoff win in team history. They then lost to the Green Bay Packers 21–7. Still, there was a lot of hope for the future.
New Stadium and More Playoffs (1998–2001)
The 1998 season was the first in the new Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs lost several close games and finished 8–8. The 1999 season was much better. The Bucs had the best defense in the NFL. Rookie quarterback Shaun King also played well. The Bucs finished 11–5 and won their division. They beat the Washington Redskins 14–13 in the playoffs. Then they lost to the St. Louis Rams 11–6 in a close NFC Championship Game. This loss was controversial because of a disputed catch by Bert Emanuel. The NFL later changed the rules about what counts as an incomplete pass, which showed the call was likely wrong.
Despite Dungy's success, some people felt the offense was not strong enough. The defense carried too much of the load. The team had good running backs in Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn, and wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. But the rest of the offense was not as good. In 2000, the Bucs had their highest-scoring season ever. They finished 10–6 and made the playoffs again. But they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 21–3.
In 2001, the team finished 9–7 and barely made the playoffs. They lost to the Eagles again, 31–9.
Because the team could not reach the Super Bowl, Malcolm Glazer fired Coach Dungy. This decision surprised many fans and players. Dungy was very respected. He later coached the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl championship. He became the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl.
Jon Gruden, Super Bowl Champions, and Beyond (2002–2008)
After Dungy left, the Bucs looked for a new coach. The Glazer brothers decided they wanted Jon Gruden. He was coaching the Oakland Raiders at the time. The Bucs had to trade four draft picks and $8 million to get Gruden. This was a very expensive deal for a coach. Gruden was happy to come to Tampa Bay. His parents lived nearby, and he had lived there as a child.
Super Bowl Champions (2002)
When Gruden arrived, he immediately worked to improve the offense. He brought in wide receiver Keenan McCardell and running back Michael Pittman. The Bucs also moved to a new division, the NFC South.
The changes worked! With the improved offense and the league's best defense, the 2002 season was the Buccaneers' best ever. They won the NFC South title with 12 wins and 4 losses. They then beat the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. In a big upset, the Buccaneers won their first NFC Championship. They beat the Eagles on the road. Cornerback Ronde Barber sealed the win with a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The Buccaneers then easily beat Gruden’s old team, the Oakland Raiders, 48–21 in Super Bowl XXXVII. Gruden knew the Raiders’ players and plays very well. This helped the Buccaneers recognize what the Raiders were doing. The Buccaneers became the first team to win the Super Bowl without any top draft picks from the previous year. They had traded those picks to get Gruden. Gruden became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.
After the Super Bowl (2003 and 2004)
After the Super Bowl win, there were some disagreements between Gruden and general manager Rich McKay. In November 2003, wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was removed from the team. He was later traded to the Dallas Cowboys. In December, McKay left the Buccaneers and joined the Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs finished the 2003 season with 7 wins and 9 losses. Neither the Bucs nor the Raiders made the playoffs that year.
Before the 2004 season, the team faced money issues. The Bucs decided not to re-sign two of their best defensive players, John Lynch and Warren Sapp. Lynch was a very popular player. He was signed by the Denver Broncos and continued to play well. Sapp signed with the Oakland Raiders.
The Bucs started the 2004 season with 1 win and 5 losses. This was their worst start since Gruden arrived. They finished 5–11. The Buccaneers became the first NFL team to win a Super Bowl and then have two losing seasons in a row. A bright spot in 2004 was the good play of rookie wide receiver Michael Clayton. Also, Doug Williams returned to the Bucs front office.
Another Division Title (2005)
In the 2005 season, the Buccaneers started winning again. They drafted Carnell “Cadillac” Williams in the first round. He gave the team a strong running game. Williams set an NFL record for most rushing yards in his first three games. He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The Bucs won their first four games. But then, starting quarterback Brian Griese got injured. Replacement quarterback Chris Simms struggled at first. But he then led the team to a last-minute win over the Washington Redskins. Coach Gruden made a bold move, going for a two-point conversion to win the game.
The Bucs then had important wins against their division rivals. They swept both the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. They also beat the Panthers. The Buccaneers finished 11–5 and won their division. But their season ended with a 17–10 loss at home to the Redskins in the playoffs.
Three Bucs players went to the 2006 Pro Bowl. Derrick Brooks was named the Pro Bowl MVP.
A Tough Season (2006)
After winning their division in 2005, the Buccaneers had a very bad 2006 season. Many players got injured. The team also had many rookies starting. The schedule was also difficult, with three games in 11 days.
The Bucs started the season 0–3. Quarterback Chris Simms got injured in the third game. Rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski took over. He played well at first, leading the team to two narrow wins. But then his performance declined. The Bucs lost five of their next six games. Gradkowski was replaced by Tim Rattay. The Buccaneers finished the season with a 4–12 record.
Three players went to the 2007 Pro Bowl: Ronde Barber, Dave Moore, and Derrick Brooks. This was Brooks' 10th Pro Bowl.
Back to the Playoffs (2007)
In 2007, the Buccaneers signed veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia. They also signed new linebackers and a fullback. Six-time Pro Bowler Mike Alstott got injured in the preseason and retired in 2008.
The regular season began with a loss. But by week six, the Bucs had a 4–2 record. Running back Carnell Williams got injured in week 4. The Bucs did very well against teams in their own division. They won all but one of their divisional games. They finished the season with 9 wins and 7 losses. They won the NFC South division and made the playoffs.
Tampa Bay hosted the New York Giants in the playoffs. The Bucs scored the first touchdown. But the Giants then scored 24 points in a row. The Buccaneers lost the game 24–14.
Missing the Playoffs (2008)
In January 2008, Coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen signed new contracts. The Bucs started the 2008 season with 9 wins and 3 losses. They were close to making the playoffs. However, they lost their last four games. They finished 9–7 and missed the playoffs.
On January 16, 2009, Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen were both fired. Raheem Morris became the new head coach.
Coaching Changes (2009-2018)
Raheem Morris Era (2009 to 2011)
2009 Season
In 2009, the Buccaneers lost seven games in a row. This included a game in London against the New England Patriots. In week nine, the Bucs beat the Green Bay Packers 38–28. Rookie quarterback Josh Freeman threw two touchdown passes. Tampa Bay lost four more games. But then they beat the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. The Saints later won the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers lost their last game and finished 3–13.
2010 Season
The Buccaneers started 2010 with two wins. They beat the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers. They then lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. After their bye week, they beat the Cincinnati Bengals. They lost to the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. The Bucs then beat the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals.
The Bucs and the Atlanta Falcons were tied for first place. The Falcons won their game against the Bucs. The Bucs then beat the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers. They lost to the Baltimore Ravens and the Falcons again.
The Buccaneers needed to win their last game against the New Orleans Saints. They also needed other teams to lose to make the playoffs. The Bucs beat the Saints 23–13. They finished the season with a 10–6 record, their best since 2005. But the other teams won their games, so the Bucs missed the playoffs.
Coach Raheem Morris finished second for the NFL Coach of the Year award. Mike Williams finished second for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
2011 Season
The Buccaneers had high hopes for 2011. But they lost their first game at home. By Week 7, they were 4–3 and looked promising. However, they then lost every game for the rest of the season. This was their longest losing streak since 1977. On January 2, 2012, Morris was fired after a 4–12 season.
Greg Schiano Era (2012 and 2013)
About three weeks after firing Raheem Morris, the Buccaneers hired Greg Schiano as the new head coach. He said, “There will be Buccaneer men, and there will be a Buccaneer Way.” This phrase became a team slogan. The team signed new players like Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks. This was a big investment by the Glazer family.
The team finished the 2012 season with 7 wins and 9 losses. They were very good at stopping other teams from running the ball. Running back Doug Martin had a great season. After two seasons of games not being shown on local TV, more people started watching the Bucs.
Schiano's coaching style caused some debate. In a game against the Giants, he told his defense to keep tackling the quarterback even when the game was ending. This upset the Giants coach.
In the 2013 season, fans expected the Bucs to do even better. But the team struggled. There were problems between Schiano and quarterback Josh Freeman. Freeman was benched and then released. The team started rookie Mike Glennon, but they kept losing. They started 0–8. Then they finally got their first win against Miami. The team finished 4–12. On December 30, 2013, Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik were fired.
Lovie Smith and Jason Licht Era (2014 and 2015)
On January 1, 2014, Lovie Smith was hired as the new head coach. Smith had coached for the Bucs before, from 1996 to 2001. He said he wanted to bring back the team's winning ways from the late 1990s. On January 21, 2014, Jason Licht became the new general manager.
The Bucs started the 2014 season 0–3. They had a big loss to the Atlanta Falcons. With quarterback Mike Glennon, the Bucs got their first win against the Steelers. But they lost the next four games.
The Bucs finished 2–14, which meant they got the first pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Even with the bad record, rookie wide receiver Michael Clayton had over 1,000 receiving yards. He was the youngest NFL player to have over 200 receiving yards in one game. Vincent Jackson also had over 1,000 yards. This was the first time two Bucs receivers had over 1,000 yards in a season.
In the 2015 NFL draft, the Bucs picked Jameis Winston first overall.
On January 6, 2016, Smith was fired after two seasons. He had an 8–24 record.
Dirk Koetter Era (2016-2018)
On January 15, 2016, Dirk Koetter was promoted to head coach. He had been the team's offensive coordinator.
The Bucs finished 9-7 with Koetter as head coach in 2016. But they won only 10 games in the next two seasons. On December 30, 2018, Koetter was fired.
Bruce Arians and Tom Brady Era (2019-Present)
Bruce Arians' First Year (2019)
In 2019, the Buccaneers hired Bruce Arians as head coach. He had retired from coaching but came back for the Bucs. They also signed new players like Shaquil Barrett and Breshad Perriman.
In Arians' first season, the team finished 7–9. Quarterback Jameis Winston threw for over 5,000 yards and 33 touchdowns. But he also threw 30 interceptions. He was the first quarterback in NFL history to have over 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season.
Super Bowl Victory (2020)
In 2020, the Bucs signed Tom Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champion. He had played for the New England Patriots. Rob Gronkowski, a tight end who played with Brady, also came out of retirement to join the Buccaneers.
Brady led the team to an 11–5 record in 2020. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They beat the Washington Football Team for their first playoff win since 2002. The Bucs then beat the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. They won their first conference title in 18 years.
With this win, the Bucs went to Super Bowl LV. They played against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bucs were the first team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium. The Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs 31–9. This was their second Super Bowl victory. Brady won his NFL-record fifth Super Bowl MVP award.
Coming Up Short (2021)
The Buccaneers finished 2021 with a 13-4 record. They beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs. But they lost 30-27 to the Los Angeles Rams to end their season.
End of an Era (2022)
On February 2, 2022, Tom Brady announced he was retiring. But 40 days later, he decided to return for his 23rd NFL season. The Bucs finished the season 8-9. They lost to the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 in the playoffs.
