TAMPA, Fla. — As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare to begin a 50th season, fans across the Bay area and across the globe are celebrating five decades of football.
Along the way, that journey included the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. And through it all, the franchise, its players and its fans have enjoyed a unique position in the pantheon of professional football.
The Buccaneers ushered in pro sports to a burgeoning Bay area market in 1976, along with the NFL’s other new entry that year, the Seattle Seahawks.
Tampa Bay infamously lost its first 26 games before securing a long-awaited victory. But in the years that followed, the team carved out its place in NFL history, developing a passionate fan base from Tampa Bay to Turkey.
Their journey from orange and white “Bucco Bruce” uniforms to the red and pewter of championship glory stands as one of the league’s most dramatic evolutions. Tampa Bay maintains the worst winning percentage in NFL history (.410) yet is one of only 16 teams to hoist multiple Super Bowl trophies.
The Buccaneers have earned respect with their fierce defenses over the years and memorable personalities in the locker room.
From their first playoff run in 1979, to topping the NFL with their Super Bowl XXXVII victory, to Tom Brady leading them to glory in Super Bowl LV, Tampa Bay has been a franchise of unforgettable highs.
The current Buccaneers, on a run of four-straight NFC South Division crowns and five straight playoff appearances, has been its most successful, will be looking for another playoff appearance this fall.
The Early Years: Struggles and Resilience
The Buccaneers’ 0–14 start was followed by a 2–12 campaign in 1977. But through those struggles, the team and its fans laid the foundation for its later success.
By 1979, that resilience paid off. Led by head coach John McKay and Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, the Buccaneers shocked the football world by reaching the NFC Championship Game in just their fourth season. Though they fell short, losing 9-0 to Los Angeles.
Tampa Bay’s first draft pick in franchise history, Lee Roy Selmon (63) terrorized ball carriers and quarterbacks from 1976 to 1984 en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Getty Images/Michael J. Minardi)
The Orange and the Creamsicle Era
For nearly two decades, the Bucs wore their now-beloved orange and white “creamsicle” uniforms, complete with the swashbuckling Bucco Bruce logo. After McKay and other coaches came and went, the losses piled up. The uniforms, meanwhile, though reviled by many, became a cultural symbol representing the team’s quirky charm.
The Dungy Era and Defensive Dominance
The franchise’s true turning point came in the mid-1990s with the hiring of head coach Tony Dungy. Along with general manager Rich McKay, he built one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history.
The “Tampa 2” scheme, executed by legends like Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber, defined an era of dominance.
Tampa Bay Linebacker Derrick Brooks returns an interception for a touchdown during Tampa Bay’s 48-21 win against Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003. Brooks would become Tampa Bay’s second Hall of Famer at Lee Roy Selmon. (AP Image)
Under Dungy, the Buccaneers returned to playoff contention, making four postseason appearances between 1997 and 2001. Though they fell short of a championship under Dungy, losing the 1999 NFC title game 11-6 to Los Angeles.
Super Bowl XXXVII: Champions at Last
In 2002, new head coach Jon Gruden took over, and with the dominant defense still intact, the Buccaneers stormed through the season and captured their first Lombardi Trophy. Their 48–21 dismantling of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII was the pinnacle of the franchise’s first era of success.
Brooks, Sapp, Lynch, Barber (and coach/defensive architect Dungy) became immortalized as Hall of Famers and forever heroes in Tampa Bay.
The Brady Era and a Second Championship
After years of ups and mostly downs following their first title, the Buccaneers shocked the football world in 2020 by signing six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. The move instantly changed the team’s trajectory.
Tom Brady led Tampa Bay to 32 wins in three seasons with Tampa Bay, throwing 108 touchdown passes for the Bucs, including three in the 31-9 Super Bowl LV win against Kansas City at Raymond James Stadium. (AP Photo)
With Brady at the helm, along with offensive firepower from Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski, the Buccaneers captured Super Bowl LV in their home stadium—an NFL first.
The 31–9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs delivered a second championship and ushered in boat parades in Tampa Bay.
Fifty Years of Pirate Pride
As the Buccaneers celebrate 50 seasons, the franchise looks back on a remarkable journey filled with heartbreak, excitement, perseverance, and triumph.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
