50 Years Being Buccaneers

50 years ago, in 1976, the state of Florida gained its second (and arguably its proudest) NFL team: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, over 1200 players have joined the Bucs family. Recap with us some of the best players and years for the Buccaneers over the last five decades.

Super Bowls:
In their fifty-year run, the Buccaneers have made two Super Bowl appearances and won both, most recently in the 2020 season after signing New England Patriots legend Tom Brady as starting quarterback. Talk about a 100% win rate. Leading over the Kansas City Chiefs by 22 points, Brady led the team to a 31-9 victory. With Brady, some standout performers this year were of course tight end Rob Gronkowski with two touchdown receptions and 67 receiving yards, as well as wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Leonard Fournette each of whom brought in an additional touchdown and a collective 156 yards with 22 from Brown and 134 from Fournette. 

Before 2020, the Bucs' last Super Bowl was 17 years prior in the 2002 season against the Oakland Raiders. Making their first-ever appearance, the Buccaneers proved themselves with a dominating control of the field, conquering the Raiders 48-21, with most of the points scored in the third and fourth quarters. During the first half, the Bucs scored 20 points and the Raiders had only 3. The second half saw the Raiders step up their game and gain 18 more points, while the Bucs showed they were not about to slow down as they pushed for an additional 28 points. Quarterback Brad Johnson led this charge 23 years ago alongside wide receiver Keenan McCardell and running back Michael Pittman. 

Highlights:

Arguably, one of the greatest plays of all time occurred in the 2002 NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. As the Eagles lined up within the 10-yard line for a touchdown pass, cornerback Rondé Barber intercepted the throw and ran a 92-yard pick-six touchdown, allowing them to push through to the Super Bowl and defeat the Raiders. Watch a video here!

Not many plays can even compare to that of Barber's, but some players have made noteworthy names worth celebrating across the Buccaneers’ rosters throughout the last 50 years. Fan Feed Network would like to celebrate these legacies. While only being on the team from 2015 to 2019, Jameis Winston has been set as the all-time passing leader with 19,737 yards and 121 touchdowns spread throughout his five-year stint with the Buccaneers before being traded to the Saints. 

James Wilder spent 9 years on the roster of the Buccaneers from 1981 to 1989 as a running back and fullback. In that time, Wilder made Bucs history as the all-time rushing leader with a total of 5,957 yards and 37 touchdowns. Maybe Wilder can be a benchmark for running backs such as Bucky Irving to try to achieve. 

Current wide receiver Mike Evans leads in two categories for the team as the all time receiving AND scoring leader. Evans has made receptions for a total of 12,791 yards with 105 touchdowns with 644 points scored and growing during this 2025 NFL season. We expect hundreds more yards and more touchdowns to come and add to this legacy. 

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate their golden anniversary in the NFL, their legacy stands as a testament to the excellence of champions. From the early struggles of building a franchise to hoisting two Super Bowl trophies, the Bucs have proven their greatness isn’t over… it’s just beginning.