Category: Bucs History

Former Bucs QB Trent Dilfer named head coach at UAB

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer has been named the new head football coach at UAB

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer has been named the new head football coach at UAB, the school announced Wednesday.

It’s an impressive leap for Dilfer, who will be coaching Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy in the state title game Thursday before making the jump to the FBS level.

Dilfer has spent the last four years at Lipscomb, and was an analyst for ESPN before that, as well as the head coach of the Elite 11 quarterback academy.

The Bucs’ No. 6 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft out of Fresno State, Dilfer spent his first six NFL seasons in Tampa Bay, making the Pro Bowl in 1997. The year after he left the Bucs, he won the Super Bowl in his only season with the Baltimore Ravens.

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Yep, Greg Schiano is still trying to blow up kneel-downs and victory formations

Years after the strategy was widely criticized during his brief tenure as the Bucs’ head coach, Greg Schiano is still at it at Rutgers

Greg Schiano’s time as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t last long, but he definitely left his mark.

Known for his, um, unique style of coaching, Schiano went 11-21 over his two seasons leading the Bucs.

One of the most memorable moments of his tenure was telling his defensive linemen to dive at the ball when Eli Manning attempted to kneel down at the end of a game against the New York Giants. Manning was bowled over, and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin wasn’t exactly thrilled with Schiano’s tactics.

Well, Schiano’s back at his old haunt, coaching the Scarlet Knights at Rutgers, and he’s still up to the same tricks.

Rutgers tried unsuccessfully to pull the same thing Saturday against Michigan State, and Schiano once again found himself having to defend a strategy that seems to rub most in the football world the wrong way (via Rutgers Wire):

“If you followed us, if it’s a competitive game, and there’s an opportunity to create a fumble, it’s not — you know, there’s always been a huge area of contention with people,” Schiano told reporters on Monday.

“I think it’s ridiculous, personally. It’s not where we are diving at — contrary to what the experts say, we are not diving at people’s legs. It’s a coached play. We are trying to coach a fumble. We have caused a fumble three times, our doing it. If there’s a chance to win the game, that’s what we do. And if it’s not, then we don’t. You let the game end with a snap and a kneel.”

“I thought it was interesting, though. Over the course of my career, I’ve watched teams do it enough. It’s pretty interesting that you ask that question on the heels of the pro game yesterday where Buffalo, that could be a huge loss in their season, and I think everybody kept playing there,” Schiano said.

“I harken back to the Super Bowl where the Patriots beat the Seahawks, very similar situation and Seahawks were firing out and Brady was taking a knee and nobody had a word. It’s a competitive play when the game is competitive. When it’s not competitive, you’ll never see us do that but I don’t think it’s any secret that we’re going to do that. I don’t see an issue with it whatsoever.”

Toes on the line, folks.

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WATCH: Memories of happier times for struggling Bucs fans

After a rough start to the 2022 season, here’s a collection of happy memories for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans

Rough night, eh?

A third straight loss has Bucs fans down in the dumps, and losing Shaq Barrett for the rest of the season certainly won’t help lighten the mood.

The offense is struggling, the defense hasn’t had a takeaway in four games, and the kicker is the team MVP so far this season.

If you’re a Bucs fan in need of a timeline cleanse, here’s a collection of happier times for the Pewter (and creamsicle) Pirates:

Mike Gundy says he interviewed 3 times for Bucs’ head coach job in 2012

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost landed a different college head coach back in 2012

Before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Greg Schiano to be their head coach back in 2012, they had their sights set on another successful college coach.

Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy says the Bucs interviewed him three times for their head job during that offseason, but ultimately decided the NFL wasn’t for him (via Tulsa World’s Kelly Hines).

Gundy remained at OSU instead, and has continued to lead the Pokes to plenty of success in the Big 12.

Schiano lasted just two seasons in Tampa Bay, posting a record of 11-21 before being replaced by Lovie Smith, who also lasted just two seasons.

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Mike Evans set to make even more Bucs history Sunday night

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver is about to break yet another franchise record this week

When Jason Licht made Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans the first draft pick of his tenure as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ general manager, he was hoping to land a franchise cornerstone that could help define his legacy.

That box has long been checked by Evans, who is on pace for a Hall of Fame career as one of the most consistently dominant pass-catchers in the NFL.

Evans already owns pretty much every Bucs receiving record imaginable, and he’s about to make even more team history this week.

All Evans needs is seven more yards Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs to have more yards of total offense than any other player in franchise history, passing legendary running back James Wilder.

Evans has more touchdown receptions than any other player in the NFL since he entered the league in 2014, and he’s the only player in league history to begin his career with eight consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

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Wait, it’s National Creamsicle Day?!

Celebrate National Creamsicle Day like any true Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan would

According to the National Day Calendar, August 14th is officially National Creamsicle Day, which is obviously an occasion for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans to celebrate.

While you’re welcome to celebrate with your favorite orange-and-vanilla frozen treat (especially in the Florida heat), we’ll mark to occasion by sharing some iconic images of the Bucs’ days in their beloved Creamsicle uniforms:

Bucs fans share their favorite memories, moments in franchise history

Which moments and memories stand above the rest in the hearts and minds of Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans?

Just like every other NFL fan base, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faithful have forged a tight bond with their beloved franchise.

Over the years, Bucs fans have endured some of the worst stretches of futility in all of professional sports, from the infamous 0-26 start to decades-long playoff droughts.

But while the valleys for Tampa Bay supporters have been deep, so have the peaks, including two Super Bowl victories, and a long list of iconic moments that will live forever in the hearts and minds of those who cheer the team on every Sunday.

We asked those fans to share their favorite personal memories and moments in franchise history, and they did not disappoint:

What would the Bucs do in a 2018 NFL redraft?

What would happen if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to redo the first round of the 2018 NFL draft?

Hindsight is always a fun exercise when it comes to the NFL draft (okay, maybe not for some teams), as a few years can change the perspective of just about any pick.

The good folks at Bleacher Report recently did a redo of the 2018 first round, rewriting history in a way that would have profoundly impacted multiple franchises, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In the real 2018 NFL draft, the Bucs traded down from No. 7 overall to No. 12 overall, swapping spots with the Buffalo Bills, who drafted future superstar quarterback Josh Allen. Tampa Bay landed Vita Vea, the NFL’s best nose tackle ever since, and a pair of second-round picks in that draft.

One of those second-round picks turned into Carlton Davis III, who has been one of the league’s most underrated cornerbacks over the last four seasons, and just signed a big-money extension to stay in Tampa Bay for three more years.

But in this redraft, Allen is off the board at No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns, which meant he wasn’t on the board to entice the Bills to trade up into the top 10 with the Bucs. Still sitting at No. 7 overall, Tampa Bay ended up with cornerback Jaire Alexander, who just became the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history with his recent extension with the Green Bay Packers.

Vea doesn’t come off the board until No. 21 overall in this redo, landing with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Alexander would have been a sensible pick for the Bucs, especially considering they wouldn’t have landed Davis in this version of history. But reality might be the better scenario for Tampa Bay, who landed a pair of premium defenders instead of just one.

What do you think?

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