The Tampa Bay sporting scene has objectively never had a sports legend as big as the one who will be joining them for Sundays next fall.
But that doesn’t mean that Tom Brady won’t have his work cut out for him if he wants to become one of the city’s most beloved sports figures. Tampa Bay has a rich sports history and a deep love for many of the men who have played for the Buccaneers, Lightning and Rays, as well as a couple of professional wrestlers and one Olympic swimmer.
Here’s a look at 23 of Tampa Bay’s biggest sports legends, starting with …
Warren Sapp
After a standout career at the University of Miami, Sapp fell all the way to the Buccaneers at the 12th pick of the 1995 NFL draft. He quickly helped turn the franchise from a joke into a Super Bowl winner, making the Pro Bowl in seven of his nine seasons and lifting the Lombardi Trophy in 2002. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013 and his No. 99 is retired by the team.