The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The club joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Seattle Seahawks, and played its first season in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Prior to the 1977 season, Tampa Bay switched conferences and divisions with Seattle, becoming a member of the NFC Central division. As a result of the league's realignment prior to the 2002 season, the Buccaneers joined three former NFC West teams to form the NFC South. The club is owned by the Glazer family and plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
The Orange Tornadoes and Newark Tornadoes were two manifestations of a long-lived professional American football franchise that existed in some form from 1887 to 1941 and from 1958 to 1970, having played in the American Amateur Football Union from 1888 to 1895, the National Football League from 1929 to 1930, the American Association from 1936 to 1941, the Atlantic Coast Football League from 1963 to 1964 and 1970, and the Continental Football League from 1965 to 1969. The team was based for most of its history in Orange, New Jersey, with many of its later years in Newark. Its last five seasons of existence were as the Orlando Panthers, when the team was based in Orlando, Florida. The NFL franchise was sold back to the league in October 1930. The team had four head coaches in its two years in the NFL – Jack Depler in Orange, and Jack Fish, Al McGall and Andy Salata in Newark.
Tampa Stadium was a large open-air stadium located in Tampa, Florida, which opened in 1967 and was significantly expanded in 1974–75. The facility is most closely associated with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, who played there from their establishment in 1976 until 1997. It also hosted two Super Bowls, in 1984 and 1991, as well as the 1984 USFL Championship Game.
Isaac Jason Hilliard is a former American football wide receiver and coach. He played college football for the University of Florida, and earned All-American honors. He was a first-round pick by the New York Giants in the 1997 NFL Draft and also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring in 2008.
John Terrence Lynch Jr. is an American professional football executive and former player who is the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL as a strong safety for 15 seasons, primarily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Gerald Louis Carter is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 9th round of the 1980 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 190-lb. wide receiver from Texas A&M, Carter played in 8 NFL seasons from 1980 to 1987. Carter's peak performance in his career came during the 1984 season for the Buccaneers when he caught 60 receptions for 816 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Gerald Keith McCoy Jr. is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers third overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. McCoy has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times, and was selected to one First-team All-Pro.
Sean Ward Farrell is a former American football guard who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). Farrell attended Westhampton Beach High School in Westhampton Beach, New York, where he was a football and track star. He then played college football for Penn State University, where he was named to a number of All-American teams in 1980 and 1981.
This article details the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football franchise.
Jay Michael Gruden is an American football coach and former quarterback. He previously served as the head coach of the Washington Redskins from 2014 to 2019 and as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars. During his time in the Arena Football League (AFL), he won four ArenaBowls as a player and two more as a head coach. Gruden is the younger brother of former NFL head coach Jon Gruden and was an assistant coach of the 2002 Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl XXXVII.
The 1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 8th season in the National Football League the 8th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 8th under head coach John McKay. They failed to improve on their 5-4 record from 1982 and finished with a league-worst 2–14 record caused as personnel changes and a rash of injuries and missed out the playoffs for the first time since 1980.
The 1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 9th season in the National Football League the 9th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 9th and final season under head coach John McKay. They improved on their 2–14 season and finished 6-10, but missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
Robert Kenneth Willis II is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Kentucky.
Joshua Tyler Freeman is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Kansas State University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Freeman became the starter for Tampa Bay in his rookie year and went on to break numerous franchise passing records. However, he was released partway through his fifth year with the team.
Talma W. "Tut" Imlay was an American football player who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) in 1926 and in 1927. During those two years, Tut played for the Los Angeles Buccaneers and the New York Giants. In 1927, Tut won an NFL Championship with the Giants. In 1926, Imlay earned 1st Team All-NFL honors by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Jason Andrew Pierre-Paul is an American football outside linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at South Florida and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. With the Giants, Pierre-Paul made two Pro Bowls, was first-team All-Pro and won Super Bowl XLVI over the New England Patriots. With the Buccaneers, Pierre-Paul made his third Pro Bowl and won Super Bowl LV.
Michael Joseph Glennon is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants.
Alexander "Ali" Marpet is an American former professional football guard who played seven seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL).
Kyle Jacob Trask is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida and was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Carter Coughlin is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Minnesota, and was drafted by the Giants in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft
