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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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. They 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.
Hugh Franklin Culverhouse Sr. was an American businessman, attorney, and sports franchise owner. Culverhouse is best known for having been the longtime owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was a successful tax lawyer, and his real estate investments made him wealthy. His work brought him into contact with National Football League team owners, and his failed purchase of the Los Angeles Rams placed him in line to become the owner of the fledgling Buccaneer franchise. He owned the team from its inception until his death.
Nathan Earl Lawrie is an American former professional football tight end. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Yale University.
Richard Marlon Wood is an American former professional football played who was a linebacker for the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, earning All-American honors. Wood was the team captain and leading tackler of the Buccaneers' early teams, coached by John McKay.
The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's first season in the National Football League (NFL). The Buccaneers played their home games at Tampa Stadium and their inaugural head coach was John McKay. The Buccaneers gained infamy as the first team to play an entire 14-game season without winning or tying a single game. It remains one of only four winless seasons since the merger. The Buccaneers did not score until their third game and did not score a touchdown until their fourth. They lost by more than a touchdown eleven times. Colorful, maverick former USC coach McKay, whose wisecracking remarks occasionally agitated fans and the league, led the team. The only bright spot was future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Lee Roy Selmon, who made his rookie debut in an injury-plagued season.
The 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 2nd season in the National Football League, the 2nd playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 2nd under head coach John McKay. After one lone season in the AFC, it was the franchise's first season in the NFC, competing in the Central division. It continued the losing streak that encompassed the entire 1976 season, and extended it to 26 games, second only to the Chicago Cardinals who lost a total of 29 games in a row from 1942 to 1945. Fear of becoming the Buccaneers’ first victim provided motivation to opposing teams. It took nearly two seasons for the Buccaneers to achieve their first franchise victory, a 33–14 win over the New Orleans Saints in the second-to-last game of the year. The next week, the Bucs earned their first home victory, over the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's third season in the National Football League, the third playing their home games at Tampa Stadium, and the third under head coach John McKay. As their two 1977 victories had been in the last two games of the season, they entered the 1978 season with the longest active winning streak in the NFC Central.
The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 4th season in the National Football League. All home games were played at Tampa Stadium. After having won just seven games in the previous three seasons combined, the 1979 Buccaneers won ten games for their first winning season. They finished as NFC Central division champions and won the first playoff game in franchise history.
The 1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 5th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 5th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 5th under head coach John McKay. They failed to improve on their 10–6 record from 1979 and finished 5–10–1.
The 1981 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 6th season in the National Football League the 6th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 6th under head coach John McKay. The team improved on their 5–10–1 record from the 1980 season and finished 9–7.
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 an equal league-worst 2–14 record 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.
The 1985 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's ninth season in the National Football League, the ninth playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the first season under head coach Leeman Bennett. The team failed to improve on a 6–10 season, once again finishing at 2–14, the same as in 1983.
The 1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 11th season in the National Football League playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and their second under head coach Leeman Bennett. The team matched their 2–14 season from 1985, for one of the worst seasons in franchise history, and according to statistics site Football Outsiders, the sixth-worst team in the NFL since 1950. There is some sentiment that the 1986 team was even worse than the winless team of 1976, and the 473 points conceded was not beaten by any NFL team until the 2001 Indianapolis Colts gave up 486. The Buccaneers selected Bo Jackson with the top pick in the draft, but were unable to convince him to join the team. Three weeks after the draft, Jackson signed a three-year baseball contract with the Kansas City Royals. Despite holding four of the first forty selections in the draft, and the presence of a great influx of fresh talent from defunct USFL teams, the Buccaneers were unable to find any impact players in either the draft or free agency. They entered the season with a roster nearly identical to the previous season's 2–14 team.
The 1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League, the 12th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium, and the first under head coach Ray Perkins. It was a year of great change for the Buccaneers. Perkins had only needed three seasons (1979–1981) to build the New York Giants into a playoff team, and it was hoped that he would be able to repeat the feat with the Buccaneers. They improved over their 2–14 record from 1986 and finished 4–11.
William George Capece is a former professional American football player who played placekicker for three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He attended Chaminade High School in Hollywood, Florida along with David Shula, and was invited by Shula's father, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, to attend Dolphin practices and work out with placekicker Garo Yepremian. It was Yepremian who provided Capece with the encouragement to consider a career in professional football. Capece attended Florida State University, where he graduated as the holder of FSU's records for single-season scoring, most field goals in a game, and field goal percentage (100%). His 104 points in 1980 were the most by a kicker in national collegiate history. He was signed to a professional contract with the Buccaneers in 1981, during a week in which the Buccaneers cut both their placekicker and their punter. Ironically, Capece's signing marked the end of his former mentor's career, as Yepremian was the player he was signed to replace. Capece missed a field goal and an extra point in a 1983 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the 1983 home finale, and was told to stay home for the season’s final game in Detroit. After that game, a 23-20 loss, coach John McKay made his famous announcement that "Capece is kaput". Capece returned as the team's placekicker the following season, but was waived following a poor performance in a preseason game against the Dolphins. His 41 field goals stood as the Buccaneers' career record until broken in 1987 by Donald Igwebuike.
Manfred Moore was an American professional American football running back and, briefly, rugby league player who played in the 1970s.
John Eugene "Jeb" Blount is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 1976 NFL draft. He played college football at Tulsa, where he completed 320 of 588 passes for 4,372 yards and 35 touchdowns in three seasons as a starter. He was an honorable mention All-American, and American Bowl MVP following his senior season. He claimed to have developed his passing accuracy while herding cattle on his parents' ranch. He would spook the lead bull by hitting him in the head with a football, at which point the entire herd would follow. He lives in Longview, Texas.
Charles Douglas Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes and was selected in the second round of the 1974 NFL draft.
Larry Robert Lawrence was a former professional American football quarterback. Lawrence attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and played football in college for the Miami Hurricanes and Iowa Hawkeyes. Undrafted coming out of college, he started his pro career in the CFL for two seasons, then signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. He played for two years as a backup, starting two games and missing most of the 1975 season with an injury. The Buccaneers traded for him during the 1976 preseason. Coach John McKay praised his accuracy in the preseason, but he was unable to make an impact in limited playing time during the regular season, and was waived when Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Terry Hanratty became available. Lawrence died on December 4, 2012.
References
- ↑ Staff Writers. "You can't tell players without binoculars". St. Petersburg Times. 17 Sep 1976
- ↑ Staff Writers. "Bucs claim Jennings again". St. Petersburg Times. 15 Sep 1977
- ↑ Staff Writers. "Bucs waive Jennings again". St. Petersburg Times. 22 Sep 1977
- ↑ Man on Mission to Fill Fatherless Gap. Accessed 24 Jun 2009
- ↑ Calvan, Bobby Caina. "Rick Jennings to aid Artest in counseling". The Sacramento Bee. 4 May 1997