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.
Patrick C. Chukwurah is a Nigerian former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wyoming.
Booker Reese is a former American football defensive end who played four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams from 1982 to 1985 in the National Football League (NFL). Although not picked until the second round in the 1982 NFL Draft, Reese is considered to be the biggest draft bust in Buccaneers history due to the unusual circumstances in which he was ultimately chosen.
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 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 7th season in the National Football League the 7th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 7th under head coach John McKay. The Bucs were regarded for the first time as a regular playoff contender. They were considered by some to be the best Buccaneer team yet, despite a mediocre offensive line and the lack of a feature running back. The team played only two games before the players' union called a labor strike, which resulted in a nine-game season. The season began with a three-game losing streak, as the Buccaneers outplayed their opponent statistically in each game, but showed a tendency for mental errors at crucial moments. The first game in which they were outgained by their opponent was their first win, a franchise-first victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The team made a playoff run against a difficult schedule, facing only two opponents with losing records. Their schedule included all four eventual Conference Championship participants. They overcame double-digit deficits to win on last-minute field goals in their final two games, and had to survive opponents' last-minute rallies in all five of their victories. In the strike-season playoff format in which the top eight conference teams made the playoffs, the Buccaneers' seventh-place finish gave them a first-round matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. Despite a poor performance by the offense, the Buccaneers carried a 17–16 lead into the fourth quarter, before the Cowboys rallied for a 30–17 victory following a controversial penalty call. This was the last playoff appearance of the John McKay era, and was followed by fourteen consecutive losing seasons.
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.
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.
Allan Quay Shipley is a former American football center who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football for Penn State and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Shipley was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Baltimore Ravens, the Indianapolis Colts and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent the 2021 season as an offensive assistant for the Buccaneers, before making regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show.
Aqib Talib is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Kansas, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Talib also played for the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Rams, winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver. In 2020, he made his debut as an analyst for NFL on Fox.
Robert Ayers is a former American football defensive end that played 10 years in the NFL. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Edjaun Sinclair "E. J." Biggers is a former American football cornerback that played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Western Michigan University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Biggers also played for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.
Akeem Spence is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football at Illinois.
DaeSean Kameron Hamilton is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Penn State. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Carl Paul Nassib is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning unanimous All-American honors as a senior in 2015. Nassib was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and has also played for the Las Vegas Raiders. In 2021, Nassib became the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay and to play in a game.
Rod Christopher Godwin Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State and was selected by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He won a Super Bowl championship in Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Caleb Orobosa Benenoch is an American football guard who is a free agent. He played college football at UCLA and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and Calgary Stampeders.
Parnell Motley is an American football cornerback for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Oklahoma and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Motley has also been a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and Cleveland Browns.
