Tampa Bay Buccaneers History

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also known to their fans as the Bucs, have a varied history full of highs and lows, which begins over 40 years ago in the 70s.

It was in 1976 that football officially came to the area of Tampa Bay — a collection of cities that inhabit the Tampa bay area. After some set-backs and hard work — it wasn’t until the 13th game of their second season that the team won a game — they continued to improve and began to grow rapidly as a team. It is this initial struggle that gave the team the drive and passion they still have today.

In the 1979 season, the Bucs began to get into their stride, with 5 consecutive wins. It was during this time, the team began to gain their reputation as a strong defensive side. It was also in this season that they went to the playoffs for the very first time, with players like Doug Williams driving the team.

The 80s continued to hold promise, with the playoffs being made in 1981. However this decade and the beginning of the next proved to be a trying time of mixed results, with the team facing some difficult times including salary disputes, the beginning of 12 consecutive seasons with 10 losses and a low level of attendance at games.

It was in 1994 that it was discovered the team was close to bankruptcy, and was sold for what was the highest sale for a sports franchise at the time; 192 million. This revitalized the club and began a new era of success. The Bucs began to improve with new coaches being brought in, steadily building and building on their talent. This hard work eventually led to one of the most prestigious moments of their history; coming home with the Lombardi Trophy, blowing the other team out of the water in the Super Bowl XXXVII. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are additionally credited with the creation of the Tampa 2 defensive alignment, in play from 1997 to 2008, and landing the team into one of the greatest defensive runs in the history of the NFL.

Though this was a high point in the Buccaneers history and there have been ups and downs since, the most recent season led to the longest winning streak since the 2002 season, so who knows what the future will hold.