{"id":284881,"date":"2026-06-08T09:30:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=284881"},"modified":"2026-06-08T06:50:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:50:53","slug":"buccaneers-ring-of-honor-excellence-grows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/06\/08\/buccaneers-ring-of-honor-excellence-grows\/","title":{"rendered":"Buccaneers Ring of Honor: Excellence Grows"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Tampa Bay Buccaneers&#8217; <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.buccaneers.com\/team\/ring-of-honor\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ring of Honor<\/a> continues to grow, as excellence for players and coaches during their time as a Buccaneer receives recognition for impacting the team. Fourteen players are in the Ring of Honor, with more on the way in the coming years.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Buccaneers Ring of Honor: Excellence Grows<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor: Excellence Grows with Likely Future Ring of Honor Members<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"ih98gn\" data-start=\"1956\" data-end=\"1997\">Likely Future Ring of Honor Members<\/h3>\n<p>Four former Buccaneers and one current Buc, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buccaneers.com\/team\/players-roster\/tristan-wirfs\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-schema-attribute=\"about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tristan Wirfs,<\/a> are likely to be inducted into the Ring of Honor in the coming years:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tom Brady, Quarterback<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/bigten\/michigan-wolverines\/\" target=\"_self\">Michigan<\/a>) &#8211; Brady only played for Tampa for three seasons, but the results were obviously worth recognizing. Leading the Buccaneers to their win in 2020, his first season, Brady became a hero in Tampa Bay forever. Brady led Tampa Bay to the playoffs in each of his three seasons, won two NFC South Titles, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nfl\/ask\/tom-brady-passing-yards-with-tampa-bay\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">threw for over 14,000 yards while collecting 108 touchdowns.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Lavonte David, Linebacker<\/strong> (Nebraska-Lincoln) &#8211; David spent his entire <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DaviLa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">14-year career in Tampa Bay before retiring after the 2025 season.<\/a> David had 42.5 sacks and forced 33 fumbles as a Buc. David earned All-Pro honors eight times in his career.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Warrick Dunn, Running Back<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/acc\/florida-state-seminoles\/\" target=\"_self\">Florida State<\/a>) &#8211; Sixteen seasons as a Buc. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DunnWa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Most likely<\/a> to be the next entrant into the Ring of Honor.\u00a0 Earned the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/awards\/walter-payton-man-of-the-year.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year(2004)<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/awards\/nflpa-alan-page-community-award.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFLPA Alan Page Community Award(2007)<\/a>. Greatest offensive player in Buccaneers history.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mike Evans, Wide Receiver<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/sec\/texas-am-aggies\/\" target=\"_self\">Texas A&amp;M<\/a>) &#8211; Evans had twelve seasons in Tampa before signing with San Francisco this offseason.<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/E\/EvanMi00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> 108 touchdowns. 866 receptions<\/a>. Six-time Pro Bowl honors. Evans has NFL HOF numbers and is a shoo-in for the Ring of Honor when his career is over.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBttcGJ7Qd\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 3906px; aspect-ratio: 3906\/2604;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1999\" data-end=\"2081\"><strong>Possible Consideration for Ring of Honor Membership<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"2082\" data-end=\"2207\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1l9y4tx\" data-start=\"2281\" data-end=\"2322\"><strong>Rob Gronkowski, Tight End<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/big12\/arizona-wildcats\/\" target=\"_self\">Arizona<\/a>) &#8211; Gronk had just two seasons in Tampa Bay. His numbers don&#8217;t stand out, with just 14 touchdowns and 1400+ receiving yards. His value, however, in being a key cog in Tampa&#8217;s Super Bowl-winning season in 2020 merits at least some consideration here.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1l9y4tx\" data-start=\"2281\" data-end=\"2322\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>Vincent Jackson, Wide Receiver<\/strong> (Northern Colorado) &#8211; <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JackVi00.htm#all_receiving_and_rushing\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jackson collected over 4,200 yards, earned a Pro Bowl nod, and had 23 touchdown receptions<\/a> in his five seasons with Tampa Bay.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1l9y4tx\" data-start=\"2281\" data-end=\"2322\"><strong>Baker Mayfield, Quarterback<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/sec\/oklahoma-sooners\/\" target=\"_self\">Oklahoma<\/a>) &#8211; Mayfield is entering just his fourth season in Tampa Bay, but his<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MayfBa00.htm#all_passing\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> numbers in Tampa<\/a> so far are impressive. He has 95 touchdown passes and has thrown for over 12,000 yards. It&#8217;s not hard to see Mayfield&#8217;s career lasting another three or four years for sure, and with continued success, he vaults to the likely category. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/06\/05\/baker-mayfields-contract\/\" target=\"_self\">Mayfield&#8217;s next contract decision<\/a> will impact his Tampa Bay legacy for sure.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"yjvcl\" data-start=\"2323\" data-end=\"2364\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>Vita Vea, Defensive Tackle<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/bigten\/washington-huskies\/\" target=\"_self\">Washington<\/a>)\u00a0 &#8211; Vea has thirty-five sacks and one Pro Bowl nod so far in his eight seasons in Tampa. The heart of the defense. Another three or four years in Tampa, and he is all but a lock to enter the Ring of Honor.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"yjvcl\" data-start=\"2323\" data-end=\"2364\"><strong>Tristan Wirfs, Offensive Tackle<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/bigten\/iowa-hawkeyes\/\" target=\"_self\">Iowa<\/a>)\u00a0 &#8211; <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WirfTr00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wirfs has earned Pro Bowl honors<\/a> in five of his six seasons, all with the Buccaneers. Assuming he lasts at least three to four more years as a Buc, he will be a lock to earn Ring of Honor status.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Buccaneers Ring of Honor: Current Members<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"2082\" data-end=\"2207\">\n<li><strong>2025: Simeon Rice, Defensive End<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/bigten\/illinois-fighting-illini\/\" target=\"_self\">Illinois<\/a>) &#8211; <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RiceSi00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rice garnered 69.5 sacks in his six seasons as a Buc<\/a> and was a vaunted member of the 2006 Super Bowl champs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2022: Bruce Arians, Head Coach and Executive<\/strong> &#8211; Arians&#8217; three seasons in Tampa produced Tampa Bay&#8217;s second Super Bowl win in 2020.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2020: Monte Kiffin, Defensive Coordinator<\/strong> &#8211; Kiffin is known for crafting the &#8220;Tampa 2&#8221; defensive scheme that changed how teams played zone defense. Kiffin was the defensive coordinator for thirteen seasons and coordinated the team&#8217;s stellar defense that was instrumental in the 2006 Super Bowl-winning season.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2019: Ronde Barber, Cornerback <\/strong>(<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/acc\/virginia-cavaliers\/\" target=\"_self\">Virginia<\/a>) &#8211; Barber earned five Pro Bowl nods and three First-Team All-Pro honors in his <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BarbRo00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sixteen-game career,<\/a> all with Tampa Bay. Barber was a key piece in the team&#8217;s first Super Bowl win in 2006.\u00a0 Ronde finished his career with 28 sacks and 47 interceptions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2017: Tony Dungy, Head Coach<\/strong> &#8211; Dungy coached for six seasons in Tampa and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/coaches\/DungTo0.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">accumulated a record of 54-42.\u00a0<\/a> He is known for building one of the greatest defenses in Tampa history.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2017: Jon Gruden, Head Coach<\/strong> &#8211; Gruden was elected to the Ring of Honor in 2017 before <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/10\/15\/whats-next-at-head-coach-for-the-raiders\/\" target=\"_self\">his removal in 2021.<\/a> He was later reinstated in 2025. Gruden led the Bucs to their first Super Bowl win in 2002, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/coaches\/GrudJo0.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">during his seven seasons in Tampa, the Bucs won the NFC South three times.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>2016: John Lynch, Safety<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/acc\/stanford-cardinal\/\" target=\"_self\">Stanford<\/a>)- In <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LyncJo00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eleven seasons with Tampa Bay<\/a>, Lynch earned five Pro Bowl selections and 23 interceptions. He went on to play four seasons in Denver before earning election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has transitioned from his leadership as a quarterback of the defense into a successful general manager with San Francisco.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2015: Mike Alstott, Fullback <\/strong>(<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/bigten\/purdue-boilermakers\/\" target=\"_self\">Purdue<\/a>) &#8211; &#8220;A-Train&#8221; is a legend in Bucs history, holding the team&#8217;s career rushing touchdown mark with 58 touchdowns in 12 seasons in the NFL, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/A\/AlstMi00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">all with Tampa Bay<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2015: Doug Williams, Quarterback<\/strong> (Grambling State) &#8211; <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WillDo01.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Williams was the team&#8217;s first quarterback<\/a>, leading Tampa Bay to three playoff berths, including the 1979 NFC Championship game.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2014: Derrick Brooks, Linebacker<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/acc\/florida-state-seminoles\/\" target=\"_self\">Florida State<\/a>) &#8211; <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BrooDe00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brooks was an All-Pro nine times and earned eleven Pro Bowl<\/a> selections in his fourteen-year career, all in Tampa Bay. He was the defensive player of the year in 2002.<\/li>\n<li>2013: Warren Sapp, Defensive Tackle (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/acc\/miami-hurricanes\/Miami\" target=\"_self\">Miami<\/a>)\u00a0 &#8211; Sapp played nine seasons with Tampa Bay, earning seven Pro Bowl selections and being first-team All-Pro for four seasons. This beast collected 77 sacks and was the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SappWa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>2012: Paul Gruber, Offensive Tackle<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/bigten\/wisconsin-badgers\/\" target=\"_self\">Wisconsin<\/a>) &#8211; Played twelve years in Tampa.<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GrubPa20.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> He was a solid left tackle<\/a> and leader of the offensive line.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2011: Jimmie Giles, Tight End<\/strong> (Alcorn St.) &#8211; Giles played nine years in Tampa Bay, earning four Pro Bowl selections. He had 279 receptions, 4,300 receiving yards, and 34 touchdowns in his <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GileJi00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">time in Tampa Bay.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>2010: John McKay, Head Coach<\/strong> &#8211;<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/coaches\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Bucs&#8217; first head coach,<\/a> led the team to the NFC Championship Game in 1979 after the team&#8217;s 0-26 start in its beginning. McKay was the face of the franchise in its early struggles and turned the team into a yearly contender.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2009: Lee Roy Selmon<\/strong>, Defensive End (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/category\/sec\/oklahoma-sooners\/\" target=\"_self\">Oklahoma<\/a>) &#8211; Selmon played his nine-year career in Tampa Bay, earning six Pro Bowl trips and was voted the league&#8217;s<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SelmLe00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Defensive Player of the Year in 1979<\/a>. Selmon is the heart and soul of Tampa Bay, the premier member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Tampa Bay Buccaneers&#8217; Ring of Honor continues to grow, as excellence for players and coaches during their time as a Buccaneer receives recognition for impacting the team. Fourteen players are in the Ring of Honor, with more on the way in the coming years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4925,"featured_media":286710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,6431,29],"tags":[2170,984,331,5901,34922],"class_list":["post-284881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-nfl-teams","category-buccaneers","tag-lavonte-david","tag-mike-evans","tag-tom-brady","tag-tristan-wirfs","tag-warrick-dunn"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4925"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=284881"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":286709,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284881\/revisions\/286709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=284881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=284881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}