Ring of Honor Continues to Evade Buccaneers Great, Simeon Rice

Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, Mike Alstott, John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Monte Kiffen, Tony Dungy.

These names are synonymous with arguably the greatest era of football in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise. 

In the late '90s and early 2000s, these Buccaneers were a force to be reckoned with. The team's identity was built around the infamous Tampa-2 defense, designed by Monte Kiffen and Tony Dungy, and executed by many of the impressive names listed above.

Of those players, one stands out from the rest.

And no, I'm not talking about Mike Alstott, who is the only offensive player named.

I'm talking about Simeon Rice. Who, despite being one of the most impactful defenders on that historic Bucs' defense, is the only player listed who does not have his name displayed high above the seats at Raymond James Stadium as part of the Bucs' Ring of Honor.

This past week, the Buccaneers unveiled their game themes for the 2023 season. One of the first things that jumped out at many was the fact that the team does not plan on adding any new names to their illustrious Ring of Honor. 

Rice joined the Buccaneers in 2001, and in his first five seasons with the team, he accumulated 67 total sacks, and double-digit TFL each year.  

It's no coincidence that Simeon Rice's imposing presence off the edge allowed Monte Kiffen's defense to really take their game to the next level, which is exactly what they did in 2002, en route to winning the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl.

Not only was Rice highly productive, but he was also extremely durable — he missed just two games throughout the first decade of his NFL career. In fact, with 129 sacks in his 11-year career, including 8 seasons with double-digit sack totals, many believe that Simeon Rice has a legitimate case to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame.

Whether or not you believe that Rice is deserving of a Hall-of-Fame bid is one thing. But if you ask me, his induction into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Ring of Honor is a no-brainer. 

Although it won't be happening this year, fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should make some noise on his behalf, and ultimately state their case to the organization that Simeon Rice belongs in the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor sooner rather than later. 

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