Bucs Well-Represented Among 2026 Hall of Fame Candidates

His accomplishments are extensive, yet it took a while for Rice to receive the immortalization the Ring of Honor gives him in Bucs' history. He has a strong argument to become the fifth defensive player from the 2002 defense to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which would be a remarkable feat and further recognize how legendary that unit was.

Brad Johnson, the team's quarterback from 2001-2004, came in the same year as Rice and discussed the defensive end's legacy earlier this month.

"Absolutely love Simeon," Brad Johnson told Pewter Report at the "Raise the Flags" premiere event last month. "I actually played against him when I was in Minnesota, and he was in Arizona. We had some great battles there. We came in the free agency class together, to be honest with you. Him making the Ring of Honor, well-deserved. Hopefully he has the chance to make the Hall of Fame, he's got the numbers to do it.

"When I think of Simeon, he was the X-Factor on that team – one of the greatest defenses of all-time to help win the Super Bowl. I remember Simeon after practice; he was that guy. Forty-five minutes later I'm leaving for the parking lot, he's out there pushing sleds and running, doing extra sprints. He was a great teammate, great player, and deserving of everything that comes his way."

The "WD-40" Duo Of Warrick Dunn And Mike Alstott Also Worth Remembering

Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott need to introduction to Bucs fans. The duo coined "WD-40" ran rampant in the backfield during the late 1990s and well into the 2000s. While well-known for their contributions in red and pewter, the coming months will be an opportunity to sell their achievements and legacies on a national stage.

Starting with Dunn, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound stick of dynamite exploded whenever the ball touched his hands. He carved out a productive career; one largely spent with the Bucs. As a first-round pick by the franchise in 1997, Dunn wasted no time making an impact, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and earning his first Pro Bowl nod. In two stints with Tampa Bay (1997–2001, 2008), he accumulated 4,986 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns, ranking third and seventh, respectively, in franchise history.

Over his 12-year NFL career between the Bucs and Falcons, Dunn totaled 10,967 rushing yards, 49 rushing touchdowns, 510 receptions for 4,339 yards, and 15 receiving scores — amassing over 15,300 all-purpose yards. A three-time Pro Bowler (1997, 2000, 2005), he was as respected off the field as he was on it. He won the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2004 for his leadership and charitable work that continues to this day through Warrick Dunn Charities.

Mike Alstott served as Dunn's perfect bruising complement in the backfield.

Alstott played 11 seasons (1996-2006) for the Bucs, and the "A-Train" is regarded as one of the most iconic fullbacks in NFL history. He rushed 1,359 times for 5,088 yards and 58 rushing touchdowns, caught 305 passes for 2,284 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns, giving him 71 total touchdowns. Outside of wide receiver Mike Evans, that touchdown total is the highest in franchise history.

Alstott was selected to six Pro Bowls (1997-2002), named First-Team All-Pro three consecutive seasons (1997-1999) plus once Second-Team All-Pro nod (1996), all while helping lead Tampa Bay to its first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. His knack for scoring in short yardage and fourth-quarter situations made him a clutch weapon — he had a 44-14 regular-season record in games where he scored at least one touchdown. For his contributions, he was inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor in 2015, and is among the franchise's leaders in scoring, receptions, and rushing.

These Well-Known Players Made Pit Stops In Tampa Bay

Then there were the rest. While the names listed below are not likely to head to Canton, Ohio, that does not mean their respective impacts with the Bucs should be forgotten.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia only played two seasons with the team, signing as a free agent in 2007. Although 37 years old at the time, that did not stop Garcia from earning his first Pro Bowl nod since 2002 with the 49ers. He led the team to an 8-5 record as a starter as the team finished 9-7 that year. It would be more of the same in 2008, as the team went 6-5 led by Garcia and finished 9-7 in what would also be former head coach Jon Gruden's last year in Tampa Bay. Overall, Garcia went 14-10 as a starter, throwing for 5,152 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.

Running backs Thomas Jones and LeSean McCoy had short-lived tenures with the team, as each spent just a season in town. For Jones, his stop came in 2003, when he was traded to the team from the Cardinals and had yet to truly blossom that decade. He rushed for 627 yards on 137 carries, using that season as a platform year before signing with the Bears. It was in Chicago he became a 1,000-yard rusher and went on to play until 2011, finishing with 10,591 rushing yards and 68 touchdowns.

McCoy was already an accomplished running back before he signed as a free agent in 2020. A six-time Pro Bowler with the Eagles, "Shady" was on his last legs as a 32-year-old, recording just ten carries for 31 rushing yards during the regular season. Still, he went out on top as a Super Bowl champion.

Lorenzo Neal is best known for being the fullback for LaDainian Tomlinson during the peak of his success in the mid-2000s. Neal paired with "L.T." for five seasons from 2003-2007, earning Pro Bowl nods each of his last three seasons in San Diego. Well before then, you might not know that he was a part of the backfield with Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott in 1998. He had just five carries for 25 rushing yards and five receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown serving as a backup, so it's more of a fun fact that he stopped in Tampa Bay.

Left tackle Lomas Brown enjoyed a long NFL career, having been the sixth overall pick way back in the 1985 NFL Draft. Brown signed with the Bucs for his 18th and final season in 2002, playing in 11 games as a backup offensive lineman. Known more for blocking for Barry Sanders from 1985-1995, he made seven Pro Bowls and was another player who rode off into the sunset with a Super Bowl ring. Left guard Logan Mankins was a more productive offensive lineman with the Bucs, spending two seasons with them after being traded from the Patriots in 2014. Mankins was a full-time starter who ended his career with a Pro Bowl nod in 2015.

Last but not least, punter Sean Landeta enjoyed a lengthy career spanning from 1985-2005. Playing across three decades, Landeta stopped in Tampa Bay to serve as the team's punter right in the middle of his career in 1997. That year, he had 54 punts, averaging 42.1 yards per boot and had a career-long 74-yard punt.