Every season, the cannons fire for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ever since 1976, the Bucs have been a staple of Tampa Bay. “After playing their first season in the American Football Conference (AFC), the Bucs moved to their current conference in 1977. The team’s losing ways continued in the NFC, as Tampa Bay did not record the first win in franchise history until December 1977, and its 26-game losing streak remains an NFL record for the Super Bowl era (1966–present),” said Britannica.com
During the winless stretch, the Bucs were at an all-time low. The Bucs would then have multiple three-year stretches when they would win games before falling back to the bottom of the division. “The Buccaneers hired head coach Jon Gruden to improve the team’s offense, but it was the top-ranked defense in the league that helped the team post a 12–4 record in 2002 and upset the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game the following January. At Super Bowl XXXVII, the Bucs soundly defeated the Oakland Raiders 48–21 to capture their first championship,” said to Britannica.com.
Finally, after a long drought, when the Bucs were at the bottom of their division, they made a move on coaching and built a powerhouse defense, ultimately winning the Super Bowl.
This year, the Bucs have gone 3-0 for the first time since 2005. The six superstars who have led the way are:
Baker Mayfield, six feet one inch, 215 pounds. Mayfield was born in 1995 and was drafted first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Mayfield won the Heisman trophy at the University of Oklahoma in 2017. Baker has played for four teams in his 9-year career. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2018 and Football’s Most Improved Player in 2023.
Bucky Irving, standing at five feet 10 inches and weighing 195 pounds, was born in 2002. He was drafted with pick 125 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024. Irving attended the University of Minnesota and the University of Oregon. He has played for the Bucs both of his seasons in the NFL.
Mike Evans, standing at six feet five inches, weighing in at 231 pounds. He was drafted in 2014 with the seventh pick by the Tampa Bay Bucs. Evans was born in 1993 and attended Texas A&M. He has played all 12 of his seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans is a six-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion.
Vita Vea, standing at six feet four inches and weighing 347 pounds, was drafted by the Buccaneers with the 12th pick in 2018. Vea attended the University of Washington. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and a one-time Super Bowl champion.
Jamel Dean, standing at six feet one inch and weighing 206 pounds, was drafted with the 94th pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Dean is a one-time Super Bowl champ.
Antoine Winfield Jr. stands at 5 feet 9 inches and weighs 203 pounds. He was drafted with the 45th pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Bucs. He is a one-time Pro Bowler, a one-time All-Pro, and a Super Bowl champ.
Todd Bowles, the Bucs head coach. Before he became the head coach, Bowles served as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator, responsible for calling defensive plays and developing players. He led the Bucs’ defense to 3 consecutive playoff appearances from 2019 to 2021 before becoming the head coach, where he led them to a playoff appearance last season. Bowles won a Super Bowl under head coach Bruce Arians.
The Bucs won the Super Bowl Championship in 2002 and 2021. In 2002, quarterback Brad Johnson threw for 3049 yards and 22 touchdowns. At the same time, running backs Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott would rush for a combined 1266 yards on 350 carries. Wide receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Keenan McCardell combined for 1758 yards receiving. The defense had 43 sacks, 31 interceptions, and forced 17 fumbles throughout the whole season.
The 2021 Bucs Super Bowl team was led by quarterback Tom Brady, who led the charge with 5316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. Running backs Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II combined for 1240 yards on 281 carries and 12 touchdowns. Receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans lead the way for receiving, combining for 2,138 yards and 19 touchdowns.
The Buccaneers have had a total of 143,190 in attendance at their two games this season, ESPN.com reported.
Sophomore Alex Vangelov’s said, “having all the Bucs fans around me makes me happy; it allows me to go to games and be surrounded by people who cheer for the same team as me.” The Bucs’ involvement in the community inspires people to cheer for them. Last year, after Hurricane Helene devastated the Tampa Bay area, the Glazer family jumped right into helping with hurricane relief efforts, donating $ 1 million. This inspiring act led to other teams, such as the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans making generous donations to hurricane relief efforts.
Every weekend, the cannons will fire after a touchdown, and every time those cannons fire, the community of great Bucs fans will roar for their home team.