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DE Lee Roy Selmon will be inducted into the Bucs' Ring of Honor on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium

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Grabbing the Ring

Nov 04, 2009 - Each year, those with a say in the Pro Football Hall of Fame deliberations gather at the site of the Super Bowl to determine the latest class for enshrinement. After several rounds of discussions, eliminations and balloting, the results of the process are announced the day before the big game.

Seven months later, in late July, the men chosen for enshrinement in January or February are officially inducted into the Hall at an annual ceremony in Canton, Ohio. Thus, each inductee has two wonderful moments that usher him into football immortality: First learning that he has been tabbed as one of the game's all-time greats, and second sharing the actual joy of enshrinements with thousands of friends and well-wishers.

Lee Roy Selmon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first transcendent player, knows the experience. He was officially chosen for induction into the Hall of Fame the day before Super Bowl XXIX, in January of 1995, and then presented for induction by his brother and former Buccaneer teammate Dewey Selmon on July 29 of that same year. True to form, Selmon called it a humbling experience.

This Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, Selmon will share the joy of enshrinement with thousands of fans who remember his exemplary play and even greater sportsmanship. Selmon's Buccaneers will unveil the new Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium, and his name will be the first to grace the stadium's facade.

Selmon was an obvious choice, of course, but he was officially tabbed for the honor at a press conference and ceremony at One Buccaneer Place this past August 3. On that day, Selmon was once again self-effacing in the face of this latest piece of recognition.

"I'm humbled," he said, "that out of so many people they could have chosen, so many great players, they chose me. But this isn't about me. I watched the team practice this morning and it brought back memories of those practices we enjoyed so much in 1976. It wasn't about any single one of us but about the great fortune we had to work together and to work with great coaches and team management. And we were grateful that being on the team opened the doors for us to be citizens in this community."

Selmon's trademark modesty notwithstanding, he was the clear choice to kick off this new Ring of Honor. The first college draft pick in team history, and the first overall choice in 1976, Selmon remains the only player who spent the bulk of his career as a Buccaneer to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. His rookie season was cut short by injury, but he was a superstar essentially from Day One. Healthy in 1977, he exploded for 13 sacks — a single-season team record that stood for 23 years — beginning a near-decade of unstoppable quarterback pressure that has yet to be matched in team annals.

Selmon finished his career with 78.5 sacks and 28.5 forced fumbles, marks that still stand in the Bucs' record book. He was a Pro Bowl selection for six straight years, from 1979-84, and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1979. The Buccaneers' amazing rise from expansion team in '76 to the NFC Championship Game in '79 was built on the league's top-ranked defense, and that defense was built around Selmon. Though a gentle soul, he terrorized opponents with his relentless play.

Selmon even prompted one opponent, Chicago Bears tackle Ted Albrecht to utter this still-famous quote at halftime of a game in 1977: “Coach, there are four things in this world I do not want to do under any circumstance. Number one, I don’t want to milk a cobra. Number two, I don’t want to be buried at sea. Number three, I don’t want to be hit in the head with a hockey puck. And number four, I don’t want to play the second half against Lee Roy Selmon.”

So, yes, Selmon was the natural start to the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor, and he will surely be on the receiving end of a stadium full of adulation on Sunday. But this is just the beginning, and the Ring will continue to honor the greatest and most influential figures in team history as the years go by. And that begs the obvious question: Who's next?

There has been no announced plan for the development of the Ring, in terms of when and how often new inductees would be named, so for now we can only speculate. Actually, that sort of speculation has been taking place on the Buccaneers.com message boards ever since the plans for the Ring of Honor were announced, and that's the perfect launching point for this platform.

Below are the names that have been discussed on the boards in regards to possible Ring of Honor enshrinement, and a very brief summary of the person's potential candidacy. Obviously, this list gets more to the issue of all figures who may eventually be considered, not necessarily who should be selected next. Because it is a more open-ended list, it also avoids such issues as whether or not the person in question is still with the Buccaneers or involved in some way in the NFL. For example, Ronde Barber isn't likely to be selected while he is still playing, but he certainly seems worthy of consideration once his career is over.

Also, the list generated on the message board focused only on players and coaches so far, to this point not considering any figures in team management or ownership, though there will obviously be some worthy candidates in those arenas, as well.

On to the list! From the names below, who do you believe will — or should — get the call to the Buccaneers Ring of Honor? The names are presented in alphabetical order.

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Donnie Abraham: A starter almost from Day One after the Bucs nabbed him in the third round out of East Tennessee State, Abraham held the title of all-time interceptions leader for several years. He had at least five interceptions in five of his six seasons as a Buccaneer, finishing with 31 overall to surpass Cedric Brown and Mike Washington for the top spot (now owned by Ronde Barber, 37). In 1999 and 2000, Abraham became the only player in team history to have at least seven interceptions each in consecutive years.

Mike Alstott: Clearly one of the most popular players in franchise history, he is also one of the most decorated, and he remains a prominent figure in the Bay area. Alstott's six Pro Bowl selections are the most by an offensive player in team history, and he is also the team's all-time touchdowns leader by a very wide margin. Alstott ranks second all-time in team history in rushing yards and fourth in receptions, and some of his second and third-effort runs are among the most memorable plays in team history.

Ronde Barber: He wasn't originally included when observers identified "The Big Three" (Brooks, Lynch and Sapp) as the core of the Bucs' defense and the franchise's mid-'90s turnaround. However, as time has gone on, it's become more and more clear that Barber's place in Buccaneer — and NFL — history is as important as those three former teammates. Barber is the Bucs' all-time leader in interceptions and defensive touchdowns, and he has found the end zone an incredible 13 times. Barber is also a five-time Pro Bowler and the architect of what is probably the single most important play in team history, his game-sealing 92-yard interception return TD in the 2002 NFC Championship Game.

Ricky Bell: A movie starring Mario Van Peebles was made of Bell's sadly abbreviated life, an indication of how significant he was in Buccaneer history. The first overall pick in the 1977 draft, Bell had a wonderful six-year NFL career that was unfortunately cut short by his unsuccessful battle with dermatomyositis. The first five seasons were in Tampa, where he produced the first 1,000-yard rushing season in franchise history. Bell rushed for 3,057 yards and 16 touchdowns as a Buc, highlighted by his 1,263 yards for that breakout 1979 team.

Derrick Brooks: Brooks probably stands as Selmon's main competitor for the title of best player in franchise history. There certainly wasn't a more steady producer in team annals: He never missed a game from his rookie season of 1995 through his final Buc year of '08, playing in 224 straight. During that time, he amassed an incredible 2,196 tackles, roughly a thousand more than the next player on the list. He also won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2002 and scored eight defensive touchdowns in his career.

Mark Carrier: Consideration must be given to the top-producing wide receiver in team history. Carrier's 5,018 receiving yards remains the top figure in the Bucs' record books and his 321 receptions trail only the 430 of James Wilder, a running back. Carrier broke the team record with 86 receptions in 1989 (later surpassed by Keyshawn Johnson) and that season became the first Buccaneer to make the Pro Bowl in four years. Until the arrival of Johnson in 2001, Carrier was the only receiver in the team's first 25 years to make the all-star game.

Tony Dungy: The coach tabbed by new ownership in 1996 to turn the franchise around and take it into a new era, Dungy didn't disappoint. In his second season at the helm, he led the Buccaneers to a 10-6 record and their first playoff berth in 15 years and first postseason win in 18 years. He took over the Bucs' all-time wins record as a coach with 54 victories from 1996-01, though he was later surpassed by Gruden. Still one of the most respected men in the NFL, Dungy's winning percentage of 56.3% (54-42) is the best in team history.

Jimmie Giles: Before Alstott came along, no offensive player in team history had gone to more Pro Bowls than Giles, the rangy tight end who came over in the 1978 trade that sent the top pick in the draft to Houston. Giles played in four Pro Bowls, still second to Alstott among offensive Tampa Bay players, and is the team's all-time leader in receptions among tight ends. His 4,300 receiving yards is third only to Kevin House and Mark Carrier, and his 15.4-yard per-catch average and team-record 34 TD receptions indicate the sort of big-play tight end that Giles brought to the Bucs' offense.

Paul Gruber: Gruber may have been one of the most underappreciated players in the league during the '80s and '90s, but certainly not by local fans. Those who rooted for the Buccaneers appreciated Gruber's quiet efficiency and every-down hard work. That's no exaggeration — during his first five seasons Gruber played every single down of offense for the Buccaneers. Until Brooks came along, Gruber had the most games started in team history (183), locking down that critical left tackle position for a decade.

Jon Gruden: Buccaneers ownership boldly traded four high draft picks to the Oakland Raiders to acquire the rights to Gruden in 2002, and the payoff was immediate. Gruden led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title that year, guiding the Bucs to a team-record 12 regular-season wins in the process. Gruden is the franchise's all-time leader with 57 wins as a head coach, and he led the team to three of the five division titles in team history.

Kevin House: A speedy big-play producer, House is the second-leading receiver in team history in terms of yards. In fact, his 4,928 yards on 286 catches stand only 90 behind record-holder James Wilder, and his 17.2 yards-per-catch indicate his downfield abilities. House is second to Giles with 31 touchdown receptions and second to Carrier with 14 100-yard games.

Monte Kiffin: Sure to be one of the figures most remembered from the Bucs recent era of success, Kiffin is generally considered responsible for popularizing the Cover Two defense in the NFL. Kiffin's Buccaneers ran it so well for so long that it is now widely known as "The Tampa Two" defense. Kiffin coached the Buccaneers' defense for 13 years and, incredibly, it finished in the top 10 of the league's rankings in 11 of those years, including nine in a row from 1997 through 2005. Tampa Bay ranked first in the NFL in defense in 2002 and 2005, second in 1998 and 2007 and third in 1997 and 1999.

David Logan: The Bucs got tremendous value out of a 12th-round pick in 1979 when they tabbed Pittsburgh DT David Logan. One of the team's emotional leaders during his eight years on the team, Logan was second only to Selmon in career sacks (39) until Rice and Sapp came along. Logan was also the Buccaneers' best touchdown-scorer on defense, with four, until the arrivals of Barber and Brooks.

John Lynch: The first to arrive of the core players that would form the Bucs' legendary defense, Lynch gave up a promising baseball career to pursue his true love, and ballcarriers rued that decision for a decade-and-a-half. One of the hardest hitters of the era, Lynch was selected to five Pro Bowls as a Buccaneer, tied for fourth-most in team history. He's fifth in team history in tackles, sixth in interceptions and fifth in games played, and he earned the nickname, "The Closer," for his penchant for game-clinching plays.

John McKay: The legendarily caustic and witty McKay will long be remembered for his postgame one-liners, but he was also a key figure in the franchise's early rise to prominence. Taking over a team that had little of today's free agency advantages, McKay had the Bucs to respectability by 1978 and, amazingly, in the playoffs by 1979. McKay led Tampa Bay to playoff berths in three of his nine seasons at the helm and a total of 44 victories before his retirement at the end of the 1984 campaign.

Dave Moore: Another fan favorite, Moore fashioned a long and successful career out of hard work and the willingness to take on any role. From long-snapper to H-back to special-teamer to blocking tight end to starter, Moore did it all over 13 seasons and 190 games as a Buccaneer. No offensive player in team history played more games than Moore, and only Brooks ranks ahead of him on that chart overall. Moore made the Pro Bowl as a long-snapper in his final season of 2006 and is fifth on the team's touchdown receptions chart with 24.

Hardy Nickerson: The first and still one of the greatest unrestricted free agent acquisitions in team history. In the first year of the new CBA, in 1993, the Bucs snatched Nickerson from Pittsburgh, where he had been an underrated performer for six years. If not for Reggie White in Green Bay, Nickerson might have been the best signing in the entire league, as he immediately set a team record with 214 tackles in '93. Nickerson would remain a force at middle linebacker for the Buccaneers through 1999, even once returning from a mysterious heart ailment to dominate again. His 1,028 tackles as a Buccaneer still rank third in team history.

Shelton Quarles: One of the great "finds" by the scouting department in team history, Quarles was a former undrafted free agent playing in the Canadian Football League when he was lured south by Mark Dominik. Quarles was an immediate hit as a special-teamer in 1997 and later a starter at strongside linebacker, but it was when he moved to middle linebacker in 2002 that his career really peaked. Quarles made the Pro Bowl in his first year at that position and went on to post 985 tackles, fourth-most in team history.

Simeon Rice: His Buccaneer tenure wasn't as long as those of, say, Brooks or Sapp, but Rice burned brightly during most of his six years in Tampa. In fact, in those six years he posted five of the 13 best single-season sack totals in franchise history, including three of the top four. From 2002-05, Rice averaged 14 sacks a year, topped by his 15.5 for the Super Bowl champs in '02. He finished with 69.5 sacks as a Buccaneer, trailing only Selmon and Sapp.

Warren Sapp: Sapp actually challenged Selmon's career sack record, finishing with 77.0 as a Buccaneer before concluding his career in Oakland. Sapp also joined Selmon as a winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, in 1999, and went to more Pro Bowls (seven) than any Buccaneer other than Derrick Brooks. During nine rollicking, dominant and thoroughly outsized years in Tampa, Sapp became the face for the most dominant defense of that era.

Mike Washington: Another one of the stalwarts on the Bucs' early defense, Washington still ranks fourth on the team with 28 career interceptions. He was the starter at right cornerback for most of his nine-year tenure in Tampa, playing in exactly 100 games with 97 starts. Washington scored four touchdowns during his career and was the team-leader in interceptions twice.

James Wilder: Statistically, Wilder is easily one of the top two or three players in team history. He stands atop the Bucs' all-time charts in both rushing yards (5,957) and receptions (3,492) and is second only to Alstott with 48 touchdowns. Wilder still owns the top two single-season rushing marks in team history — 1,544 in 1984 and 1,300 in 1985 — and in those seasons in particular was basically the Bucs' entire offense. In '84, for instance, Wilder recorded 407 of the team's 483 carries and also led the squad with 85 receptions, a team record at the time.

Doug Williams: Currently the Buccaneers' director of pro personnel, Williams was the offensive leader of that first breakout Tampa Bay team in the late '70s. A first-round draft pick in 1978, Williams is best remembered in NFL circles for his MVP performance for Washington in Super Bowl XXII. However, he was also the first great quarterback in team history, still ranking second in team history with his 73 touchdown passes.

Richard "Batman" Wood: Wood was one of the colorful figures on the Bucs' great defense of the '70s and early '80s in part because of his nickname, inspired by his habit of painting a band of black around his eyes and putting bat symbols on the tape on his hands. Wood played nine seasons as a Buccaneer, ranking 10th in team history with 132 games played. He also remains the sixth-leading tackler in Buc annals with 855.