As a rookie with the Bucs in 2003, T Lance Nimmo accompanied the team to Japan for a preseason game
Lance Nimmo, a 2003 draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spent two years away from the Bucs before returning on Tuesday. During that time, Nimmo picked up something many of his Tampa Bay teammates already had.
A Super Bowl ring.
Nimmo, a 6-5, 303-pound offensive tackle out of West Virginia, spent the last three months of the 2004 season on the New England Patriots' practice squad. That meant he was along for the ride as the Patriots won their second consecutive Super Bowl in February, defeating Philadelphia, 24-21.
The Buccaneers have re-acquired Nimmo off waivers from the Patriots, who re-signed the second-year player after the Super Bowl but then waived him on June 1. To make room on their roster, which is currently at a maximum of 102 players, the Bucs released rookie offensive lineman Leon Robinson.
Nimmo spent the entire 2003 season on the active roster of the New York Jets, though he was inactive for each game. He was claimed off waivers by the Jets on September 3 after the Bucs released him on September 1, following training camp.
Nimmo went to training camp with the Jets again in 2004 but was released on September 4 and subsequently signed to the Cleveland Browns' practice squad three days later. He spent a month on that unit before being waived and eventually signed by the Patriots on November 10.
Before taking him to camp last summer, the Jets sent Nimmo over to the NFL Europe League, where he started all 10 games for the Cologne Centurions.
The Bucs made Nimmo the 130th player selected overall in the 2003 draft after his outstanding collegiate career at West Virginia. A two-year starter at left tackle, he played in 44 games and was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior. After earning the Mountaineers' award for the team's top lineman as a junior in 2001, he allowed only one sack and helped the offense average 418.5 yards per game as a senior. Nimmo was also an Academic All-Big East choice for four straight seasons.
The 25-year-old Nimmo hails from New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Robinson was signed by the Bucs as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech on April 26.
