Simeon Rice was selected as the 16th inductee into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor in 2025, becoming the fifth defensive player from the team's 2002 Super Bowl championship roster to earn the distinction.
One of the most prolific pass rushers in NFL history, Rice played six seasons in Tampa Bay (2001–2006), starting all 87 games he appeared in and registering 69.5 sacks – the third-most in franchise history behind Pro Football Hall of Famers Lee Roy Selmon and Warren Sapp. He led the team in sacks for five consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2005, becoming one of only three Buccaneers ever to do so in at least five straight years. Rice owns five of the top 10 single-season sack totals in team history, including three of the top five.
"During his Hall of Fame-worthy 12-year career, Simeon Rice established himself as one of the most dominant pass rushers in NFL history and he is deserving of his place as the 16th member in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor," said Buccaneers Owner/Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer. "Simeon arrived in Tampa prior to the 2001 season and immediately elevated a dominant defense into one of the greatest of all-time. He left an indelible mark on our franchise, and we look forward to honoring and celebrating his great career this upcoming season."
During an eight-year span from 1998 to 2005, Rice led the NFL with 101.5 sacks, surpassing contemporaries such as Michael Strahan and Jason Taylor. From 2001 through 2005, he recorded at least 11.0 sacks each season, becoming just the fifth player in league history at the time to post five consecutive double-digit sack seasons for the same team. His eight career 10.0-sack seasons are tied for the seventh-most in NFL history, trailing only a select group of Hall of Famers.
A cornerstone of the Buccaneers' historic 2002 defense, Rice played a pivotal role in helping the franchise capture its first Super Bowl title. That season, he recorded a team-best 15.5 sacks during the regular season and added a team-high 4.0 more in the postseason, including 2.0 sacks of league MVP Rich Gannon in the Buccaneers' 48–21 Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Oakland Raiders.
Originally selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, Rice appeared in 174 career games (161 starts) with the Cardinals (1996–2000), Buccaneers (2001–06), Denver Broncos (2007), and Indianapolis Colts (2007). He retired with 122.0 career sacks, which ranked among the top 20 all-time at the time of his retirement, in addition to 472 tackles, 59 passes defensed, 34 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, and five interceptions.
In seven career postseason games – all starts – Rice tallied 23 tackles, 7.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, two passes defensed, and one fumble recovery. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro, and a two-time second-team All-Pro. As a rookie in 1996, Rice was named the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 12.5 sacks, tied for the second-most by a rookie in NFL history at the time.
Since retiring from professional football, Rice has pursued a variety of creative and entrepreneurial ventures, including work in film, media, and public speaking.