Which Pewter Generation Tampa Bay Buccaneer will be Hall of Fame bound?

They went to the Playoffs 3 of 4 years, and they turned around a team that was 0-26, completely win-less in their first two seasons of existence. Then, They won a game; with defense. And defense would seem to always be the backbone of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for time to come. And out of that group of defenders, Defensive End Lee Roy Selmon became the first Buccaneer to be selected to the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. After these seasons, the Buccaneers toiled in obscurity, going 15 years with losing records, only to have their fate cross paths again with the old Bucs; as Defense would resurrect the franchise via Head Coach and former Defensive Coordinator/Player Tony Dungy. Out of this group of Pewter sports heroes, surely several will be eligible for the Hall of Fame, and to join Lee Roy Selmon in Canton. But which ones? Surprisingly, one such player actually DOES come from the Offense. Fullback Mike Alstott would be the only one on that side of the ball that anyone could make a case for, but is it a strong enough case? What do you need to get into the Hall of Fame? For Starters, Super Bowls are helpful, and Mike Alstott not only appeared in one, he scored the Bucs first Superbowl TD. Alstott also has numerous Pro Bowl Appearances to boot. Now some would say he is not really a Fullback, and shouldn’t go. To that I say, the same reasoning and though process that got him elected to the Pro Bowl as a Fullback, will be the same system that could get him nominated to the Hall. Warren Sapp has numbers that are less likely to be debated. He has the 3rd most sacks of any Defensive Tackle in History, and number 99 may have played his last few years in the silver and black of the Raiders he will always be remembered in his Pewter and red of Raymond James Fame. Another Bucs stalwart who wore other colors, John Lynch Dressed in the Blue and Orange of the Denver Broncos for a few years, after being released by the Bucs the same year as Sapp; 2003. Lynch started in the Orange way back in 1993 and got noticed on special teams. He didn’t become a starter until 1995 and even then not really a full time one. Lynches claim to fame was the incredible ferocity he laid into players on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receivers were always said to “make sure you know where John Lynch is” on the field at all times. Double Nickle is probably the only Buc player who Bucs fans can put along the same lines as Lee Roy in the matter of Favorite Bucs player of all time. Derrick Brooks came to the Bucs in the same draft as Warren Sapp, in 1995, and was an immediate starter. Brooks’ leadership was key to his time here, he played as smart as any Buc player ever could, and had an incredible run during the Super Bowl year with defensive Touchdowns in 4 consecutive games. Brooks’ return of a Rich Gannon Pass in the Superbowl cemented the win for Tampa Bay, and probably his own ticket to Canton. Another Bucs player whose return for a Touchdown could punch his one way ticket to the Hall is Ronde Barber. Barber is the one player here who never wore Orange as a primary color, with the exception of the throwback Sunday last year. Barber’s return of a Donovan McNabb pass is etched in the minds of Bucs fans forever, as it clinched Tampa Bay’s first Superbowl; as well as finally beating the hated Eagles team from Philadelphia that seemed to have our number for years. So who can go? and when? Well Barber would be the last to know, as he is still playing and you need 5 years after your retirement. Alstott was the first to retire, but there is no guaranteeing either or any of these players will go in their first year. Derrick Brooks of course, as with life itself, or his playing career, is the exception. [