Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers world wide- today we have a great story about Brian DeRoo, a former Baltimore Colt who scored ONE TOUCHDOWN in his NFL Career, and it was against the Bucs. Well Brian DeRoo has proof to show his family on Thanksgiving!
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE BRIAN DeROO TOUCHDOWN In your browser.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used to be a laughing stock franchise from 1976 to 1977 when they were a new born team. That started to change in 1978 with the arival of Doug Williams, and the Bucs flirted with a .500 record for most of the year until Williams went down with a broken jaw midseason, and the Bucs only won one more game rest of the year.
Vindication came for Bucs fans in 1979 when the team went to the NFC Championship game, in only the 4th year of existance. The Bucs won their first game of the season vs Detroit, then went on the road to play the once proud BALTIMORE Colts.
Bucstop.com has been contacted by a former Baltimore Colt WR Brian DeRoo, who caught a LONG TD pass (A rarity that year for the Bucs) that sparked a Colt comeback that forced Overtime. The Bucs would win the game in OT, going to 2-0 and undefeated for the first time ever in Bucs history, but for De Roo, that touchdown represents the pinacle moment in a life in the NFL. The FUll DVD is on it’s way to the De Roo family for the holidays, proof the Holida Spirit is alive and well!
DeRoo lives in California where he was born and raised; Redlands, CA. He went to the University of Redlands, and is the ONLY player to EVER play in the NFL from that school! He was drafted in 1978 by the NY Giants, so he was there for Miracle of the Meadowlands. In 1979 Ray Perkins became new head coach, and his special teams coach, Bill Belichick said our Mr. DeRoo couldn’t play special teams, so he was cut.
He was picked up by the then Baltimore Colts coach Ted Marchibroda.
Nick: The 1979 Bucs had won the week before on a Sat night game against the LIons and were 1-0, do you recall how the Colts prepared for the Bucs that week? LIke a good team was coming in? or were the Bucs still considered a joke?
Brian DeRoo: Ted Marchibroda entered each game alike .. giving praise of our opponents and preparing us as best as he could. Recalling feelings from 32 years ago will take a little therapy!
Nick: What was your opinion of the ’79 Bucs that day? Brian DeRoo: I disliked them, we lost!
Nick:How did you feel about the ’79 Bucs as the season went on and they experienced success?
Brian DeRoo:Made us feel as though the loss was not in vain .. you always want to win, but in the event that doesn’t happen, at least the team that beat you should go on and do something great to give you a little bragging power!
Nick:Did you know anyone on the Bucs you were playing against?
Brian DeRoo:I did have a close friend, Greg Horton, whom I had grown up admiring in Redlands as a young man. Greg was 4-5 years ahead of me and received a full ride to Colorado afterwhich he played for the Rams prior to his stint with Tampa Bay. I was so excited to simply play in a game against someone I knew for a change!
Nick:What was it like playing for the Colts back in those days before the move?
Brian DeRoo:The fans that were loyal are still there .. rooting for the Ravens .. as will be their sons and daughters! It is a shame to uproot a team from a city that embraces them so! I can recall the cold game vs the Patriots for the cellar, we still were trying and the fans (about 10,000 or so ) were still there!! (I think we won that game too… and gave the #1 draft pick to the Pats) … I loved playing in the city of Baltimore and living in the surrounding areas. If I could only move the Southern California weather there .. I would!
Nick:So who are you more alligned to these days? Baltimore? Or Indianapolis?
Brian DeRoo:I have more interaction with the Ravens at this point as I’ll expound upon below. I do have a couple of fans that I’ve been able to re-acquaint with thanks to social media. A few teammates have settled back in the Southern California area and take part in fundraising charity golf outings. Interestingly enough, the Colts have little to nothing on their walls in Indy regarding the pre-’84 colts. The Ravens are the ones who have claimed their Colts of that era! (the statue of Johnny U on front of their stadium should be testimony to that). Additionally, Brian Billick and I grew up together in Redlands as children. Brian was 3 years ahead of me and actually came back to Redlands after a brief stay with the 49ers through training camp as a tight end, and coached the receivers at the University of Redlands (gratis) during my senior season there. We actually attended the same elementary, junior high and high schools! Needless to say, I’ve claimed Baltimore as my favorite team, even as of today!
Nick:It must have been tough when the Colts left for Indi then huh?
Brian DeRoo:Again, testimony to what drinking does to ones ability to make rational decisions. Robert Irsay could be smelled a mile away on the sidelines. In fact, David Shula and I would take turns keeping an eye out during ball games so that he wouldn’t see us or speak with us. That usually spelled disaster. Just ask our kicker Toni Linhart!
De Roo’s football career would take him up to Canada to play for Montreal after being cut in the last round of ‘let goes’ in 1982; one of the Colts worst seasons of Pro Football. He made a career playing, of all things, special teams, that Belichick told him he could not do. On Thanksgiving, a lot of us have been told we cannot do this, or will never be able to do that. What today is most about is giving thanks for the things we do have, and things we’ve done that we’ve accomplished against the odds.
Brian has two young children, Shianne and twin Nicholas, who now have proof positive when they grow up, that Dad wasn’t telling a fish story! HE really DID play in the NFL, and scored a TD against the defense of the 79 season that didnt give up too many.
Happy Thanksgiving Bucs fans! And for today, Baltimore too!
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