Being a Bucs fan in the mid 90s was simple, you knew the Bucs were probably going to lose. You went to the game for the chance you might be part of the two to four home games the Bucs would win, and the celebration walking down the turnstiles was an awesome experience.
You didn’t have to plan to go to a game, you woke up Sunday morning and decided, plenty of tickets were available right at the Bucs ticket window. If you asked the Bucs ticket counter person where is best to sit, they would matter of fact tell you “Just buy an end zone seat and then go sit where you want”.
We stunk, and we knew why..it was the curse of Doug Williams. In 1982 the Bucs were (unknowing to
them) about to end their first mini glory years era. From 1976 to 1978 the Bucs concentrated heavy on defense, and had the No.4 unit in all of football by 78, the same year they drafted Doug Williams, QB from Grambling, a black student body school.
DOUG WILLIAMS
Williams was the first for many categories as an african-american QB, he led the way for future stars like Randal Cunningham, Warren Moon, and others. There were some before him, but Williams was the first black QB to be drafted in the first round and told..”This is your team, you are the guy who will lead us and we’re sticking with you”.
You cannot grade a historical person based on todays criteria…it never works out fairly. Doug Williams
had a low completion percentage, but people forget that was a time before the west coast offense was even used by the San Francisco 49ers. Doug Williams sacrificed his completion percentage to take shots downfield and mostly to fend off sacks. Williams was sacked only 7 times in 16 games in 1979! Yes a very good O line was part of that too, but Williams improved his touch, and accuracy each year as a Buc.
Yet in 1982 after the 3rd playoff appearance in 4 years, the Bucs refused to give Williams the money he was asking for, which was to be paid among the top QBs in the NFL in his class: Up and coming 5 year starters. In the end, both sides handled negotiations badly. The Bucs allowed Williams to go over 100,000 dollars.
Tampa Bay did not have a winning season for 14 years, and went 2-14 the year after he left for the USFL. Of course you know he came back and had a SuperBowl record game as a Redskin, Williams continues to root for both teams, although his latest encounter with the Buccaneers was estranged once again.
BUCS CONTINUE TO FUMBLE QBs
Now into the 35th year of its existence, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have never once signed a QB to a second consecutive contract. The latest in the line was Josh Freeman who looked to be the Bucs first true perennial star QB. No matter what Coach Greg Schiano did to him, other QBs had to endure far longer and not quit the way Josh Freeman has given up on football. Clearly he did not have what it took to take a team to a Super Bowl championship.
Before Freeman, Trent Dilfer was taken as a top round Pick. He had one good season but was mostly inconsistent his whole career. Vinny Testaverde was the top QB prospect in the country and taken as the first over all pick in 1987, but never found winning QB play until going to the Jets under Bill Parcels.
Before Him, Steve Young was brought in as the Bucs USFL supplemental draft pick, we all know what Steve Young turned into, but the Bucs did not have the weapons here the 49ers did. Young showed a lot of his magic, but Coach Ray Perkins sent him packing for Testeverde.
Perhaps it all began in 1976 when the Bucs went after San Francisco’s back up QB Steve Spurrier, but he never had a chance with the B list players the Bucs had on offense that season. The NFL gave the Bucs and sister franchise Seattle Seahawks the worst expansion support ever, then countered with the most liberal support decades later that resulted in two expansion teams making the playoffs and Championship games only two years later. Bucs never had a chance in 76, and neither did Spurrier, and as it appears, does any QB who is drafted by the Buccaneers. …If you believe in curses of course!
LIST OF TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QBs (One Game Starters not included)
- Steve Spurrier
- Terry Hanraty
- Jeb Blount
- Randy Hedberg
- Gary Huff
- Doug Williams
- Jerry Goldstein
- Jack Thompson
- Steve DeBerg
- Steve Young
- Vinny Testaverde
- Chris Chandler
- Steve DeBerg
- Craig Erickson
- Trent Dilfer
- Shawn King
- Brad Johnson
- Rob Johnson
- Brian Griese
- Chris Simms
- Bruce Gradkowski
- Tim Rattay
- Jeff Garcia
- Byron Leftwich
- Josh Johnson
- Josh Freeman
- Mike Glennon
- Josh McCown
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