Tampa Bay Football History Network - 1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On April 23, Lee Roy Selmon announced his retirement and the Bucs retired his number 63 jersey. He was the first, and remains the only, Bucs player to have his number retired. Hugh Culverhouse said, "There will never be another 63 and there will never be another Lee Roy Selmon." Selmon went to six Pro Bowls and still holds the team record for most quarterback sacks in a career with 78 1/2. He said at that press conference, "I'm just thankful I was able to play ten years." Another player from the 1976 team retired, center Steve Wilson. Drafted in the sixth round as a tackle out of the University of Georgia, Wilson played 125 games in a Bucs uniform.

Bo Knows

Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson went on to incredible fame after snubbing the Buccaneers. Jackson stared with the Kansas City Royals and was selected the MVP of the 1989 All-Star Game. Before the 1987 baseball season, Jackson decided to play football again as a "hobby." The Bucs’ rights had expired and the Los Angeles Raiders drafted Jackson in the 7th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He would join the Raiders after the baseball season and played four “half seasons” with the Raiders and played in the 1990 Pro Bowl. A hip injury in a 1990 playoff game against Cincinnati ended his football career. After hip replacement surgery, Jackson did play baseball again, with the Chicago White Sox and California, but never returned to his previous form.
In 38 games with the Raiders, Jackson rushed for 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns with an average yards per carry of 5.4. In 694 games over eight Major League Baseball seasons, he hit 141 home runs with a .250 lifetime batting average. Jackson was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major sports.
Jackson’s popularity skyrocketed with a “Bo Knows” advertising campaign for Nike. The ads depicted the two-sport star attempting to play sports ranging from auto racing to luge, and even playing blues music with Bo Diddley. Jackson doing things like breaking a bat over his leg after a poor at-bat only added to his legend.

Going into the college draft the Bucs held two first round selections, their own number one and the pick obtained from Miami in the Hugh Green deal. Their two second round picks meant they had four out of the first forty selections. So, the Bucs hoped to fill some holes. Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson was obviously the best player in the draft, but had repeatedly stated that if Tampa Bay drafted him he would not play for them. The Auburn running back could also play baseball and had a deal pending with the Kansas City Royals. Some thought the Bucs would try to trade the pick, however, they went ahead and drafted Bo Jackson with that first overall pick. After the selection, Jackson said "I need to work on hitting a curve ball." Hugh Culverhouse commented, "We're prepared to make Bo Jackson the highest paid drafted player in the NFL. Our goal is to sign him with a huge amount of money. We're going to put the full- court press on to sign him. Then we'll pass the collection plate around and ask for contributions every Sunday." The Bucs did offer Jackson the highest salary ever for a NFL rookie, but he never played a down for the Buccaneers. For much less money, Jackson signed with the Royals on June 21.

The Bucs choose SMU defensive back Roderick Jones with their other first round selection, which was the number twenty-five pick overall. In the second round they selected two linebackers, Jackson State University's Jackie Walker and the University of Oklahoma's Kevin Murphy. The Bucs also picked up former Tampa Bay Bandits receiver Willie Gillespie, but he only caught one pass and was released after the season.

The Bucs opened the season at Tampa Stadium on September 7, against the San Francisco 49ers. Opening day festivities, before 50,780 fans, included a halftime ceremony officially retiring Lee Roy Selmon's jersey. Steve DeBerg started at quarterback and threw a Bucs record seven interceptions. San Francisco defensive back Ronnie Lott picked off two passes in a 31-7 San Francisco victory.

The next game was against Minnesota and new head coach Jerry Burns. Vikings linebacker Chris Doleman returned an interception 59 yards to open the scoring. Tommy Kramer (9 of 21 for 130 yards) threw a touchdown pass and Steve DeBerg (18 of 28 for 181 yards with 2 INTs) tossed a TD pass to Jimmie Giles. DeBerg did complete a team record fifteen straight passes in the 23-10 loss to the Vikings, but his inconsistency lead Leeman Bennett to install Steve Young as the starting quarterback.

On September 21, the Bucs took an eighteen game road losing streak into Detroit. With James Wilder out with a bruised chest, rookie running back Nathan Wonsley got the start. The free agent from the University of Mississippi carried the ball 18 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns, including a 55 yard scoring run. Lions quarterback Eric Hipple completed 31 of 46 passes, and the home team scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, but Detroit turned the ball over five times. Steve Young (6 of 15 for 39 yards) ran for a TD and the Bucs ended their road woes 24-20. Tampa Bay's record stood at 1-2.

Atlanta came to Tampa the following week. Steve Young threw a touchdown pass and ran 21 yards a score, as the Bucs built a 20-7 lead at the half. Young (12 of 21 with an INT) passed for 160 yards and finished with 68 yards on the ground. Gerald Riggs ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, as the Falcons tied the game at the end of regulation. Mick Luckhurst's 34 yard field goal in overtime, his third of the game, beat the Bucs. The Falcons ran 84 offensive plays in their 23-20 victory. Steve Young said afterwards, "I can't wait until we're winning every week. Those fans, they want to be so proud of the Bucs. They're going to get what they want. I guarantee it."

An Eric Dickerson 40 yard touchdown run gave the Rams a quick 14-0 lead at Anaheim Stadium, then Steve Young (8 of 20 for 83 yards) ran one in for the Bucs. Nathan Wonsley rushed for 108 yards, including a 59 yard Buccaneer touchdown run in the third quarter and a late Donald Igwebuike field goal sent the game to overtime. Dickerson capped off a 30 carry, 207 yard, performance with a 42 yard TD in the extra period to give the home team a 26-20 victory.

On October 12, the Bucs played St. Louis before 33,307 fans at Tampa Stadium. Cardinals QB Neil Lomax (17 of 27 for 228 yards) threw two touchdown passes and Stump Mitchell (126 yards rushing) ran for two TDs. Steve DeBerg and Steve Young each threw a touchdown pass in a 30-19 Bucs loss, which gave Gene Stallings his first win as an NFL head coach.

At New Orleans, the Saints scored on their first three possessions. Rookie running back Rueben Mayes (172 yards rushing) ran for two touchdowns, 133 first half yards and the Bucs trailed 17-0 at the break. The Saints recorded four sacks, Steve Young started and Steve DeBerg threw a late TD pass. First year head coach Jim Mora got a 38-7 victory.

The next day, in a maneuver which confuses almost everybody, the Bucs cut Jimmie Giles, Kevin House and running back Ron Springs. Leeman Bennett justified the decision saying that the high priced veterans did not fit into the team's rebuilding plans. He also said, "They hadn't played up to the standards I expected" and were on "The declining side of their careers." Giles remains the Buccaneers leader with 34 touchdown receptions.

A Steve Young to Calvin Magee touchdown pass, and two Donald Igwebuike field goals, gave the Bucs a 13-10 halftime lead in Kansas City. James Wilder (110 yards rushing) tied the game 20-20 on a fourth quarter touchdown run, but a 32 yard run by Jeff Smith won it for the Chiefs. The Bucs punted ten times, and Young was sacked five times, in the 27-20 defeat.

Tampa Bay's five game losing streak came to an end, as the home team posted a win over Buffalo before 32,806 fans. The Bills fumbled two kickoffs and the Bucs lead 20-0 at halftime. Jim Kelly (28 of 39 for 343 yards) got hot in the second half and threw for three touchdowns. The Buccaneers did not turn the ball over, however, each team had 102 yards in penalties. The game ended with an incomplete fourth down pass by Kelly at the Tampa Bay 3 yard line. After the Bucs won 34-28, head coach Hank Bullough was fired and replaced by Marv Levy.

70,097 fans came to Tampa Stadium for a game against Chicago. On the opening kickoff, Bucs running back Nathan Wonsley suffered a career ending neck injury. Mike Tomczak filled in as the Bears starting quarterback for the injured Jim McMahon. In the first quarter, Tomczak ran 1 yard for a TD and hit Willie Gault on a 37 yard touchdown pass. Walter Payton rushed for 139 yards, Gault had 116 yards receiving and quarterback Doug Flutie made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter. Steve Young was sacked five times in the Bears 23-3 victory. This began a losing streak that would last the remainder of the season.

The Bay of Pigs

When the Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers were floundering at the bottom of the division, a period of time from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, ESPN commentator Chris Berman referred to the game between the teams as "The Bay of Pigs."
Berman is well known for creative nicknames for players, for example, "Mike 'You're in good hands with' Alstott." He is credited with naming Tampa Stadium "The Big Sombrero" and sometimes calls Raymond James Stadium "The New Sombrero." Berman also called the NFC Central Division the "NFC Norris Division" after the NHL's old Norris Division which included teams from similar cities with similar championship success.
The "Bay of Pigs" reference was actually first used by the late ESPN personality Pete Axthelm, however, Berman continued to use it after Axthelm's death in 1991.

The next game was in Milwaukee against the Packers. Green Bay jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead on the strength of three Randy Wright touchdown passes. Gerald Carter had 143 pass receiving yards for the Bucs, but Steve Young was sacked six times in Green Bay's 31-7 win.

A sparse crowd of 30,029 watched a home game against Detroit. Steve Young (23 of 32 for 218 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions) was sacked four times and lost two fumbles. James Wilder rushed for 130 yards, caught a pass for a TD and finished with 201 total yards from scrimmage. Joe Ferguson (14 of 21 for 230 yards with an INT) threw for two touchdowns, and Leonard Thompson caught two TD passes, in a 38-17 Lions victory. Late in the game, Detroit's number one draft pick, former Iowa quarterback Chuck Long, threw for a touchdown on his first NFL pass.

At Minnesota, Wade Wilson (22 of 33 for 339 yards) tossed three touchdown passes in a Vikings victory. The Bucs lost two fumbles and Steve DeBerg (5 of 6 for 75 yards) replaced Steve Young (14 of 23 for 113 yards and an INT) at quarterback late in the game. Offensive tackle Ron Heller caught a deflected DeBerg pass for his only career reception and only career touchdown. Donald Igwebuike set the Buccaneers record with a 55 yard field goal in the game. Even with ten penalties for 100 yards, Minnesota won 45-13.

In Chicago, on a 38 degree day, the Bears rotated quarterbacks. Mike Tomczak and Doug Flutie each ran for a touchdown and threw a pass for a TD. Bucs tight end Calvin Mcgee had eight receptions for 143 yards, but five Tampa Bay turnovers helped the Bears win in a rout 48-14.

30,099 came out to watch the home finale against Green Bay. Steve Young (10 of 20 for 104 yards and an interception) was sacked seven times and Steve DeBerg (4 of 10 for 76 yards and an INT) came into the game in relief. DeBerg did hit tight end Calvin Magee with a late TD pass for the Bucs only score. Green Bay QB Randy Wright, and running backs Gerry Ellis and Paul Ott Carruth, ran for touchdowns in a 21-7 Packer victory. The Bucs were booed, and pelted with lemons, as they lost their sixth game in a row.

The last game of the year is at St. Louis on December 21. In the second quarter, Cardinals rookie Vai Sikahema tied an NFL record by returning two Buc punts for touchdowns. Defensive back Cedric Mack intercepted Steve Young (13 of 34 for 157 yards with a TD) twice, as St. Louis won 21-17.

The Buccaneers again found themselves finishing last in the division with a team record number of defeats. The Bucs lead the league in points allowed with a team record 473 points and never allowed fewer than twenty in any one game. Tampa Bay tied an NFC record, allowing 31 rushing touchdowns. Other team records included most touchdowns allowed (59), most first downs allowed (362), total net yards allowed (6,333), yards per game (395.8), yards allowed per play (6.1), net rushing yards allowed (2,495), rushing yards per game (155.9) and yards per rushing attempt (4.5). An offensive team record that was set was lowest third down percentage (30.6%). After setting a team record with 103 consecutive starts, Nose tackle Dave Logan became a free agent and ended up in Green Bay. Steve Young, who scrambled for a team quarterback record 425 yards rushing, was elected the team's Most Valuable Player by the Tampa Bay area media.

On December 29, Hugh Culverhouse scheduled a news conference to discuss the future of the Buccaneers. Culverhouse said that fifteen minutes before the news conference he made the decision on the future of the team's head coach. After posting back to back 2-14 seasons, the Bucs owner fired Leeman Bennett.

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