1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The first college draft under Tony Dungy featured four of the first forty-one selections. With their two first round picks, the Bucs selected University of California defensive end Regan Upshaw, the twelfth pick overall, and University of North Carolina defensive tackle Marcus Jones, the twenty-second pick in the draft. In the second round, the team picked University of Purdue fullback Mike Alstott with the thirty-fifth overall selection. The Bucs then traded their other pick in the second round, number forty-one overall, to San Diego for the Chargers' first round pick in the 1997 draft. To make room under the salary cap to sign the new picks, and re-negotiate Errict Rhett's contract, the team released punter Reggie Roby and wide receiver Lawrence Dawsey. Rhett did not report to camp, and was not on the roster when the season opened, so the Bucs picked up running back Reggie Brooks off the waiver wire from Washington. Brooks went to the University of Notre Dame and was with the Redskins for three seasons.
When Malcolm Glazer announced that Tampa Stadium would become Houlihan's
Stadium, the restaurant chain owned by the family had just two outlets in
Florida and none in Tampa Bay. The reasoning was that the $2 million per year
agreement was a way to publicize new restaurants planned to open nationwide.
The first Houlihan's opened on Valentine's Day in 1972 in Kansas City. Glazer bought a majority share in the chain in 1992, tried to sell it to another of his companies, Zapata Corp., in 1996 and eventually sold his interest in Houlihan's in 1998. |
On September 1, with the tax vote too close to call, the Bucs did not do themselves any favors. 54,102 fans suffered through the worst opening day defeat in franchise history. Green Bay tight end Keith Jackson caught three of Brett Favre's four touchdown passes. Six turnovers, including four Trent Dilfer interceptions, helped the Packers coast to a 34-3 victory. Bucs head coach Tony Dungy commented, "We don't have the talent to make lots of mistakes and still win." Defensive tackle Warren Sapp remarked, "It can't get any worse than that."
Two days later, a record turnout in Hillsborough County would decide the tax issue and the future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The voters said yes to the sales tax by a 53% to 47% margin. The Bucs would now sign a thirty year lease to play at the new stadium. Malcolm Glazer commented on the entire process. "I have never been in the public eye before. I've made a few mistakes - maybe many. You'll have to forgive me; it's the first time I've ever owned an NFL team. Now we can devote full attention to the team and the community, of which we expect to be a big part." Joel Glazer added, "Now, we can stop being anonymous. We can go work with the team and in the community. The first priority is the team, the team, the team."
The Bucs traveled to Pontiac to play the Lions the following week. Place
kicker Michael Husted tied Steve Christie's team record for consecutive field
goals at eleven and gave the Buccaneers a 6-0 lead on two first half field
goals. The lead quickly evaporated, as two Trent Dilfer interceptions and two
Bucs fumbles helped Detroit post a 21-6 victory.
A nationally televised Sunday Night game followed in Denver. The first quarter saw Michael Husted break the team record for consecutive field goals and the second quarter saw Reggie Brooks run for the first Buccaneers touchdown of the season. Brooks rushed for 114 yards that night. In the third quarter, Trent Dilfer hit Alvin Harper on a 40 yard pass for the season's first touchdown through the air. It took John Elway, leading the Broncos to a fourth quarter touchdown, for Denver to escape with a 27-23 victory.
Tampa Bay returned home to Houlihan's Stadium to face Seattle. Only 30,212 fans showed up for the battle between 0-3 teams. Reggie Brooks ran for his second touchdown in as many weeks and Michael Husted extended his team record for consecutive field goals, as the Bucs built a 13-3 fourth quarter lead. However, the Seahawks scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes for a 17-13 victory. Warren Sapp commented, "The best thing about this game is next week there's another one."
| Monte Kiffin came to Tampa Bay in 1996 and became the architect of one of the best defenses in league history. Born in Lexington, Nebraska, were he was named High School Athlete of the Year in 1958, Kiffin played both offensive and defensive line at the University of Nebraska from 1959-63. A knee injury prevented him from playing professional football in 1964, but he did play one season at defensive tackle for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1965.
After assistant jobs at Nebraska and the University of Arkansas, he went 16-17 as head coach at North Carolina State from 1980-82. Kiffin would bounce from Green Bay, Buffalo, Minnesota, the Jets, Minnesota again and New Orleans before being named defensive coordinator at Tampa Bay.
His son Lane Kiffin was head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007-2008, posting a 5-15 record. When he was named head coach at the University of Tennessee, Monte Kiffin returned to college ball as his son’s defensive coordinator for the 2009 season. |
Minnesota was tied for the league's best record, when they came to Tampa to
play the win-less Buccaneers. Michael Husted missed a 31 yard field goal in
the second quarter, which ended his team record consecutive field goal streak
at sixteen. The Bucs trailed at halftime, but Trent Dilfer threw three second
half touchdown passes. It was the first time Dilfer (22 of 35 for 218 yards
and no interceptions) had thrown for three touchdowns in his NFL career. Mike
Alstott caught one of those passes for his first pro touchdown and Robb Thomas
caught the other two TD passes. Thomas was picked up on waivers from Seattle
in August. A sixth round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989, he had not
scored two TDs in a game since his senior year at Oregon State University. The
Bucs did not turn the ball over, and the Vikings turned it over three times, as
the Bucs posted the first win under Tony Dungy 24-13. Dungy said of notching
his first victory against his former team, "I think I will always remember this
one."
Just 27,738 fans watched the Bucs and Cardinals battle in Tempe. On the positive side, the game featured no turnovers, Trent Dilfer had no interceptions for the second straight week and Mike Alstott scored his first rushing touchdown on a fourth quarter 1 yard plunge. On the negative side, Michael Husted had an extra point blocked and missed two long field goals. For Husted, after converting a Bucs record 78 consecutive extra points, it was the first failed PAT of his career. The deciding factor was fourteen Buccaneers penalties for 114 yards, which Tony Dungy called "Embarrassing." Arizona prevailed 13-9.
On October 23, Errict Rhett ended his 94 day holdout and returned to the team
without the benefit of a new contract. Rhett saw action the next Sunday at
Green Bay, as he carried the ball 12 times for 29 yards. For the first time in
18 games, Brett Favre did not throw a touchdown pass, while Trent Dilfer threw
one TD pass and two interceptions. A botched fake punt attempt lead to Packers
defensive lineman Reggie White blocking the first punt of his twelve year
career. After the Bucs fell 13-7 at Green Bay, Tony Dungy remarked "It's kind
of the same old story for us."
On Thursday October 31, the league owners met at the Inter-Continental Hotel in New Orleans. They were going to name future Super Bowl sites and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue had promised a game for Tampa Bay, if the voters approved the tax that would, among other things, build a new stadium. Tampa was awarded Super Bowl XXXV, which would be played at the new facility on January 28, 2001.
The Bucs traveled to Chicago's Soldier Field, where it was 42 degrees at kickoff time. Journeyman Dave Krieg started at quarterback for the Bears, but it was a controversial fumble by Errict Rhett that took the wind out of the Buccaneers sails. Behind running back Raymont Harris (118 yards rushing and a touchdown), Chicago won the battle 13-10.
The next Sunday, the Bucs hosted the Oakland Raiders for the first time. Trent
Dilfer hit the Bucs running backs, Errict Rhett and Mike Alstott, on touchdown
passes. Rhett's catch was the first receiving touchdown of his career.
Oakland placekicker Cole Ford missed a 28 yard field goal with five seconds
left in regulation, so the game went to overtime. The Bucs had nineteen plays
in OT, compared to three for the Raiders. Michael Husted kicked a 23 yard
field goal with 3:04 left in the extra period to post a 20-17 victory for the
Bucs. Tampa Bay had a team record 48:09 in time of possession, went 5-0 in
overtime during 1990's and beat the Raiders for the first time.
The Bucs brought a ten game road losing streak, and twelve consecutive losses on the west coast, into San Diego on November 17. The Chargers went up 14-0 in the first quarter, but Trent Dilfer (30 of 40 for 327 yards with an interception) set career highs for completions and yards passing. Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries was intercepted three times in the second half and the Bucs posted their first win over San Diego. They generated 423 total yards in the 25-17 victory. Tony Dungy said afterwards, "I told the team , just maybe we have turned the corner."
| After four impressive seasons in Dallas, including two Super Bowl titles for the Cowboys, wide receiver Alvin Harper signed a four year $10.5 million deal to come to Tampa Bay for the 1995 season. Harper played two injury plagued seasons with the Bucs, but one injury became infamous.
On Friday October 18, 1996, while applying athletic tape to palm of his Harper had only one 100-yard game and caught three TD passes in 25 games with Tampa Bay. He was cut after the season and saw very limited action with Washington and Dallas, before ending his playing career with the Memphis Maniax of the XFL. |
The following Sunday, the Bucs made their first visit to Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte to play the Carolina Panthers. Offensive tackle Paul Gruber equaled Richard Wood's team record for most games played at 132 and Mike Alstott tied Lawrence Dawsey's Buccaneers record for pass receptions in a rookie season with 55. However, three Buccaneers turnovers lead to 21 Carolina points and the Panthers posted the first shutout in franchise history 24-0.
Washington came to town in a game that saw Paul Gruber set a new team mark for
games played and Mike Alstott set the record for receptions by a rookie. Two
Redskins turnovers helped the Bucs to a 10-0 first quarter lead. Trent Dilfer
(8 of 15 for 112 yards) threw a touchdown pass to Jackie Harris and Michael
Husted added three field goals in a 24-10 victory. The Bucs tied the team
record for consecutive home wins at four and won their fourth straight over
Washington. Warren Sapp said "We're playing as well as anybody in this league,
I think. We're building something right now. The concrete is starting to
harden for us."
The next week, in Tony Dungy's first trip back to Minnesota, a Michael Husted field goal gave the Buccaneers a 10-7 third quarter lead. Minnesota sacked Trent Dilfer (13 of 32 for 104 yards) three times and intercepted him twice, while the Bucs got to Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson four times and recorded two picks. Minnesota also fumbled the ball away twice, but the Bucs only scored three points off the four Vikings turnovers. Trent Dilfer was not pleased with his performance in the 21-10 defeat . "This is as poorly as I have played all year. I out-thought myself again. I played like a dog."
The season closed with the Chicago Bears coming to Tampa. The visitors marched
down the field and scored a touchdown on their opening possession, but Tampa
Bay scored 31 unanswered points to take a 31-7 lead at the half. It was the
most points the Bucs had scored in a half and they coasted to a 34-19 win to
post the franchise's 100th victory. Karl Williams had a team record 88 yard
punt return, as the Bucs posted a team record fifth straight home victory.
Former Florida Gators quarterback Shane Mathews made his NFL debut in the game
and he lead the Bears to two late touchdowns. Tampa Bay won five of the last
seven games.
Tampa Bay finished the first year under Tony Dungy with a 6-10 record. Despite extending the streak to fourteen consecutive losing seasons, Tampa Bay's fourth place finish meant they did not finish in the NFC Central cellar for the first time since 1988. Linebacker Hardy Nickerson, who was elected to the Pro Bowl, was voted the team MVP by the local media and became the first three time winner of that distinction. Other highlights included Mike Alstott leading the team with 65 receptions, Michael Husted kicking a team record 25 field goals and Tommy Barnhardt setting a Buccaneers record with a 43.1 yard punting average. After the season finale, Hardy Nickerson stated, "We plan on this being our last Christmas we rest."
| Related Links |
| 1996 Buccaneers Results |
| 1996 NFC Central Division Standings |
| 1996 Buccaneers Draft |
| 1996 Buccaneers Statistics |
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Monte Kiffin was with the Bucs for thirteen seasons. With Tampa Bay, Kiffin developed the “Tampa Cover 2” defense and lead one of the NFL’s top 10 defenses for nine consecutive seasons (1997-2005). From 1999-2003, the Buccaneer defense established an NFL record by posting at least one sack in 69 consecutive games.
right hand, assistant trainer Jo-Jo Petrone inadvertently cut off a portion of Harper’s left middle finger with a pair of scissors. Harper was forced to miss the next game and commented, "It was just a freak accident."