2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A couple days before the college draft, the Buccaneers made the biggest trade in team history. A pair of first round draft picks, numbers thirteen and twenty-seven overall, were sent to the New York Jets for Keyshawn Johnson. The number one overall pick in the 1996 draft, and a Pro Bowler the last two years, the wide receiver spent four seasons with the Jets. After two injury plagued seasons, the signing of Johnson lead to Bert Emanuel's departure. On draft day, the Bucs first pick was number fifty-one overall. That second round pick was used to select University of Tennessee guard Cosey Coleman. Tampa Bay only drafted five collegians, a team record low.
More changes were on the horizon. During training camp, popular nose tackle Brad Culpepper was cut. As the season began, word came that twelve year veteran offensive tackle Paul Gruber would retire. Gruber held the team records for most games played (183) and most games started (183). All the changes certainly did not effect the optimism for the season. The Buccaneers announced that, for the first time, they had established a waiting list for season tickets. A fact Joel Glazer said, "Certainly represents a landmark moment in this franchise's history."
The season got off to a shaky start, as Karl Williams fumbled the opening
kickoff at New England. Special teams would be a factor again with a 66 yard
punt return by Troy Brown for a Patriots touchdown. The Bucs defense picked up
where it left off last year, sacking Drew Bledsoe (26 of 39 for 216 yards with
a TD) six times. Mike Alstott ran for two scores and a trick play gave the
visitors the momentum. Time was running out in the first half, and the Bucs
had driven inside the Pats 10 yard line, when Shaun King (12 of 24 for 167
yards) looked like he was going to spike the ball to stop the clock. But
instead of going for the kill play, King lobbed an 8 yard TD pass to Reidel
Anthony with 31 second until intermission. Warren Sapp said after the 21-16
victory, "We did some crazy things today, but that's just Bucs football."
After a scoreless first quarter, the home opener looked like it was going to be a defensive struggle. Then, the Bucs cornerbacks took over. Ronde Barber forced a fumble, had 2.5 of the team's five sacks and returned another fumble for a touchdown. Donnie Abraham intercepted Chicago quarterback Cade McNown (15 of 29 for 96 yards) twice and also forced a fumble. Shaun King (10 of 21 for 167 yards) hooked up with Keyshawn Johnson for his first touchdown in a Bucs uniform and Jacquez Green (5 receptions for 104 yards) caught a 58 yard TD pass. The Bucs scored on five of their last seven possessions and went on to rout the Bears by the largest winning margin in team history. The 41-0 victory gave the Bucs a team record tying eighth straight home victory. Tony Dungy talked of the lopsided victory. "It is very satisfying, but we will analyze the mistakes and not let guys get too excited."
Detroit got on the board first, then touchdown runs by Shaun King and Mike Alstott put the visiting Buccaneers up 14-3 after one quarter. In the second quarter, King (18 of 30 for 211 yards) hit Randall McDaniel for his first pro touchdown. McDaniel, normally an offensive lineman, was being used primarily as a blocker in goal line situations. The Bucs defense held the home team to 17 yards rushing, while Lions quarterback Charlie Batch (26 of 36 for 277 yards with a TD) was sacked seven times and intercepted twice. Warren Sapp had three of the sacks, while Anthony McFarland recorded 2.5 sacks. The scoring closed with a Warrick Dunn touchdown run and a 31-10 Tampa Bay victory.
The hype during the week leading up to the Jets game centered around Keyshawn
Johnson facing his former teammates and the return of Vinny Testaverde to
Tampa. Shaun King tossed a touchdown pass to Dave Moore, Rhode Barber returned
an interception for a score and the Bucs held an apparently comfortable 17-6
lead late in the game. Testaverde (22 of 42 for 181 yards) was intercepted
three times, and benched for one series, before hooking up with running back
Curtis Martin on a 6 yard touchdown to pull New York within 17-14 with 1:54
left in the game. The Bucs offense had not turned the ball over the first
three weeks, however, turnovers hurt them this afternoon. King (7 of 19 for
135 yards) was intercepted twice and a Mike Alstott fumble gave the Jets the
ball back at the Tampa Bay 24 yard line with 1:39 remaining. Two plays later,
Martin lobbed the option pass to Wayne Chrebet for an 18 yard touchdown. There
were still 52 seconds left, but a King fumble ended any hope of a comeback.
Keyshawn Johnson was not a factor in the Bucs 21-17 defeat with only one catch
for 1 yard. Chidi Ahanotu said of blowing an eleven point lead in the final
two minutes, "When we should have wrapped it up, we stunk it up."
A 2 yard run by Mike Alstott gave the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead after the first quarter at Washington. After a 50 yard run by Stephen Davis, the Redskins running back rushed for 141 yards that afternoon, the score was tied 7-7 at the half. Washington sacked Shaun King (19 of 38 for 202 yards with an interception) four times, three recorded by Marco Coleman, and the Bucs got to Brad Johnson (20 of 32 for 207 yards and a TD) three times. Late in the fourth quarter, Washington held a 17-7 advantage. Things looked grim when Shaun King was stripped of the ball, but he picked up his own fumble and heaved a 46 yard TD pass to Reidel Anthony at the two minute warning. On the last play of regulation, Martin Gramatica kicked a 42 yard field goal and the teams headed to overtime even at 17-17. The comeback was all for naught, as a key punt return by Deion Sanders set up the game winning field goal. Former Buc Michael Husted hit from 20 yards out, 4:09 into the extra period, and the Redskins had a 20-17 victory. Bucs players were obviously disappointed in the outcome. Offensive lineman Frank Middleton admitted, "It's a preview of where things are going if we don't correct the problem." Keyshawn Johnson added, "Maybe we're just not good enough. It's still early. We'll figure it out. Don't start to panic. I'm not. We're not going to let fans or negative media get to us."
| The Bucs have had cheerleaders since day one and decided to add an official
team mascot named Captain Fear. He made his first appearance at the team's
annual FanFest in 2000. The Bucs even created a backstory.
"On Friday, June 2, 2000, the Clearwater Coast Guard rescued Captain Fear from
the choppy water of Tampa Bay. One night while guiding his ship through an
The team's biography of Captian Fear talks about his diet. "Falcons, mmm, tastes like chicken!" |
A Monday night game in Minneapolis saw Keyshawn Johnson fumble on Bucs first
play from scrimmage. That set up a scoring run by Vikings quarterback Daunte
Culpepper, then Shaun King ran for a touchdown to tie the game 7-7 after one
quarter. Tampa Bay lost three fumbles, the turnovers lead to 14 Minnesota
points, and the Bucs did open things up a bit. King (26 of 40 for 295 yards)
and Jacquez Green hooked up eleven times for 131 yards. In the fourth quarter,
Warren Sapp blocked a field goal and Donnie Abraham returned it 66 yards for
the Bucs first lead. Culpepper (15 of 19 for 231 yards with 2 TDs) was sacked
six times, fumbled once and was picked off, but he connected with Randy Moss on
the winning touchdown. Moss caught five passes for 118 yards with the most
important reception coming with 3:31 left in the game. That 42 yard scoring
play gave the Vikings a 30-23 victory. After opening the season with three
wins, the Bucs were now 3-3 heading into the bye week. Sapp remained
optimistic, "We always come back, that's the one thing about this team."
Detroit came to town for a Thursday night game which featured the rather strange score of 11-11 at the half. While Marcus Jones recorded four of the Bucs seven sacks, the offense turned the ball over four times. Shaun King (17 of 34 for 149 yards) was intercepted three times, with Lions cornerback Michael Westbrook making two of the picks, and the other turnover came on a Mike Alstott fumble. Detroit running back James Stewart scored three touchdowns, a two point conversion and finished with 116 yards rushing. Martin Gramatica kicked four field goals in a 28-14 defeat. Tony Dungy said "We have to be careful now. There are going to be a lot of outside forces that will say the season is over now, but we can't respond to that."
When undefeated Minnesota came to town, the Bucs opened up the offense and finished with 413 total yards. Keyshawn Johnson had his first 100 yard day with Bucs (6 grabs for 121 yards) and fought his way into the end zone for the game's first score. Shaun King (16 of 23 for 267 yards) was sharp and threw a career high four touchdown passes. The Bucs equaled the team record for points in a half and received a rousing ovation going into the locker room with a 31- 13 lead. Trying to play catchup, Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper (29 of 53 with 1 TD 2 INTs) threw for 313 yards and receiver Cris Carter had 115 receiving yards on seven receptions. The Bucs forced three turnovers and Derrick Brooks scored his first NFL touchdown on a 34 yard interception return. Tampa Bay did not turn the ball over, did not have to punt and ended a four game losing streak with a 41-13 victory. With a 4-4 record halfway through the season, Warren Sapp commented "Championships are won in November and December, so we're going to see where we go from here."
While not posting big numbers, Shaun King (11 of 25 for 110 yards with an interception) threw three touchdown passes at Atlanta with Keyshawn Johnson on the receiving end of two of the scores. The Bucs defense did post some big numbers. Donnie Abraham had two of the team's four interceptions and the Bucs recorded four quarterback sacks. Three consecutive sacks in the second quarter knocked Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler (4 of 7 for 29 yards with 2 INTs) out of the game with a concussion and brought Danny Kanell (26 of 43 for 218 yards with 2 picks) off the bench. Kanell did throw two touchdown passes to Terance Mathis in a losing effort. Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Joe Hamilton, who played at Georgia Tech, saw his first NFL action late in the fourth quarter. Warren Sapp said of the 27-14 victory, "We took it over early and often and we kept it going for four quarters and got us a win we had to have."
In Tampa, Shaun King (16 of 27 for 164 yards with an INT) threw touchdown
passes to Keyshawn Johnson and Reidel Anthony to give the Bucs a 14-3 halftime
lead over Green Bay. In the third quarter, a Warren Sapp sack knocked Packers
quarterback Brett Favre (14 of 25 for 117 yards) out of the game with a
sprained ankle. Backup QB Matt Hasselbeck (9 of 18 for 93 yards) tossed a TD
pass and the visitors held a 15-14 lead early in the final period. Martin
Gramatica booted two fourth quarter field goals in excess of 50 yards giving
him a dozen consecutive field goals and the Bucs a 20-15 win. Tony Dungy
talked about his place kicker. "Martin has done an exceptional job for two
years. It just seems the bigger the kick, the more confidence he has." Sapp
talked about the victory. "We played some ugly football. You could call it
ugly, catastrophic, call it whatever, but call it a win."
At Chicago, the defense recorded four sacks, intercepted two passes and turnovers lead to ten points. Unfortunately, it was the Bears defense which registered those numbers. While Shaun King (12 of 19 for 91 yards) did scramble for 72 yards, including the Bucs only touchdown, an interception before halftime really hurt. With 48 seconds before intermission, Tony Parrish returned a King interception 38 yards for the Bears only TD and a 10-3 advantage for the home team. A Warrick Dunn fumble lead to what would be the winning field goal and King's second pick ended any hope of a comeback. Tampa Bay had won six in a row over Chicago, the longest streak against any team in Bucs history, before falling 13-10. With a kickoff temperature of 37 degrees, and a wind chill of 16 degrees, Tony Dungy did not want to discuss the fact the Bucs had never won a game played in temperatures under 40 degrees. "Conditions were very nice out there," Dungy stated. "I think anyone who talks about the weather really does a disservice to the Bears. Whether it was 30 degrees or 80 degrees, they out played us." Other Buccaneers commented about the game. Ronde Barber admitted, "We really shot ourselves in the foot today." Warrick Dunn said, "They need to put up a dome here, or something like that, because nothing good seems to happen here for us."
The quarterbacks took a pounding when Buffalo came to Tampa. Shaun King was
sacked seven times and Bills QB Rob Johnson was sacked six times. The
Buccaneers broke the team record for sacks in a season set by the 1997 Bucs
and, with two sacks, Warren Sapp broke Lee Roy Selmon's 1977 record for sacks
in a season. Linebacker Sam Cowart lead Buffalo with 2.5 sacks. Johnson (24
of 39 for 262 yards with 2 TDs) was knocked out of the game, so Doug Flutie (4
of 10 for 57 yards) saw action in the fourth quarter. Receiver Eric Moulds
lead the Bills with eight receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. King (10
of 18 for 106 yards) ran for the Bucs first TD and Warrick Dunn rushed for 106
yards on twenty carries with two scores. Karl Williams returned a punt 73
yards for a fourth quarter touchdown to seal the victory. Even though Buffalo
out gained the Bucs 433 to 180 in total yards, Tampa Bay won the game 31-17.
Tony Dungy remarked, "That was a very tough win, but a great win for us."
| In November 2000, former Buccaneer Lee Roy Selmon followed other high profile
sports stars into the restaurant business and opened a Lee Roy Selmon's
restaurant in Tampa.
According to promotional material, this "All American Grill" is "complemented
with Lee Roy Selmon's and local sporting memorabilia." The menu offers "soul-
The restaurant has expanded to a half dozen other locations on the west coast of Florida and is now a member of OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC. This conglomerate also includes the Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Roy's, Cheeseburger in Paradise and Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits |
Shaun King (11 of 15 for 147 yards) was sacked four times, intercepted once and the Bucs offense was generally ineffective on a drizzly day in Miami. Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler (13 of 28 for 175 yards) also had a tough day with four interceptions. The Bucs scored 13 points off turnovers, including a 31 yard interception return by Jamie Duncan for a touchdown. Tampa Bay's best offensive weapon was place kicker Martin Gramatica. While he missed a second quarter field goal, which would have broken the team record for consecutive field goals, Gramatica did connect three times. His two fourth quarter field goals provided the margin in a 16-13 victory. Tony Dungy said of the game, "We call it 'Bucball,' but we also call it winning, because that's what matters."
Defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis closed out the home slate. The winner
of the Monday night NFC Championship Game rematch would clinch a playoff berth
and the game lived up to all the hype. Just like last year, the Bucs
intercepted Kurt Warner on the game's first series, could not move the ball and
had to settle for a quick 3-0 lead. A Marshall Faulk touchdown run put the
Rams in front, the Bucs regained the lead on a Warrick Dunn TD run, then Faulk
ran for a score to put the Rams ahead again. Late in the first half, Shaun
King twice hooked up with Keyshawn Johnson on touchdown passes and the Bucs had
a 24-14 halftime advantage. Johnson caught seven passes for 116 yards with the
pair of TDs and King (18 of 38 for 256 yards) had two interceptions to go with
the two scoring passes. Warner hit Faulk on a TD pass to narrow the gap, then
on the very next play Dunn ran 52 yards for a score as the third quarter
expired. Faulk then scored for the fourth time that night on his career high
third rushing TD. A Warner (20 of 32 for 316 yards with 2 TD) touchdown pass
gave the Rams a 35-31 lead with 5:18 left in the game. An exchange of
possessions later, the Bucs had the ball at their own 20 yard line with no time
outs and 2:22 on the clock. What happened next is becoming known as "The
Drive" in Bucs lore. In night of highlights, the "double lateral" play may
have been the most dramatic. With Dunn being tackled in the backfield, he
lateraled the ball back to King, who ran one way, looked to pass, before
running the other way for a 29 yard gain. Toss in a late hit penalty and the
Bucs were at the St. Louis 35 yard line. It was fourth and four at the St.
Louis 29 yard line, 1:16 now on the clock, when King ran six yards to keep the
drive alive. The ball was thrown behind him, but Reidel Anthony made a great
catch to setup a first and goal. The Bucs lined up with 56 seconds left. King
handed off to Dunn, who leaped at the 3 yard line, landed just inside the goal
line and sent RJS into a frenzy. There were 48 seconds left, but the third
interception of Warner sealed the victory. Dunn had a big night in the playoff
clinching 38-35 triumph. He carried the ball 22 times for 145 yards, scored a
career high three rushing TDs, and went over the 1,000 yards rushing mark for
the second time in his career. Warren Sapp said of the dramatic victory. "It
was absolutely gut wrenching to watch that last drive, but I saw Shaun's face
on the sideline. He had that look. I knew he was going to get it done." King
also talked about the game. "It was something special. It was one of those
games you're going to remember for a long time to come."
For the Buccaneers, the successful defense of their division title was on the line on Christmas Eve in Green Bay. Two Ahman Green touchdown runs gave the Packers a 14-0 third quarter lead and, with a kickoff temperature of 15 degrees, it looked as if the Bucs would continue their cold weather woes. The defense stepped up with two fumble recoveries and intercepted Brett Favre (20 of 42 for 196 yards) twice. A Martin Gramatica field goal put the Bucs on the board, then Shaun King (21 of 42 for 237 yards) threw a touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson. A successful two point conversion attempt saw King hand off to Warrick Dunn, who handed off to Mike Alstott, who pitched the ball to King. A Gramatica field goal completed the comeback halfway through the fourth quarter. Despite a team record tying eleven punts by Mark Royals, and King being sacked five times, the Bucs were in position to win the game in final seconds. Gramatica lined up for a 40 yard field goal with nine seconds left, however, the kick was wide. The Bucs lost the coin toss to start the extra period and Green Bay marched down the field. A 22 yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, with 8:29 left in overtime, gave the Packers a 17-14 victory. Gramatica blamed himself for the loss. "I let the team down when they needed me the most and it hurts." Tony Dungy felt otherwise. "It's a tough feeling, but it's not just one kick. It's a combination of things. The Chicago game, the Detroit game at home, the Jets game. You really can't look back. We're playing on the road and we've got to go make it happen."
The NFC Wild Card Playoff Game took place at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium on
a 34 degree New Years Eve. The Bucs scored first on a second quarter field
goal by Martin Gramatica. Shaun King (17 of 31 for 171 yards) was sacked four
times in the game and his fumble gave the Eagles the ball at the Bucs 15 yard
line late in the first half. Philadelphia scored two touchdowns in the final
four minutes of the half and the Bucs never recovered. Eagles quarterback
Donovan McNabb (24 of 33 for 161 yards with an interception) threw for two
touchdowns and ran for a score. Keyshawn Johnson did catch six passes for 106
yards, but the Bucs could only rush for 50 yards. With the 21-3 defeat, the
Bucs were 0-20 in temperatures below 40 degrees and 0-5 in postseason games
played on the road. Tony Dungy talked about the key fumble. "The game was
going back and forth pretty even until they got that turnover. I thought they
really got an emotional lift and we really didn't match them." John Lynch
said, "It's definitely disappointing. I think we came in with the mind-set
that anything less than getting to the Super Bowl and winning it would be
disappointing. We obviously fell far from that."
At 10-6, the Bucs posted their first back-to-back double digit winning seasons and finished second in the division. It was the sixth postseason appearance for the franchise and the second time they went to the playoffs three times in four years. The offense generated a team record for points (388) and touchdowns (43), while the defense recorded a team record number of quarterback sacks (55).
Warren Sapp lead the sack brigade with a new team record (16.5) and Donnie Abraham picked off seven passes. Martin Gramatica was second in the NFC and set a new Bucs scoring record with 126 points. He also set new team marks for field goals (28), points after touchdowns (42 out of 42 attempts), and booted five field goals of 50 or more yards. Shaun King tied the team quarterback record by rushing for five touchdowns. It was also the year were Tony Dungy surpassed John McKay for most wins as the Bucs head coach. Warrick Dunn was named team MVP by the local media.
A team record nine Buccaneers made the trip to the Pro Bowl. Starting for the offense were Mike Alstott, Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel. Starting on defense were Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Warren Sapp. Making first time appearances were Donnie Abraham and Martin Gramatica. Warrick Dunn was added to the NFC squad later due an injury to another player. Brooks, Lynch and Sapp were also All-Pro selections. For his involvement in the community, Derrick Brooks was the first Buccaneer to win the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
On January 28, 2001, Tampa Bay hosted its third Super Bowl and Raymond James Stadium hosted its first. Baltimore defeated the New York Giants 34-7 and Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXV. The irony was that Trent Dilfer, one year removed from his Buccaneers career, was the Ravens starting quarterback.
| Related Links |
| 2000 Buccaneers Results |
| 2000 NFC Central Division Standings |
| 2000 Buccaneers Draft |
| 2000 Buccaneers Statistics |
| Back to Tampa Bay Buccaneers History Page |
| Back to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Main Menu |
| Back to Home Page |
intense Caribbean storm, the famous captian was thrown overboard when the
vessel was struck by lightning. He stayed afloat and managed to struggle onto
a makeshift raft of wooden planks, but he could not locate his ship in the
furious storm. Amazingly, he had been adrift at sea ever since. His ship,
meanwhile, drifted to shore off Tampa Bay, damaged but still seaworthy. It was
rebuilt and docked permanently in Buccaneer Cove at Raymond James Stadium,
Captain Fear now resides in the captain's quarters of the ship, and uses the
crow's nest to keep watch over Tampa every night."
satisfying comfort food." Many of the entrees are old recipes from Mama
Selmon, such as "Mama's Meatloaf," or have a football theme, such as "Selmon's
Super Sunday Crunch" desert.