#BucsBracket Second Round: Vote For Your Favorite Tampa Bay Buccaneers Of All-Time (Sapp Division)
By Leo Howell
Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to the second round of #BucsBracket, the unofficial competition held here at the Pewter Plank to determine the most popular and most beloved Buccaneers of all time. The first round is in the books, and our second round matchups will be a bit closer, and that means every vote is important.
Be sure to cast your vote in each matchup, because every vote counts! Sound off in the comments and let us know why you made the picks you made, because we will use comments on the blog as tiebreakers, in case of a tie.
There are four matchups today, so we’ll keep the descriptions short and to the point so you can make your choices and get all the information you need. The bracket can be found below. You can click on the image to load a bigger version of the bracket.
1 Seed: Warren Sapp, Defensive Tackle, 1995-2003
Warren Sapp easily moved on to the second round by defeating Stylez G. White. The former 12th overall pick by Tampa Bay, Sapp was one of the cornerstones of the dominate Tampa 2 defense that helped the team win it all in 2002, earning 7 Pro-Bowl appearances in his 9 seasons with Tampa. Despite occasional verbal outbursts and a less than stellar reputation in the media, Sapp will be inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame this year, his first of eligibility.
9 Seed: Joe Jurevicius, Wide Receiver, 2002-2004
Joe moved on to the second round thanks to a victory over Dave Moore. Jurevicius was a journeyman NFL receiver who played for Tampa from 2002-2004. Jurevicius served as the primary slot receiver during his tenure in Tampa, leading the team in receiving yards during Superbowl XXXVII with 4 catches for 78 yards.
Which of these Super Bowl Bucs is your pick to move on to the Sweet 16?
5 Seed: Brad Culpepper, Defensive Tackle, 1994-1999
Brad Culpepper advanced to round two by besting Micheal Spurlock. Culpepper was a defensive tackle for Tampa Bay from 1994-1999. In his career he compiled 34 sacks and 6 forced fumbles. Since his retirement he has gone on to become a trial lawyer for the Culpepper Kurland law firm in Tampa and has spoken out to his concern for the increasing size of NFL athletes.
4 Seed: Greg Spires, Defensive End, 2002-2007
Greg Spires moved on to round two by getting more votes than Broderick Thomas. He joined the team in 2002 and saw Tampa sail through the playoffs and into the Superbowl. In his career in Tampa, Spires notched 285 tackles and 30 sacks, becoming a perennial starter at Left Defensive End.
Which of these two linemen should move on?
6 Seed: Donnie Abraham, Cornerback, 1996-2001
Donnie Abraham moved onto round two by defeating Dewey Selmon. This 3rd rounder out of East Tennessee was a staple in the Tampa Bay defenses of the 90’s. He spent 6 seasons in Tampa, tallying 266 tackles and 31 INTs. Since his NFL career has ended, Abraham has turned to coaching, serving as the Head Coach for Gibbs High School and as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Storm.
3 Seed: Paul Gruber, Offensive Tackle, 1988-1999
Paul Gruber advanced by defeating Josh Freeman in round one. Gruber spent his entire National Football League career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He appeared in 183 games over his 12-year career, starting all of them. For most of his career, Gruber was one of the few great players on a bad team. Unfortunately his career was halted by a broken leg during the 1999 season that did not fully recover, leading to his decision on retirement. Gruber was inducted into the Tampa Bay Ring of Honor in 2012, joining Lee Roy Selmon, John McKay and Jimmie Giles.
Pick which of these 90’s Bucs will move on to the next round.
10 Seed: Martin Gramatica, Placekicker, 1999-2003
Martin Gramatica advances to round two thanks to an upset win over Ricky Reynolds. Gramatica was the placekicker for Tampa from 1999-2003 and made the Pro-Bowl in 2000, as well as being named a 2nd team All-Pro.
2 Seed: Hardy Nickerson, Linebacker, 1993-1999
Hardy Nickerson easily advanced out of round one by defeating Hugh Green. From 1993-1999 Nickerson helped build a dominant defense and a winning culture in Tampa. He earned 5 Pro Bowl appearances as well as 4 All-Pro Selections during his time with Tampa. His accomplishments here earned him a spot on the NFL’s 1990s all decade team.
Defense or special teams? You decide who moves on.