Buccaneers’ Jersey Countdown: Number 89
As we continue our countdown of the best Buccaneers’ players to wear the jersey, who was the best to wear number 89?
The Buccaneers’ history has been littered with talented players. It hasn’t been littered with Super Bowl titles unfortunately, but the Bucs have had more than their fair share of strong football players. We have been reviewing those players over the last several days and weeks.
We have been counting down the best players in Bucs’ history, in reverse order of jersey number. We have completed numbers 90-99, which as we all know are defensive numbers. Now, we move onto number 89, which means we turn to the offensive side of the football. The jersey numbers in the 80’s are generally attached to wide receivers and tight ends.
So, who did we choose?
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It could have been Antonio Bryant, who posted an 83 catch season in 2008 with seven touchdowns. But, he was only with the team for two years, so he is relegated to “Honorable Mention” status.
Our selection comes one of the many slow times in the history of the Bucs. This player wore the uniform from 1980 through one half of the 1986 season. From 1980-1985, the Bucs won a whopping 29 games, and if you add in ALL of 1986, it’s 31 wins. His name is Kevin House.
The Bucs selected House in the second round of the 1980 draft. In a backup role caught only 24 passes, but he did catch five touchdown passes. His best game that rookie season came in Minnesota against the Vikings, when he caught three passes for 77 yards, two of them for touchdowns.
The next year was the peak of House’s career in Tampa. That year he caught 56 passes for 1,176 yards, a 21 yards per catch average. He also scored nine times, including twice in a 28-10 victory over the Detroit Lions. House posted three 100-yard receiving performances, including 178 yards against the Oakland Raiders on only four catches, putting his average well over 40 yards per catch.
After an off year in 1982, he came back to have a stronger year in 1983, again scoring five times. He also posted three more 100 yard games, though they were all in losing causes. The Bucs only went 2-14 in ’83, so losing was pretty common in those days.
Kevin returned in 1984 to post a career high 76 receptions, 1,005 yards and five more touchdowns. His best day came against the Vikings in October, when he racked up seven receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown, helping the Bucs to a 35-31 victory.
He played one more full year in Tampa in 1985, posting 803 yards on 44 catches to go along with five touchdowns. After seven games of the 1986 season, House was sent to the Los Angeles Rams.
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For his 6.5 year career in Tampa, House racked up 299 receptions, 5,169 yards and 34 touchdowns. He is the best player to wear number 89 for the Bucs.