As we move through the greats from the Buccaneers’ past, who was the best player ever to wear number 84?
Our trip through Buccaneers’ history has been an interesting one. Over the last several weeks, we have been counting backwards, looking at the best players ever to wear the jersey, number by number. There have been some great defensive players we have talked about, like Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice.
If you missed those entries, take a look at Sapp’s article here and Rice‘s here.
Now, as we have moved on through the jersey numbers starting with 89, it has been a bit harder. The offensive talent hasn’t been as plentiful as the defensive. For example, we have looked at Kevin House here, and Riedel Anthony here.
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Not exactly players that would have cracked the top 100 now or any time, are they?
Our choice at number 84 will bring smiles to the faces of Bucs’ fans. We don’t need to go back ten years to remember him either.
His name is Joey Galloway.
Galloway spent nine years in the league before arriving in Tampa Bay. He spent the first five years of his career in Seattle, followed by a four-year stint with Dallas. Prior to the 2004 season, he was traded to Tampa for Keyshawn Johnson, cleaning out a guy that never wanted to be in Tampa anyway. He reunited with his favorite coach in Dallas and the Bucs got Galloway.
We did just fine.
Unfortunately, a groin injury limited Galloway to ten games, 33 receptions, 416 yards and five touchdowns in 2004. A healthy 2005 led him to his best season as a pro when he posted 83 catches for 1,287 yards and ten touchdowns. That year, he went over 130 yards on four separate occasions, including a seven catch, 166 yard performance that included a fourth quarter touchdown reception that proved to be the difference in an October game against the Lions.
Over the next two seasons, Galloway posted 1,000 yards and at least six touchdowns in each. He was particularly dominant against the rival Saints, never posting less than 97 yards in four contests over those two seasons.
An injury held Joey to 13 catches in 2008 and he was off to New England and Washington to finish his career.
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For his career in Tampa, Galloway caught 248 passes for 3,912 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is by far the best player to wear number 84 in Tampa.