Buccaneers: Five best running backs of all time
5. Errict Rhett
The number five choice didn’t have a long-term impact, but made himself known in the short-term and propelling himself into the team’s top ten all-time rushing charts.
Errict Rhett was a second round pick of the Bucs back in 1994. In 1993 they put up a mere 80.6 yards per game, and were ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing. They needed the help. Rhett debuted against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, running the ball 11 times for 49 yards. His first touchdown came in the third quarter of a win over the Lions when he scored from one yard out to make it 24-14 in favor of the Bucs.
He really came on in the second half of the season. In the last seven games, Rhett went over the 100 yard rushing mark four times, including a 192 yard performance in a win over the Redskins. He finished the year with 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns. He followed that up with an even better second season, when he posted 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns. Rhett went over 100 yards four more times in that 1995 season, including once again against the Redskins and a 144 yard performance in a loss to the Lions.
The Bucs made modest gains in their running back rankings over those two seasons, moving to 22nd in 1994 and 19th in 1995. Hey, I already said that success never came easy for this team. You all know that, though. After two years that didn’t live up to the same potential, Rhett was gone, but for a two-year span he was dominant. He ranks ninth on the team’s all-time rushing list, and his touchdown numbers earn him the number five spot on this list.