Chiseling the Mt. Rushmore of Tampa Bay Buccaneers greats

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SAN DIEGO – JANUARY 26: Linebacker Derrick Brooks #55 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picks up a fumble by Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon and runs it in for a fourth quarter touchdown during Super Bowl XXXVII at Qualcomm Stadium on January 26, 2003 in San Diego, California. The Buccaneers defeated the Raiders 48-21. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

LB Derrick Brooks

While Sapp and Selmon are historically great players, Derrick Brooks might take the cake as the best Buccaneers in franchise history; between these three players it is too close to call. Brooks is potentially the best linebacker in NFL history to have ever strapped up a helmet, and luckily he played his entire career as a Buccaneer.

Drafted the same year as Sapp in 1995, Brooks landed with the Buccaneers at the end of the first round as the 28th overall pick; one of the greatest misfires from 26 other teams to pass on Brooks before the Buccaneers rolled around with their second first round pick.

In five separate seasons, Brooks recorded over 100 solo tackles, leading the NFL in tackles three times. Tackles for loss became an official recorded stat in 1999, so excluding the first four years of Brooks’ career, he finished with 68 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Brooks may go down as the best linebacker against the pass all-time as well, as he recorded 25 career interceptions, including one in the 2002 Super Bowl that he returned for six.

Brooks was named to 11 Pro Bowls, named an All-Pro five times, was the 2002 AP Defensive Player of the Year, and the 2000 Walter Peyton Man of the Year. Brooks, and deservedly so, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014, joining Selmon and Sapp in Canton.

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