As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare to celebrate the franchise's 50th season of existence, they are also getting ready to honor one of their unsung heroes.
Simeon Rice isn't underrated in the minds of Bucs fans, but it seems that he flies more under the radar than he should in the national discussion about Tampa Bay's iconic 2002 defense. Rice was a key piece of a championship puzzle, with an easy argument to be made that he was the missing piece.
Four other players from that 2002 Super Bowl-winning defense are in the Hall of Fame, and Rice not being the fifth remains a sin of omission. Where Hall of Fame voters won't do right by him, the Bucs will and are inducting him into the team's Ring of Honor this season.
He spoke with the media on Monday about the honor and went full Simeon Rice in the best possible way.
It was also revealed that Rice's induction ceremony will happen on November 30th, which is Tampa Bay's Week 13 game against the Arizona Cardinals. It's a nice twist, as the Cardinals are the team Rice started his career with.
After Rice joined the Bucs in free agency back in 2001, he helped cement a defense that was already on the cusp of greatness. What he had already done well for Arizona he perfected in Tampa, finishing with 208 tackles, 36 assists, 69.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and four interceptions in six seasons with the Bucs.
The fact that he isn't in the Hall of Fame is starting to get a little ridiculous, and it could be rectified in the coming years. Whether or not that happens is up to the fraternity of football writers who gatekeep the halls of Canton, but it's clear the Bucs aren't going to make him wait any longer to feel some love.
It was clear that the honor meant a lot to him. After delivering some trademark humor and swagger, Rice was overcome with emotion while talking about being the next member of the franchise to be immortalized in the Ring of Honor.
Honoring Rice was long overdue, but doing it as part of the celebration of the franchise's 50th season is a nice added touch to make the moment even more special. It's safe to say the day he gets his ceremony will be one Raymond James Stadium will be packed to the gills for, and rightfully so.
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