Pictured Above: Tom Brady signed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 from the New England Patriots.
Courtesy of Tom Brady on Facebook
By Mark Parker
Courtesy of Mark Parker
For the first time in 17 years and the second time in their 45-year existence, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached the peak of the NFL mountain.
We have known that Tampa would host Super Bowl LV since May 2017, which was exciting in and of itself. Immediately, thoughts of the Bucs playing for the championship in front of the home crowd danced in our heads, but for a team that produced records of 5-11, 5-11 and 7-9 the following three years these were just pie in the sky fantasies.
That is, until we bought a goat. Or should I say, we signed the G.O.A.T., the love-him-or-hate-him greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.
Just three days after the 43 year-old machine announced he was ending his historic 20-year run with the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay hit the lotto by signing the three-time league MVP and six-time world champion to a deal worth $30 million per season.
He was worth more.
At 43, an age that is downright elderly by NFL standards, Brady has had one of the best statistical seasons of his life. Opposing quarterback Patrick Mahomes is a prime 25 years old – just six years old when Brady won his first title. Save the old man jokes – he threw for over 4,600 yards with 40 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions, while leading the team to an 11-5 record and their first playoff berth in 13 years.
Immediately after signing, he started working on bringing his trusty sidekick and arguably the best tight end to ever play the game, Rob Gronkowski, to the bay with him. As fate would have it, the Bucs sent a fourth round draft pick to the Patriots for the right to sign the then-retired Gronkowski.
While this was somewhat of a gamble as Gronkowski was oft-injured and away from the game for over a year, it was a gamble that paid big dividends as the season progressed. Not only did Gronk become the Robin to Brady’s Batman, he also had a good year as both a blocker and receiver.
And let’s face it, if anyone in the NFL had the soul of “Florida Man,” it was Rob Gronkowski.
The two also provided the team immense value off the field. Both were proven winners that know the kind of dedication and preparation needed to reach a championship level.
Brady is laser focused, quick to voice his displeasure and similar to having another coach in the locker room. Gronkowski is funny, upbeat and quick to pick his teammates up when they are down. They are the type of chemistry boosters that elite teams must have.
It was not all about these two great additions, however. Brady would have never signed if the Bucs did not already possess a treasure chest of weapons, as that was a main gripe in New England. Tampa had talent that they acquired the old fashioned way – through the draft, and Brady and, to a lesser extent, Gronkowski were just missing pieces to the puzzle.
Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin continued to shine. Ronald Jones took a big step forward at running back. Leonard Fournette, another running back and former Jacksonville star that was enticed to join the team by the prospect of playing with Brady, also carved out a nice role and was an invaluable backup when Jones went down with injuries. Like all great quarterbacks, Brady took little-known Scottie Miller to a new level as a speedy wide receiver that made the most of his opportunities.
This offense under head coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich hit their stride around midseason and caught fire by the end of the season and through the playoffs. Together with a strong defense led by young linebacker Devin White and under the astute tutelage of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, this team has gelled into a championship contender that we could only dream about before the season.
Which leads us here.
Next Sunday, the team that has long and widely been panned as the “Suckaneers” will take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa as the first team to ever play at home in the 55-year history of the Super Bowl. Go ahead, let that sink in.
University of South Florida students and alumni have an extra reason to root for the Bucs, besides for sharing a home field with their professional counterparts, as star defensive end and native of Deerfield Beach Jason Pierre-Paul played for the Bulls in 2009.
This has been a truly amazing time to be a sports fan in the Tampa Bay area. With the shadow of a pandemic looming over our everyday lives, every one of our professional teams has reached the top of their respective leagues. The Lightning in hockey, the Rowdies in soccer, the Rays in baseball and now the Bucs in football have collectively given us a welcome respite and reason to cheer.
While there are many limitations and restrictions, hosting a Super Bowl and having our home team playing in it could not have come at a better time for the Bay area. We needed this.
We have waited a long time for this moment – relish it. The odds of having your home team in the Super Bowl again are slim to none, and who knows, maybe it will take another 17 years for the Bucs to reach the top of this mountain again. Although, with Brady under contract for the next two years and leading this stellar cast of supporting characters, our ship looks to be in good shape.
My prediction for the big game: Buccaneers 35, Chiefs 31.
