Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Franchise era 2 of 7
The lost creamsicle years: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers story
The story in one sentence
Ownership decisions and constant coaching change produced fourteen straight losing seasons before new leadership began a cultural reset.
Instability follows Williams's departure
James Wilder, Paul Gruber and Hardy Nickerson gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the championship defense.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1983
What came before
After losing its first 26 games, Tampa Bay reached the 1979 NFC Championship Game behind Selmon and one of the league's best defenses.
- 10TradeApril 24, 1987
April 24, 1987
The quiet trade that extended San Francisco's dynasty
The 49ers acquired a talented but unproven quarterback behind Joe Montana. Tampa Bay cleared the position before selecting Vinny Testaverde first overall.
To SF
To TB19872NDround asset1987PICKround asset+1 assetsSteve Young to San FranciscoSF receives Steve YoungTB receives Cash considerations, 1987 2nd-round pick, 1987 fourth-round pick4 original assets · 2 outcomes tracedOpen trade → After 1995
What came next
The Tampa 2 defense restored the franchise, and Jon Gruden's arrival supplied the offense and edge needed to dominate Super Bowl XXXVII.
The core