Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vintage Jerseys
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were founded in 1976 and have a rich history with several legendary players on their roster.
As the team evolved over the years, so has their uniform. The '76 road jersey, worn by notable players including Steve Spurrier, Dewey Selmon, and John McKay, is particularly distinctive. This was the only year the jerseys included orange numbers with red trim.
Compared to the 1976 version, the 1977 road white jersey has a different color pattern. The numbers are red, and the surrounding trim is orange on the '77 Bucs jersey.
QB Doug Williams and talented running back Ricky Bell donned the team's 1979 home orange uniform, which featured a rich orange jersey, complete with white numbers, and white pants and belt.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers History
A prominent Florida tax lawyer and broker, Hugh Culverhouse was granted ownership of the National Football League's 27th franchise in 1974. He chose John McKay as the Buccaneers' first head coach in 1976. McKay had been a major success at the University of Southern California, winning four national titles in his 16 years there, and it was McKay who helped coordinate the Buccaneers' early success.
With a league record of 26 successive losses, Tampa Bay's first season was challenging. Ultimately, the Bucs broke their losing streak on December 11, 1977, when they defeated the New Orleans Saints 33-14 in New Orleans, led by quarterback Gary Huff. The team ended the season on a high note by beating the Cardinals 17-7 at home, their first home victory of the season.
Following a disappointing season in 1978, the Bucs finished 5-11 after being 4-4 through the year's first half. However, in '79, they were undefeated after their first five games.
In only its fourth season, Tampa Bay surprised the football world when it advanced to the 1979 NFC title game. The Buccaneers secured the NFC Central championship with a 3-0 win against Kansas City, then defeated Philadelphia 24-17 in the playoffs to get within one game of the Super Bowl. However, the Los Angeles Rams won the NFC title with a hard-fought 9-0 triumph.
An outstanding defense led by Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon was one of Tampa Bay's chief pillars of early success. He was the Buccaneers' first draft pick and the number one pick in the 1976 NFL Draft. Selmon was a member of the NFC Pro Bowl team six times during his nine-season career and was named the 1979 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The '79 Buccaneers were led offensively by quarterback Doug Williams and running back Ricky Bell, who rushed for 1,263 yards.
Despite losing five of their final six games in the 1982 strike-shortened season, the Bucs qualified for the postseason for the third time in four seasons. However, Tampa Bay's season ended in a first-round playoff loss to Dallas.
Having coached the Buccaneers for nine years, McCay retired following the 1984 season. Ray Perkins, Tony Dungy, Richard Williamson, Leeman Bennett, and Sam Wyche have all coached Tampa Bay since McKay left. The new-look Buccaneers, led by coach Jon Gruden, clinched their first NFL championship in 2003 with a convincing 48-21 victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. In 2021 led by Tom Brady the Buccaneers captured their second Super Bowl championship by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
