1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Encyclopedia
The 1995
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
season began with the team trying to improve on an 6-10 season in which the team won 4 straight games at the end of 1994 and 4 of the last 5. It was Wyche' final season as the team's head coach. Prior to the season Malcolm Glazer
took over ownership of the team, then the Bucs drafted Warren Sapp
and Derrick Brooks
, both of whom are recognized as two of the teams greatest ever players, and Lee Roy Selmon
was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
completely but a referendum saved the team.
This season is famous for Sam Wyche
, Head Coach of the Bucs, "Five dash Two" saying to reporters during a press conference after game 7 in which he basically tells reports "HA I told you so" even though Tampa won their 5 games by the slimmest of margins, often with improbable causes. Yet there was no denying that Tampa Bay under Wyche had won 9 of their last 12 games, better than anyone else in football at that point going back to the 1994 end of year win streak. But the House built of straw would crumble before long. Following the week seven Overtime win over Minnesota, Tampa Lost 3 in a row before beating expansion Jacksonville only after Jaguars Coach decided to go for a 2 point conversion when scoring a last minute touchdown. It failed and the Bucs won 17-16, a sweep if you will over both expansion teams as Tampa Played Carolina and beat them 17-10 in week 5. Two more losses followed, and the 6-7 Buccaneers had a prime time ESPN Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers
who were playing without standout Reggie White
due to injury. Tampa took the Packers into overtime and Beat them on national TV to go 7-7 and still be in playoff contention in game 14 for the first time in a long time. The Bucs responded by losing to the Chicago Bears
by 21 points at home, then the last game of the year, with an 8-8 record within reach, Coach Wyche pulled QB Trent Dilfer
in an emotional sideline explosion. Dilfer was told by backup Casey Weldon
that Weldon was told by Coach Wyche to be ready, he would pull Dilfer in the second quarter no matter how good he plays. Rumour also has it Wyche knowing he would be let go by new owners without a winning record after a 5-2 start, would make the Buccaneer players wear Orange pants and Orange shirts, looking like a Creamsickle. The New Owner Malcom Glazer had enough of this, and started the search for the next coach of the Buccaneers, a search that would bring in Coach Tony Dungy
. The players were in place, it was now time to add the coaches.
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
season began with the team trying to improve on an 6-10 season in which the team won 4 straight games at the end of 1994 and 4 of the last 5. It was Wyche' final season as the team's head coach. Prior to the season Malcolm Glazer
Malcolm Glazer
Malcolm Irving Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner. He is the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, most notably in the food processing industry...
took over ownership of the team, then the Bucs drafted Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
and Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
, both of whom are recognized as two of the teams greatest ever players, and Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon was a Hall of Fame NFL football defensive lineman.-Early life:Selmon was the youngest of nine children of Lucious and Jessie Selmon, raised on a farm near Eufaula, Oklahoma...
was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
Overview
There were rumours towards the end of the 1994 season about the team deserting TampaTâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
completely but a referendum saved the team.
This season is famous for Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
, Head Coach of the Bucs, "Five dash Two" saying to reporters during a press conference after game 7 in which he basically tells reports "HA I told you so" even though Tampa won their 5 games by the slimmest of margins, often with improbable causes. Yet there was no denying that Tampa Bay under Wyche had won 9 of their last 12 games, better than anyone else in football at that point going back to the 1994 end of year win streak. But the House built of straw would crumble before long. Following the week seven Overtime win over Minnesota, Tampa Lost 3 in a row before beating expansion Jacksonville only after Jaguars Coach decided to go for a 2 point conversion when scoring a last minute touchdown. It failed and the Bucs won 17-16, a sweep if you will over both expansion teams as Tampa Played Carolina and beat them 17-10 in week 5. Two more losses followed, and the 6-7 Buccaneers had a prime time ESPN Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
who were playing without standout Reggie White
Reggie White
Reginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player. He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history...
due to injury. Tampa took the Packers into overtime and Beat them on national TV to go 7-7 and still be in playoff contention in game 14 for the first time in a long time. The Bucs responded by losing to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
by 21 points at home, then the last game of the year, with an 8-8 record within reach, Coach Wyche pulled QB Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer is a former football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sixth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football...
in an emotional sideline explosion. Dilfer was told by backup Casey Weldon
Casey Weldon
William Casey Weldon is a former professional American football player. Weldon is best known for being the quarterback for Florida State in the late-1980s and early-1990s. During his senior season in 1991, Weldon finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting to Desmond Howard of Michigan...
that Weldon was told by Coach Wyche to be ready, he would pull Dilfer in the second quarter no matter how good he plays. Rumour also has it Wyche knowing he would be let go by new owners without a winning record after a 5-2 start, would make the Buccaneer players wear Orange pants and Orange shirts, looking like a Creamsickle. The New Owner Malcom Glazer had enough of this, and started the search for the next coach of the Buccaneers, a search that would bring in Coach Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
. The players were in place, it was now time to add the coaches.
NFL Draft
| Pick | Round | Player | Position | School |
| 12 | 1 | Warren Sapp Warren Sapp Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then... |
Defensive Tackle | Miami Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
| 28 | 1 | Derrick Brooks Derrick Brooks Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.... |
Linebacker | Florida State Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 43 | 2 | Melvin Johnson Melvin Johnson Melvin Maynard Johnson Jr. was an American designer of firearms, lawyer, and US Marine Corps officer.Born into an affluent Boston, Massachusetts family, he was commissioned into the Marine Corps Reserve in 1933 as a Second Lieutenant and completed Harvard Law school in 1934... |
Defensive Back | Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... |
| 105 | 4 | Jerry Wilson | Defensive Back | Saginaw Valley State University Saginaw Valley State University Saginaw Valley State University, commonly known as SVSU, is a state university in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the middle of Michigan's lower peninsula in the Saginaw Valley region. The university is located in Kochville Township, Saginaw County... |
| 143 | 5 | Clifton Abraham Clifton Abraham Clifton Eugene Abraham was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, and the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Florida State University. He played high school football at David W... |
Defensive Back | Florida State |
| 179 | 6 | Wardell Rouse | Linebacker | Clemson Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 215 | 7 | Steve Ingram | Offensive Tackle | Maryland Maryland Terrapins football The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 227 | 7 | Jeff Rodgers | Defensive End | Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Staff
| 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Schedule
| Regular season | ||||||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Kickoff | Game site | TV | Attendance | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3, 1995 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 21-6 | 1:00 | Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
66,266 | 1-0 |
| 2 | September 10, 1995 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 22-6 | 1:00 | Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
61,083 | 1-1 |
| 3 | September 17, 1995 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 25-6 | 4:00 | Tampa Stadium | FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
71,507 | 1-2 |
| 4 | September 24, 1995 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 14-6 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
49,234* | 2-2 |
| 5 | October 1, 1995 | at Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
W 20-13 | 1:00 | Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium, Clemson Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, popularly known as Death Valley, is home to the Clemson University Tigers, a NCAA Division I-A football team, located in Clemson, South Carolina... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
50,076 | 3-2 |
| 6 | October 8, 1995 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W 19-16 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC NFL on NBC NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS... |
41,732* | 4-2 |
| 7 | October 15, 1995 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
W 20-17 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
55,703* | 5-2 |
| 8 | October 22, 1995 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24-21 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
66,135* | 5-3 |
| 9 | October 29, 1995 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L 19-7 | 4:00 | Houston Astrodome Reliant Astrodome Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
31,489 | 5-4 |
| 10 | Bye | |||||||
| 11 | November 12, 1995 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 27-24 | 1:00 | Pontiac Silverdome Silverdome The Silverdome is an indoor sporting and entertainment venue located in Launceston, Tasmania built in 1984. The Silverdome was built at an estimated cost of A$4 million, as the Tasmanian Government "proposed a world class facility" to replace the run down velodrome in the Launceston suburb of St... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
60,644 | 5-5 |
| 12 | November 19, 1995 | Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17-16 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC NFL on NBC NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS... |
71,629* | 6-5 |
| 13 | November 26, 1995 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 35-13 | 1:00 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
59,218 | 6-6 |
| 14 | December 3, 1995 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 31-17 | 1:00 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
52,879 | 6-7 |
| 15 | December 10, 1995 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 13-10 | 8:00 | Tampa Stadium | ESPN ESPN Sunday Night Football ESPN Sunday Night Football is the ESPN cable network's weekly television broadcasts of Sunday evening National Football League games. The first ESPN Sunday night broadcast occurred on November 8, 1987, while the last one aired on January 1, 2006.... |
67,557* | 7-7 |
| 16 | December 17, 1995 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 31-10 | 1:00 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
49,475 | 7-8 |
| 17 | December 23, 1995 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 37-10 | 4:00 | Tampa Stadium | FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
50,049* | 7-9 |
- = blacked out locally