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BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Buccaneers take great pride in dedicating this season to celebrating a half-century of play in the National Football League.
To mark the occasion, it’s time to honor the 50 most notable players in franchise history, counting down toward No. 1. These rankings are based on production and impact as Buccaneers only, so Tom Brady’s unmatched accomplishments with the Patriots don’t count.
We’ll group five players at a time in each column, wrapping up well before the 2025 season gets underway. While you won’t agree with every choice, all selections made a valuable contribution to the franchise.
50. Mark Cotney
This hard-hitting safety was a 7-year starter who joined the Bucs in their inaugural 1976 season after being obtained from Houston in the veteran allocation draft. Cotney used his 6-foot, 205-pound frame to punish receivers who dared to go over the middle at Tampa Stadium.
Cotney finished his career with 17 interceptions, 7 fumble recoveries and 5 sacks. He also posted a sack and a pick in the postseason as a key member of an impressive defense.
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49. Mike Washington
A third-round pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1975, Washington was an All-America corner at Alabama. Tampa Bay surrendered a third-round pick to acquire Washington, who started 97 games over nine seasons. He ranks fourth all-time on the franchise list with 28 interceptions and Washington scored four defensive touchdowns before suffering a head injury in the 1984 season opener at Chicago. Washington passed away in 2021 at the age of 68.
48. Richard Wood
Nicknamed “Batman,” Wood was a star linebacker at Southern Cal, winning two national championships under John McKay. When Hugh Culverhouse hired McKay as the franchise’s initial head coach, the Bucs worked out a deal to acquire Wood from the Jets. He played in 132 games as a Buccaneer and averaged 136 tackles as a starter. He led the Bucs in tackles four times and was a captain on the 1979 team that reached the NFC title game behind the league’s stingiest scoring defense.
Bucs 2008 first-round pick Aqib Talib.
47. Aqib Talib
This talented but troubled cornerback was chosen in the first round of the 2008 draft, the last selection process overseen by Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden. Talib made an immediate impact with four interceptions as a rookie, tying Rondé Barber for the team lead. In his second season as a Buccaneer, Talib registered 15 pass breakups and 5 picks.
Ex-Bucs cornerback Ricky Reynolds (1987-1993).
In 2010, Talib led Tampa Bay with six interceptions, despite playing only 11 games due to a hip injury and an NFL-issued suspension for his involvement in a battery of a taxi driver.
46. Ricky Reynolds
A 7-year starter for Tampa Bay at corner, Reynolds was a second-round pick out of Washington State in the 1987 draft. He started 103 games as a Buccaneer, picking off 17 passes and forcing 8 fumbles. He also reached the end zone on an interception and a fumble recovery before signing with the Patriots as a free agent in 1994.
At the time of his departure from Tampa, Reynolds started more games at defensive back than any player in franchise history.