With a history of underwhelming quarterbacks, the offense of Tampa Bay Buccaneers has historically depended on production from running backs. That is not to say that the franchise has been blessed with the NFL’s most talented scramblers. In fact, the Bucs’ all-time leader in rushing actually accumulated less than 6,000 yards and would rank substantially further down the career lists of most clubs. However, Tampa Bay fans have witnessed a number of backs post quality seasons, even if their time as the team’s primary option was limited. Here is a look at the 5 top running backs in Bucs’ history.
1.) Warrick Dunn (1997-2001, 2008) — With 10,967 career rushing yards and 4,339 receiving yards, Dunn has a legitimate chance to join the 3 other Buccaneers’ players enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Though several former defensive teammates are likely to end up in Canton, with 9 seasons of service in Tampa, the late Lee Roy Selmon is currently the only regular Bucs’ player to achieve this honor. Though several of his top campaigns came for the rival Atlanta Falcons, Dunn amassed an impressive 4,986 rushing yards, 2,704 receiving yards, and 26 total touchdowns during a pair of stints with Tampa Bay. Equally significant, the undersized Florida State product was a critical component of the team’s long-awaited resurgence under Coach Tony Dungy in the late 1990s. Possessing dynamic speed and capable pass catching skills, Dunn formed a productive backfield combo with Mike Alstott and helped transform a previously stagnant offense into a title contender.
2.) James Wilder (1981-1989) — Despite the addition of many promising young runners since his departure in 1989, Wilder remains atop the club’s leader-board in total rushing yards. Tampa Bay selected the big 6’3,” 225 pound back from the University of Missouri with a 2nd round pick in the 1981 draft. He eventually replaced Ricky Bell as the club’s primary back and peaked during the 1984 and 1985 seasons, when he exceeded 1,000 yards for the only times in his career. Selected to the 1984 Pro Bowl, Wilder may have enjoyed the finest season ever by any Tampa Bay offensive player in rushing for 1,544 yards on an NFL high 407 carries. He further added 685 receiving yards and scored 13 total touchdowns that year. Wilder’s production tailed off quickly, however, as he failed to reach even 500 yards in each of his final 3 seasons with the Bucs.
3.) Michael Pittman (2002-2007) — The Fresno State product came to the Bucs as a free agent in 2002 following 4 seasons of increasing production with the Arizona Cardinals. Replacing the departing Warrick Dunn, Pittman quickly proved a valuable tool in Coach Jon Gruden’s new offense, as the versatile back benefited both the team’s rushing and passing attacks. In fact, his years with Tampa Bay began in the best possible fashion when the club triumphed in Super Bowl XXXVII during his first season. Pittman enjoyed a strong performance in the triumphant victory over the Oakland Raiders, rushing for a game-high 129 yards on 29 carries. Always sporting some of Tampa Bay’s biggest muscles, “Pitt” racked up 3,362 yards on the ground and 2,361 yards through the air during 6 admirable years with the Bucs. His use diminished with the drafting of Cadillac Williams in 2005 and Pittman finished his career with the Denver Broncos in 2007.
4.) Mike Alstott (1996-2006) — If ranking all-around backs, this popular Buccaneer would undoubtedly earn the top spot. Though the “A-Train” competed for his entire 11 year career in Tampa, the burly rusher rarely served as an every-down back. Instead, Alstott was primarily used as a fullback, for which he was named to the Pro Bowl for 6 consecutive seasons from 1997-2002. He did scramble for an impressive 5,088 total yards, including a career best 949 yards in 1999, by serving as a change of pace for Warrick Dunn and Coach Dungy’s short yardage specialist. A master of using his big body to cross the goal-line, Alstott is also the Bucs’ career touchdown leader with 58 scores. The Illinois native was a 2nd round draft pick out of Purdue University in 1996 and his team-first spirit made him one of the most popular players in franchise history. Nevertheless, his running style was less appreciated by Jon Gruden and Alstott spent much of his final 4 seasons as a part-time blocker.
5.) Ricky Bell (1977-1981) — After a historic career for the University of Southern California, it was not surprising that Bell became the top overall pick in the 1977 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Bucs. Though Tony Dorsett would have ultimately proven a better choice, the selection reunited Bell with his former college coach, John McKay. As the starting tailback for 4 rebuilding campaigns, the Texas native greatly helped improve the upstart Bucs, who made it to the 1979 NFC Championship Game behind his 1,263 yard rushing season. In total, Bell scrambled for 3,057 yards and 16 touchdowns in 5 seasons in Tampa. He ended his career in 1982 with the San Diego Chargers, before sickness forced an early retirement and resulted in his tragic death in 1984 at the age of 29 from heart failure.
More by Jeff Briscoe from Yahoo! Contributor Network:
Top 5 Quarterbacks in Tampa Bay Bucs Franchise History
Jeff Briscoe is a writer who covers sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. A loyal Tampa Bay Bucs fan, he co-hosts the Florida-based radio show, The Sports Train.
