Gene Deckerhoff Talks To Joe
December 23rd, 2008
- Joe caught up with legendary Bucs and FSU voice Gene Deckerhoff
Joe spent a little time with Gene Deckerhoff after the Bucs lost to the Chargers on Sunday.
Deckerhoff has graced Bucs fans with his spectacular, passionate radio play-by-play since 1989, when he teamed up with Jesse “The Body” Ventura, the professional wrestler turned Minnesota governor.
Joe resisted the urge to do his Deckerhoff impression for the veteran broadcaster. But even if he did, Deckerhoff seemed like the kind of guy who would have had a good laugh and asked to hear it again.
Q. Now you’re working with former Bucs tight end Dave Moore calling Bucs games. What makes Moore special in the booth?
A. When I was told Dave was going to be the new analyst for the network, before the announcement was made, Bruce Allen the general manager wanted to talk to me. He called up and said, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘I think it’s great. I expect to learn a lot about special teams and offensive football.’ Allen says when Moore was on offense and special teams, a tight end on offense and snapper on special teams, he took prodigious notes and was at every meeting. By God, I’ve learned more about football in the last two years than I thought I would ever learn. Dave Moore is a tremendous analyst about what takes place on the football field.
Q. Had you worked with any other offensive guys during your time with the Bucs?
A. I worked with a lot of quarterbacks in the college game, obviously, P. T. Willis and Vic Prinzi. Now I’m working with a fullback, William Floyd. But defensively, Dave Logan, I learned a lot about defensive football, particularly NFL defensive football, from Dave Logan. He was a quintessential tackle, I think everbody’s favorite. I’m sorry he’s not with us anymore. …Then you had Scot Brantley, a linebacker, and Hardy Nickerson, a linebacker. Then along comes Dave Moore. This is a great team because he makes it great. He’s a tremendous analyst.
Q. You’ve been around football a long time. Do you think there’s a place in the Hall of Fame for Monte Kiffin, a defensive coordinator?
A. (laugh) You know. I don’t know. Are there coordinators in the Hall of Fame? I thought head coaches, owners and players only. If there is, there should be because Monte with the Buccaneers from ’96 to 2008, Good Golly, the things he brought to the Buccanners. His defenses helped win a Super Bowl championship. So if there’s a place in the Hall of Fame for defensive coodinators than so be it.
Q. What about this Bucs team makes you believe it could succeed in the playoffs, if it gets in?
A. Well, No. 1 we got to get into the playoffs. But If the Bucs can get in the playoffs, it’s anybody’s ball game. It’s like Jon Gruden says, ‘When you get in the playoffs, you’re in the tournament.’ And so you do have a chance. We have a quarterback who can throw, we have receivers that can catch, and defensive players that can play defense. You gotta get into the playoffs first. Right now, we’re on the outside looking in. We gotta cross our fingers and hope a number of things happen for us to make the playoffs.
Q. The defense has struggled the past few weeks. Do think historically this defense is what it was during Monte’s long campaign?
A. Phillip Rivers was hot on Sunday. And hey, heck, we lose by three in overtime in Atlanta. Basically it was a one-touchdown game until the onside kick failed in Carolina. No, this defense is for real. It’s a top-10 defense and that’s the kind of defense Monte’s put out year in and year out. So, yeah, this defense can win a championship for us.
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Love me some DECKERHOFF!
December 23rd, 2008 at 5:16 pm
“Cawwwwt” Mean Gene needs to get in the Ring of Honor