Nickerson Says Bucs Need Leadership
December 30th, 2011
Enjoying an on-air chuckle about the notion of Gerald McCoy being a leader on the Buccaneers, former Bucs star Hardy Nickerson shared his feelings that the Bucs need more veterans.
Speaking to former Bucs guard Ian Beckles on The Ron and Ian Show today on WDAE-AM 620, Nickerson said the Bucs need a few established successful veterans to blend in with the young talent to teach them how to be professionals.
“You really don’t know anything until you get a little seasoning,” Nickerson said. “And that takes about four maybe five years, you know, to really kind of get a feel and figure it out and say, ‘Ok, this is what I can get done.’ Before you can even take on anybody else and say, ‘Hey, man, you can follow me.'”
“And then the guys that you’re following, they have to be guys on the field that are doin’ it. You know what I mean? Not the guys that are talkin’ it. They gotta be doin’ it.”
Nickerson, who said the Bucs are his favorite team, went on to say leaders must be players that perform at a high level in practice and in games. He also likened the Bucs’ leadership deficiencies to those he sees on the Detroit Lions.
Nickerson also shared his disbelief at the new NFL labor agreement that severely limits players practicing in pads. “I don’t know how they even get ready for a game,” said Nickerson, who added he’d still be playing if those rules were in effect during his career.
December 30th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
you know what would be really cool….if we bring in gene deckerhoff to coach this band of hooligans for about a year or so…just for the hell of it…to add a little madness to the mayhem…adam from ny
December 30th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
or make jeff fox the coach…heck he freakin’ at least looks like a coach….remember jeff fox the original buccaneers magazine guy….once the glazers took over they handcuff the guy and made him tote around doing business by cart, tent, & wagon…..adam from ny
December 30th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
joe my 3rd post is stellar and up for review brother….give it the gold star and put it up…..be a good guy joe….censorship really sucks….you should know first hand.
adam from the zoo
December 30th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
@adam from ny
Your most irritating habit when you comment is signing your posts.
Pete Dutcher
😉
December 30th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
PS –
I think Nickerson is right.
December 30th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
@Pete Dutcher……….Hopefully Dominick hears this from Nickerson. And hopefully he heard Penn’s desire for free agents.
December 30th, 2011 at 10:49 pm
I think we just found our new Head Coach….
December 30th, 2011 at 10:54 pm
Didnt need Nickerson to state the obvious.
But its good to hear him speak the truth.
Too bad the team ditched Barret Ruud… all for practice squad and late round LBs.
December 30th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Amen BigMacAttack ! Hardy would be a great coach.
Hey, Hardy Nickerson was a Free Agent when Tampa got him, he was not drafted by Tampa. Hint Hint
December 30th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Hardy Nickerson. All he did was change the entire culture in the locker room.
He was tough, a leader and a great player. Ask Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks who taught them what it meant to be a professional and a Buccaneer.
A Ring of Honor guy IMO and someone we could really use in Tampa today.
No doubt about it. HarDEE, HarDEE, HarDEE!!!
Happy New Year!!!!
December 30th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
I’d rather watch Hardy out there on Sunday, over Quincy Black.
Atleast Nickerson would hustle, and kick Haynesworth’s @ss for being a bum.
December 30th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
maybe rah can drop trou like mike singletary b4 game time as motivation not to be embarrassed.
December 31st, 2011 at 12:56 am
GMC’s just doing the best he can and I still think he’s our best d-lineman and a future star. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. Not yet, anyway. The problem is that he has no one to emulate…no one to follow. Sapp can only be so helpful since he’s not playing any longer. Who else has he had to help teach him the ins & outs that only veterans know? Hovan? Sims? White? Haynesworth? Please.
December 31st, 2011 at 1:33 am
Damn how i miss the good ole days. Seeing Nickerson brings back memories and he looks like hes ready crack some people!
December 31st, 2011 at 1:47 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rJTCPP4gaw
GO BUCS!
December 31st, 2011 at 2:46 am
Put two veteran linebackers behind this young d-line and I think they could go a long way. Everyone loves Brooks for his leadership but mention Hardy to Brooks and he always talks about how Hardy helped to show him the way.
Brooks, Sapp, Lynch, Barber. They won us a Super Bowl. Who lead that group? Brooks. Who taught Brooks? Hardy.
It always goes back to the linebackers on a defense. Gerald McCoy can talk all he wants but he is not the leader of the defense and he never will be. It may have worked for him in college but it doesn’t work in the NFL.
I think the very best thing that could happen to this defense would be to acquire the best veteran linebacker they can find. I don’t care if they have to sign him as a free agent or trade for him. Find a proven leader and get him here at all costs. We do have talent on this defense. We don’t have a proven leader.
December 31st, 2011 at 3:20 am
He is the Big reason i am a Bucs fan…. He was so intense every single snap. He was a TRUE football player.
December 31st, 2011 at 3:44 am
@Fear The Glo
Tell all of that to Mr. “no veterans or free agents” Dominick.
December 31st, 2011 at 5:24 am
hardy nick…..would he be to much mike singletary or a bit more towards something like a jack del rio?…..hardy would be a jack del rio with an edge….not bad, but he really isn’t ready i would think…too raw…like a singletary….he would make an incredible linebackers coach, thats for sure.
adam from ny
December 31st, 2011 at 5:25 am
ok dungy as the gm ?……..that could be interesting….yeah dungy as the freakin’ gm…..hmmm.
adam from ny
December 31st, 2011 at 5:37 am
Hardy as HC, Dungy at GM, people please, enough with people trying to jobs that they will fail at. (Raheem and Dominick) Bring people in that know how to do the job. Go Bucs.
December 31st, 2011 at 7:21 am
Hardy Jr., not as highly touted as his dad yet, should be coming along in a few more years from Cal.
You know what? It doesn’t hurt to dream. With all the crap we have endured this season, a little hope and a little light surely can’t make matters worse.
December 31st, 2011 at 7:22 am
Ahhhh, here comes the Sun now.
December 31st, 2011 at 9:32 am
I have been saying this all along….we need a Hardy Nickerson type leader to turn this team around!!! Hardy was the leader of this team after he came as a FREE AGENT from Pittsburg. He was brought in because of his leadership skills and with GREAT drafting and solid VETERAN leadership the Bucs became winners!!!! The time has come to do something or the Bucs are going to become the YUCS year after year again!!!!
December 31st, 2011 at 9:35 am
Man, look at that picture….Hardy looks like a bad@%!. Too bad our current LB’s suck so bad they can’t even look good before the snap….standing all upright. =\
December 31st, 2011 at 10:56 am
Nickerson changed the perception of an entire organization. He took this team and carried them all the way to respectability. Someone needs to step up before it’s too late. Is there even one person on this team that plays with so much emotion and pride? I don’t think there is!
December 31st, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Bucnjim
NOBODY on our team today like Hardy. He would NOT have tolerated this mess.
I do believe Josh Freeman can get there though. Maybe Clayburn down the road.
But those kids need a Hardy now.
Happy New Year!!!
December 31st, 2011 at 4:53 pm
The Bucs line backing core needs a coach like this. Hardy is passionate about football and knows the position well.
December 31st, 2011 at 7:42 pm
We’ll know when/if they replace Morris. If they go with a big name or such, spending will be a must.
However…I could still see a new coach wanting one draft under his belt before spending much…especially since it’ll be high picks.
I also think we can garner some extra picks by trading a few players (such as Black, who could get a 3rd or 4th). If Winslow has time left on his contract (not sure if he does) we should trade him this year. At 28, we could get a good pick for him, and this is the age players begin a downward slide. Waiting would lessen his value.