Paul Gruber Called To The Ring
June 5th, 2012
Bucs icon and preseason game analyst John Lynch has spilled the beans: retired Bucs left tackle Paul Gruber is the next inductee into the Bucs Ring of Honor.
The Buccaneers are scheduled to make an official announcement tomorrow, but Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune talked to Lynch, who expressed his approval of the pick.
Gruber spent his entire 12-year career with the Bucs, playing left tackle for them from 1988 to 1999. He was a three-time All-Pro selection but spent most of his career playing in relative anonymity.
“He was a guy that really didn’t like being in the limelight very much, but it’s good now that he’s finally going to be in the limelight,” Lynch said. “I’m really happy for him. He really deserves this.”
Joe believes Gruber fully deserves the honor. However, Gruber getting in this year is interesting and surely makes it hard to predict where Team Glazer will go with the Ring next season. There are still deserving older Bucs like Doug Williams and Ricky Bell, plus Hardy Nickerson and all the glory-years Bucs. And Malcolm Glazer surely would be a deserving choice.
Congrats to Gruber, who suffered and thrived through so many years of orange woe before the Bucs made the playoffs in 1997, his 10th season.
June 5th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
It’s about time that he’s gotten some recognition. Dude was a rock throughout some pitiful years. Still remember how sad it was that he didn’t get to play in that 99 NFC Championship…
June 5th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
I like this over Williams his 1-for-1 TD/INT ratio is hard for me to overlook.
Nickerson and Gruber were my two choices.
June 5th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
I think it’s a solid choice. Everyone knows why Williams wasn’t selected. Just another reason why I hope Dominik is on a real short leash. I do think they need to accelerate things and start putting in a couple a year.
June 5th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Gruber, the only old school Buc I am in support of since D. Williams isn’t going in, the question will be how will D. Williams feel with the ongoing snubbing of the guy that changed the face of a losing franchise in the early stages. Go Bucs and congrats to Mr. Gruber.
June 5th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Love Gruber but Doug was far more influential in Bucs history.
I think fans would love to embrace Doug again. But it’s pretty obvious why that’s not happening.
Very shallow thinking IMO.
But good for Gruber.
June 5th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
IMO should’ve been Williams or Wilder before Gruber.
June 5th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
This was by far the correct pick. The man played here 12 years and was a rock and a team player. Personally, I would like to see the Bucs pick 2 each year, one old school guy and one more recent. I do respect what Doug Williams did while he was here, but he wasnt here long enough and has badmouthed the organization way too many times over the years to be in the Ring of HONOR. Next up should be Wilder.
June 5th, 2012 at 7:37 pm
The bucs(hugh) were the dishonorable ones, not Doug. How is it his fault Hugh wanted to make him the lowest paid starting QB in the league?
He was supposed to suck it up and take that? Even John McKay begged Hugh to sign him. Doug was a warrior, even played with a broken jaw.
THe man had every right to be critical. Plus he endured a lot of heavy flack from the resident rednecks in this area also. I remember what was said, i am sure i am not the only one. Digraceful.
But apparently he offended our thin skinned GM or the limp wristed Glazer Boys. For that no ring of honor for Doug? Sorry day IMO.
June 5th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
I’m a little surprised it wasn’t Bill Capece but Gruber is a solid pick.
June 5th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Cannot conceivably argue with that pick, though I wanted Wilder THEN Gruber. I will be severely peeved though, if Wilder is not in in the next two years.
June 5th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
I love the pick. I like Wilder, Nickerson, and Williams as throwback choices, but Gruber was a class act and excellent performer.
I only own one game worn jersey and it is Gruber’s. It was between Chidi Ahanotu and Gruber and I went with Gruber and couldn’t have chosen better. It’s great to see him get the recognition he deserves.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
What????? Not Donald Igwebuicke? WTF?????
Until Doug Williams is in the Ring of Honor, it should be known as the Ring of Cheap Backdoor Politics.
They’re still pissed that Doug didn’t want a share in the Tampa Sphere instead of cash. You know, that giant 100 story office building across the street from the Mons Venus.
If a Glazer is on the Ring, the stadium known as CITS, will be struck by lightning and burn to the ground. Chris Thomas, John McKay, Leroy Selmon and Ricky Bell will be chucking those lightning bolts.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Love this pick, and I called it as a guess yesterday.
Gruber was an awesome player.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
I love the Gruber pick for the ROH,….Gruber never made the Pro Bowl in all of his 12yrs, but was an ALL PRO 3 times, that has to tell you he was a big fish in a small pond in Tampa Bay, but a much smaller fish in a huge ocean of the NFL. He was a quiet warrior that rarely got beat, he held his ground like a statue against some of the best DE’s that ever played. At the time I was po’d we didn’t take WR Sterling Sharpe out of South Carolina, but now I’m very happy they chose #74-love ya Paul!!
June 6th, 2012 at 12:17 am
I’m 23 so when I hear the names of former bucs that i didn’t see play it’s irrelevant to me… i’m going to hold my excitement when we get to the Alstott, Lynch, Sapp, Mr. Derrick Brooks, Barber, etc… but for all i’ve read of Gruber he’s an excelent choice.
June 6th, 2012 at 7:16 am
Gruber represented all that was right with the very wrong Bucs of old. Always willing to sign an autograph as he did for my son while he was at lunch with his kids years ago. Think mine was about 8 at the time. Class guy. The choice may not have sizzle but it certainly has class and recognizes a blue collar player of which the likes are less common now. Congrats Paul Gruber. Drafted the year I graduated high school.
June 6th, 2012 at 8:23 am
not sure why everyone is so high on doug williams.. his stats weren’t that great and he only spent 5 years with the bucs. he won his super bowl with washington. and our offense was pretty pathetic in the 79′ season. we lost 9-0 to LA Rams. his comp % was 44% and QB rating was a solid 66.9 during his time with the bucs.. he has no reason being in the ring of honor. who next Dilfer? he does have a better comp% and passer rating and he spent 6 seasons with use(sarcasim)… Gruber was the right choice and i would have been happy with Hardy also.
June 6th, 2012 at 9:32 am
Doug Williams was the heart and soul of the young Buccaneer franchise. He was an amazing raw talent and leader who brought this new team not only into respectability but made other teams fear us. He was a great character guy off the field. He was just starting to mature when the Buc’s wallet got in the way.
In the year that the Super Bowl was to be played in Tampa Stadium for the first time, Doug’s young wife mysteriously died. As Doug struggled to overcome, the Buc’s ownership tried to force him into a very bad contract dooming him into being the lowest paid QB in the NFL for the rest of his career. He walked, signing with the Oklahoma Outlaws.
The Buc’s had drafted him because he was a black QB and they thought he would be so grateful, that they wouldn’t have to pay him. The same reason why they drafted Booker Reese with their #1 pick. The same reason they drafted Bo Jackson #1 and then sabotaged his baseball career. Forcing him to spurn the Buc’s forever. They didn’t have to pay up.
The Buc’s owner was so cheap and evil that he screwed his own family from the grave.
To say that Doug’s stats were sub par and not a great QB, is like saying that JFK was an average president because he only served one term and couldn’t stop a bullet.
The Ring of Honor should be dedicated to the once in a lifetime athletes that we have the honor to experience maybe once or twice in our lifetimes and to somehow inject their aura into the normal every game NFL experience.
Doug’s only perceived flaw was that he was a proud black man pioneering a previously white only territory. He was incapable of kissing management’s asses.
June 6th, 2012 at 9:53 am
100 td 93 ints and 49 comp% for his career is subpar… his stats in washington were not that much better..and i hate to break it to you MIGUEL there weren’t any defenses that feared our offense periord, now there were plenty of Offeses that feared our Defense for sure. i will give you his character, but the ring of honor can’t just be about character you have to go by there stats. if you’re just using character then you might as well get Sapps name off the list even though Sapp and Selomon are the two greates Buccaneer d-linemen in franchise history.
June 6th, 2012 at 9:56 am
this is not right,doug williams an ricky bell we still love you and think what you did for the bucs an the real bucs fans.
June 6th, 2012 at 11:11 am
This is about Paul Gruber, not Doug Williams.
Paul is the best LT the Buccaneers ever had and played at a high level for a long time, through tough years until the cusp of the playoffs.
He deserves this, I’m happy for him and glad the Glazers are picking the best of the best for this honor.
GREAT CHOICE and congratulations to Paul Gruber!