Ryan Leaf & The Bucs
January 30th, 2018
A neat piece of Bucs history was shared at the Super Bowl this morning.
Remember historic bust quarterback Ryan Leaf, the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 draft? It’s easy to remember Leaf, considering he’s had so many legal and drug-related troubles since his career ended abruptly at 26 years old.
Well, Joe had forgotten that Leaf was with the Buccaneers in 2001, Father Dungy’s final season in command.
Reports had said the Bucs demoted and then released Leaf after a nothing-special preseason. But today on WDAE-AM 620, Leaf said he loved Tampa, enjoyed the welcoming embraces from Dungy, Shelton Quarles, Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber and probably should have stayed in Tampa. Leaf fondly recalled a house in Lutz and said he asked for his Bucs release because his ego at the time wouldn’t allow him to be a backup quarterback.
He moved on to a bad Dallas team that season and made three starts, losing them all before ending his career.
Joe’s not saying Leaf would have thrived in Tampa, but Joe wouldn’t have bet against Dungy and the Bucs’ powerful leadership possibly helping Leaf get on the right path.
Man, imagine if Leaf stuck around and was here for notorious quarterback collector Chucky. Who knows what Bucs history might look like after that?
January 30th, 2018 at 9:31 am
this should really be a bucs historical site
January 30th, 2018 at 9:35 am
Ryan Leaf is turning his life around these days, maybe throw that in there as well, because he his living with his addiction everyday but has made changed in his life so that now he can help others
January 30th, 2018 at 9:52 am
And Leaf is still considered a top 10 QB in Bucs’ History.
January 30th, 2018 at 9:52 am
Dusthty
Great point. Saw a documentary on Leaf’s life. He’s had a struggle for sure….football aside…but all’s well that ends well.
January 30th, 2018 at 9:54 am
@Joe … “Man, imagine if Leaf stuck around and was here for notorious quarterback collector Chucky. Who knows what Bucs history might look like after that?”
We don’t have to imagine what the Bucs’ history would look like if Ryan Leaf had been our QB joe. Dallas lived it … 0-3 record before he called it quits. The most precious line in this piece is that Leaf’s ‘EGO’ wouldn’t allow him to be a backup QB. Gotta love it (I thought you actually had to ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING to have an ego, although looking at most our our politicians nowadays I guess times have changed since some of us dinosaurs grew up). I do think however that Ryan should get a Participation Trophy for his endeavors.
January 30th, 2018 at 10:13 am
i once heard he contacted vince mcmahon to get a steel cage match going between he and eli manning…and winner gets to keep eli’s superbowl rings…loser i guess gets to keep his lutz rental rights and a case of viagra…
#SometimesTheLoserWinsToo
January 30th, 2018 at 10:26 am
I sure miss guys like Dungy and Chucky.
January 30th, 2018 at 10:36 am
Joe wouldn’t have bet against Dungy and the Bucs’ powerful leadership possibly helping Leaf get on the right path.
what a joke… is that the same underachieving failed powerful leadership that managed a PATHETIC 2 playoff wins in 6 years. wow… raise your standards joe and stop rewriting history pertaining to the FAILED dungy era… 2 playoff wins in 6 years is failure period. it was a great defense on a HORRIBLE team coached by a ignorant one dimensional fool. hardly glory years more like wasted years considering dungy the fool wasted 99 and 55
January 30th, 2018 at 10:41 am
His ego wouldn’t allow him to be a backup? He was never expected to even compete to be a starter. He was brought in as camp meat.
Tmaxcon, well said. Dungy kept this team from winning multiple super bowls.
January 30th, 2018 at 10:52 am
This punk is a maligned Narcissist
He would have been the Pill Mill coordinator
Kandy Faker
January 30th, 2018 at 10:56 am
I’m waiting for Joe to write a piece on Bo Jackson… oH my if Bo had only known the greatness that could have been the Bucs if he signed!! SIGH! Geez digging up players from close to 20 years ago. I think Joe may not be wearing a cap in Minnesota because his brain is freezing with these posts today.
January 30th, 2018 at 11:03 am
@tmax….That would be SuperBowl winning HC Tony Dungy. I’m sure you don’t mind me pointing out your ignorance after your little tirade.
January 30th, 2018 at 11:04 am
Im with ya Joe. If he sticks around Chucky prolly starts him over Brad and we never win a SB and Chucky would of been fired after 2 years.
January 30th, 2018 at 11:11 am
These replys show the shallow stupidity of the trolls on this site. You should ban them like you said you would do to me when I was trying to run these losers off…
After all these looser fans are the reason our team sucks.
If JBF is gonna be a leader for our team and community it needs to stop be a soft ars site for ice cream eating nobodies…
January 30th, 2018 at 11:26 am
Ryan Leaf of Jamarcus Russell??????
Take your pick….who worst or who’s the bigger Bust????
January 30th, 2018 at 11:29 am
There is no more pointless, worthless, hopeless poster than Tmaxcon on this, or any other website. He must be such a joy to be around.
January 30th, 2018 at 12:08 pm
@Kobe
Way to hate dude. Leaf was a full blown addict who struggled long after football to straighten his life out. Hopefully nobody in your family or circle of friends gets hooked on pills.
January 30th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
I’m glad Bill Polian didn’t make the biggest blunder in NFL history. If he had drafted the Bum Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning. Instead of being in the Hall of Fame. He would have been label one of the worse GMs in NFL history.
January 30th, 2018 at 1:53 pm
@Espo … “Tmaxcon, well said. Dungy kept this team from winning multiple super bowls.” Go back and take a long look at how bad the Bucs were BEFORE Tony Dungy arrived here. His record in 6 yrs with the Bucs: 54-42 (56%). Tony’s record in 7 yrs with the Colts: 85-27 (76%). And that even included a Super Bowl championship. Oh you say Jon Gruden was better? In Jon’s 7 yrs here, his record was 57-55 (51%). Yup, Tony sure did keep us from winning multiple Super Bowls all right. Recommendation Espo: do not feed the trolls.
January 30th, 2018 at 2:11 pm
“There is no cure for Narcissism”
Kandy Faker
January 30th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Had Leaf stayed, he would have eventually been forced to decide if he wanted to enter the HOF as a Buc or a Charger!?!?
January 30th, 2018 at 3:39 pm
Everytime I see Ryan Leaf – I think of that beastly defensive tackle
Leon Bender – that pasted away, before he got a chance to play in the league.
Rest In Peace
• DT, Leon Bender (August 8, 1975 – May 30, 1998)
January 30th, 2018 at 5:23 pm
B U S T
b u s t
bu s t
bus t
BU ST
No matter who, what, when, where, Leaf was/is the same. No one, no new universe, would ever change that.
January 30th, 2018 at 7:04 pm
I agree with JAB. Joe should ban anyone who uses loose, looser, or loosed when they meant lose, loser or lost, respectively. Waaay too much of that from the commentiati on this site.
January 31st, 2018 at 1:21 am
Tmaxcon I am so glad you don’t run the Bucs. Who would you have liked to coach the Bucs from 1996-2001 (the single best stretch in franchise history)?
At the time of Dungy’s firing, Gruden had exactly the same number of Super Bowl appearances as a head coach as Dungy. AND Dungy coached in the same division that Brett Favre played in. He won with Dilfer and King at QB.
So Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells may have been better coaches, but neither of them wanted to be in Tampa.
Jon Gruden of the 2002 season may have been the best coach in Bucs history. But Gruden from 2003 on, may have been one of the worst!
Dungy took crap and made it silver. Gruden took Goldand made it crap again.