It’s Father Dungy! Bucs Make 2018 Ring Of Honor Inductee Official
May 8th, 2018
The moment the 2018 schedule was released, Tampa Bay’s annual pick to enter the Buccaneers Ring of Honor became a no-brainer.
For those unaware, Hall of Fame coach Father Dungy didn’t just patrol the sidelines for the Bucs and Colts. He also won a ring as a defensive back for the Steelers, even tackling Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett late in Super Bowl XIII.
Now an analyst on Sunday Night Football, Dungy will be inducted into the Ring when the Bucs host the Steelers on Monday Night Football on Sept. 24.
It’s an honor well-deserved. You can’t tell the story of the Bucs (at least not the happy chapters) without featuring Dungy and his six-year run as head coach and resurrector-in-chief.
Joe can’t resist asking. Will Lovie Smith join the many standout former Dungy coaches in the house that night?
May 8th, 2018 at 2:27 pm
Well deserved…
May 8th, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Hey maybe if Koetter has a repeat season, all the rumors will stir up with Dungy just like Gruden last year. Wouldn’t that be interesting…
May 8th, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Fun Dungy trivia. He is the only player in NFL history to both throw and make an interception in the same game.
May 8th, 2018 at 2:32 pm
I think he deserves it, but I find it interesting that a team that has been historically bad for most of it’s existence has thee head coaches in it’s ring of honor.
May 8th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
F$#$I< Lovie Smith.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:02 pm
Definitely provided some of the most exciting times as a Buc fan, would talk to you and your kids when you saw him, yeah, one of the reasons my son is a Buc fan, Dungy took time to talk to him when he was7 years old.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:04 pm
Congrats Tony!! I wish Hardy was goin in with him. That’d be even better. I guess Tony deserves his own night. The guy turned it all around here. Great coach.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:05 pm
James Wilder, all time leading rusher and all time leader in receptions. How many franchises all time leading reception is a RB and not a WR?
May 8th, 2018 at 3:06 pm
Big part in a brief stint of GOOD Buc football. Congrats Tony!
May 8th, 2018 at 3:07 pm
When will sam wyche get in? Sam is more responsible for the talent
May 8th, 2018 at 3:20 pm
Rich McKay, not Wycbe was responsible for that Talent.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:24 pm
I’m gonna guess that tmax does not approve this message.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:39 pm
When will Leeman Bennett get in? Leeman is more responsible for the talent.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:43 pm
Well deserved for a class act that reigned over the transformation of the Bucs. Oh, what I would do today for the dilema of wanting to fire a coach for not advancing in the playoffs!
May 8th, 2018 at 3:44 pm
James Wilder….Dewey…folks simply do not know …even Big Wheel Josephz
May 8th, 2018 at 3:44 pm
congrats COACH DUNGY!!!!!….well deserved…..won a ring as a player and coach!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 8th, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Always like Tony Dungy. His Defense brought that Meaness our franchise was always lacking. We didn.t have much of an offense with him. But teams actually hated facing our Defense. Kinda like when the Bucs actually started thinking…They couold win…..
May 8th, 2018 at 3:48 pm
Well deserved! I’m glad the Bucs honored Gruden first but Dungy had to get in at some point.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:54 pm
I hear ya over here Dewey Selmon! James Wilder was worth watching during his run as a buccaneer. He should be in the ring of honor before Dungy IMHO.
May 8th, 2018 at 3:56 pm
Sadly Dewey, most Bucs fans today have no idea who Dewey Selmon was either.
May 8th, 2018 at 4:01 pm
You right Rusty, Most wouldn’t know who Lucious was either. Dungy does deserve to get in, I just think we should induct them timeline wise in franchise history now that the obvious ones (#55 #63 #47 etc) are in.
May 8th, 2018 at 4:10 pm
Dewey,
I’d add Mark Contney to the list. The first slobberknocker safety.
May 8th, 2018 at 4:11 pm
Well, …that’s cool. Just a little bittersweet. He never got to finish what he had started here before building Indy into a prolific powerhouse. WTG Father Dungy
May 8th, 2018 at 4:13 pm
Dewey was LeeRoy’s prom date Lucious was the other brother…Hell that Whole 79 team needs to be honored and stories told…Folks simply do not know the slave state of the NFL before FA and how hard is was to become a strong team…
May 8th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
In honor of the all knowing and true bucfan TMAX
Only the buccaneer franchise would reward a failure who fielded a horrible team with a great defense and completely embarrassing offense. football is 3 phases. It makes no sense to honor a coach who was only competent in a single phase of the game. Mr. Dungy did far more harm than good. career losing playoff record and 2 playoff wins in 6 years is laughable not legendary. way to lower the bar again glazers. Mr. Dungy is the king of proving his teams were not playoff ready. His true legacy of failure is a’ONE and DONE” in playoffs and the shear number of hall of famers he wasted. Given the talent the bucs defense had and the colts offense Mr. Dungy manged to let down 2 franchises and waste nearly double digit hall of fame players. nothing like rewarding failure with a trip to the ring of shame the case of the buccaneers. just more proof that the bucs organization is more concerned with feel good stories than victories.
May 8th, 2018 at 5:59 pm
Hey! What about Dave Pear? The first Pro Bowler for the Bucs!
I don’t get no respect!
May 8th, 2018 at 6:03 pm
Great news, by far the most important coach in Bucs history, built the SB winner, changed the loser culture in Tampa, just an incredible guy. All the bandwagon riders can yell Gruden, but all Gruden did was ride Dungy’s team to a SB and then destroyed the team. The Bucs are the most losing franchise in the history of all professional sports, and the Dungy years are the sole exception. For those dolts who just yell SuperBowl, well not only was it Dungy’s team that won it in 2002, if the refs don’t make-up the catch rule nonsense on the spot, the team also gets a ring in 1999 as they beat the Rams then get an easy SB victory over the Titans.
Monte Kiffin should be next as he’s the 2nd most important coach in Bucs history, then John McKay, then Rich McKay and then if you could redo history you’d put in Gruden – in that order.
May 8th, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Why does Wilder keep getting screwed?
May 8th, 2018 at 6:24 pm
Wesley – How is Wilder getting “screwed”? The guy had a couple of very good seasons and that was about it, what he did was much less impressive than say Doug Martin, who all the j/o’s on here seem to hate. He will probably get in at some point, but who does he go in front of? I don’t like Gruden but would obviously put him in way before Wilder. Wilder was the guy when I started watching and I loved the guy, he was the entire offensive, but he was the entire offense on 2-14 teams. He’s not get “screwed” – if he gets the honor I’d have no issue with it as he holds a soft spot in my football heart, but if he doesn’t get in I also wouldn’t have an issue with it.
May 8th, 2018 at 6:28 pm
@Rod
Monte Kiffin …#1 candidate. The debate about Dungy and Gruden will rage on but the mastermind of the Best Defense in Football rested soley on Monte.
May 8th, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Trench War – There is no debate, Dungy #1, Kiffin #2, Gruden #6. Only bandwagon riders that don’t know the history of team, that didn’t live through it, that didn’t pay attention to how Gruden destroyed what should have been a dynasty would say Dungy/Gruden isn’t an open and shut case.
May 8th, 2018 at 6:44 pm
I’m sorry this is BS. Why in the hell should we give a crap about what Dungy did as a Steeler? Why is Dungy going in on a game when we play Pit?
It’s a real freaking slap in the face to anybody who has a heart that only beats for the Bucs and hates any other team.
What do they what from this? Steeler fans and Buccaneers fans holding hands and cheering on Dungy in unison? Suck off Bucs PR
May 8th, 2018 at 6:47 pm
Rod Munch it’s quite pathetic for you to say it’s no debate when you are doing just that……..Then there’s the fact that the part you say there no debate about is not agreed upon by many of the fans nor most of the people in the organization.
May 8th, 2018 at 7:08 pm
If you do not know Tony Dungy the man , which I count myself lucky to know him , you may try to throw stones. However , he transformed not only the culture from losing to winning , but also the character of the team and involvement in the community by the players. Anyone who speaks ill of Tony Dungy simply is not a true Bucs Fan.
May 8th, 2018 at 7:14 pm
When is the last the Bucs one of these games again?
I’m not kidding, I don’t remember a single one. Giles maybe?
May 8th, 2018 at 7:35 pm
Dungy did a few things that pissed me off….including cutting Brad Culpepper in the final 53 ….
May 8th, 2018 at 8:06 pm
JimmyJack – I’m not debating anything, I’m stating facts so the bandwagon riders like yourself can learn something.
May 8th, 2018 at 8:37 pm
Rod….I guess we just have different definitions on what a debate is.
And let me get this right. Anybody who doesn’t see things your way about Dungy is a bandwagon fan?
Sir, I will have you know that I know my sports dictionary back to front and side by side. You are clearly wrong on this one and what constitutes a bandwagon fan. You want facts it doesn’t get more factual then a dictionary.
May 8th, 2018 at 8:42 pm
And for the record, I hate to break it to you, I was on the side of the fanbase that wanted Dungy fired. I didn’t like the way the Bucs handled it but I wanted him out nonetheless.
Dungy was clearly not good enough to get our group to a SuperBowl victory. That’s just my opinion, you may think otherwise. Winning culture is all fine and dandy but when your coming up a mile short of your goal year in and out something has to change. Honestly can’t see how anybody sees it differently.
May 8th, 2018 at 10:56 pm
The Glazers fired Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden. let that sink in….
May 8th, 2018 at 11:24 pm
JimmyJack – LOL! OK there kiddo, Dungy is a HOFer and Gruden is about to go a decade worths of 7-9’s.
May 9th, 2018 at 1:09 am
I’m fine with honoring Dungy – but I still miss Monte Kiffin.
May 9th, 2018 at 1:17 am
Mike Tomlin was hired as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001, where he first learned the Tampa 2 defense oh what a night for Tampa!
May 9th, 2018 at 1:31 am
If you don’t understand why Wilder should be in the Ring of Honor, you are either 12 years old or ignorant to Bucs history.
May 9th, 2018 at 8:53 am
how do you induct Dungy without Monte Kiffin?
May 9th, 2018 at 9:54 am
Gruden is a class-less act. Dungy and Kiffin are class acts. Kiffin needs to be added to the ring of honor.
May 9th, 2018 at 10:17 am
JJack
How many miles did the Bucs miss the SB by pre Dungy? That’s a weird take…
Standard bearer.. there’s a reason Maxipad is in Time out..Join him or try and imagine what silence looks like….just sayin
Dungy is the best coach this team ever had..with John Mckay a close 2nd…
May 9th, 2018 at 10:30 am
I love love love Monte Kiffin,
but this was Tony’s defense that he ran in Minnesota, and he did hire Kiffin to run it and boy did he….
May 9th, 2018 at 11:15 am
I guess when a team does not have much to show for it’s existence any old name can be painted up there. Mickey Mouse would fit too as an overall description of the team. How about Yosemite Sam to represent fan frustration.
May 9th, 2018 at 11:26 am
Surely I jest as there is not a lot to pick from. Sorry.
May 9th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
The first word in your sentence started with a capital letter. He never starts sentences with a capital letter. Not only that, punctuation is optional.
May 9th, 2018 at 5:01 pm
If all Gruden did was ride Dungy’s team to a Super Bowl, then why couldn’t Dungy ride Dungy’s team to a Super Bowl?
All your points on Gruden ruining what should have been a dynasty (or at least a consistent winner) is spot on. I’m glad Gruden was not re-hired. He’s going to set the Raiders back years.