Underrated: Jimmie Giles
July 10th, 2013
No, this is not about a silly, forced non-sports segment during another otherwise good sports radio show that chases listeners away. This is about who were the most overrated and underrated Bucs players in franchise history.
That is, if you beleive the folks from NFL.com. Dan Rachal takes care of the Bucs as NFL Network produces July filler content does a countdown each day of NFL teams’ overrated/underrated players.
As one of the most underrated players, Rachal lists tight end Jimmie Giles.
Jimmie Giles — TE, 1977-86
“He’s as Hall-of-Fame worthy as Ozzie Newsom or anybody else,” said his former quarterback, Doug Williams. During his nine seasons in Tampa, Giles made four Pro Bowls, caught 279 passes for 4,300 yards and 34 touchdowns. His four-touchdown game against the Miami Dolphins in 1985 is still a Tampa Bay record.
One reason Joe became a Bucs fan from the cornfields of southern Illinois was Giles. Man, this dude could block! Joe could have easily seen some other team convert Giles to a guard. He was simply a crushing blocker, laying out linebackers and opening up holes for Ricky Bell.
Oh, he could catch, too. He wasn’t a pass-catching weapon like so many tight ends today, but Giles was damned reliable and was a deep threat.
Now Joe knows Doug Williams is sticking up for an old teammate. Joe isn’t sure Giles is Hall of Fame worthy, damn close, though. Some day, it wouldn’t shock Joe if Giles got in through the Pro football Hall of Fame’s senior committee, made up of nine veteran members of the overall selection committee. Ironically, Giles’ first year of eligibility to be elected by the senior committee is 2014.
Getting into the Hall that way is difficult, indeed. Only two per year can be nominated to be voted in.
July 10th, 2013 at 8:40 am
Love me some Jimmie Giles. Easily one of my favorite Bucs growing up.
July 10th, 2013 at 9:03 am
I liked Jimmy too. He played on the line, not flanked out like these over-size WRs called ”tight ends” today. Giles could chip a DE & stop him in his tracks, & still get downfild in a flash. No fear over the middle either.
July 10th, 2013 at 9:25 am
I got a chance to actually work with Jimmie after he retired. I was pretty young and I was working in the IT dept. for an Insurance Managing Company when my company landed the insurance company Jimmie worked for as a client. I had to personally instruct him and several of colleagues on how to use our managing ap. I was so nervous, that I kept fumbling my words and kept losing focus.
I mean c’mon, are you serious? Jimmie Giles in my office. I was in total shock, this guy was a legend, and I’m actually talking to him. It got easier the more time I spent with him, but at the beginning I was nervous. He turned out to be a very nice and patient man, he had to, since I spent the first couple hours in the beginning tripping all over myself. lol
July 10th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
[…] this morning, Joe sent along the information that Dan Rachal believed that tight end Jimmie Giles was an underrated Bucs player, among […]
July 11th, 2013 at 6:02 am
Giles had rare skills. And to think he was a “throw-in” on the trade of our 78 1st overall choice to the Houston Oilers.