As they finish off preparations for Super Bowl LV, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have received a message from the franchise's first and only world championship team. On Saturday evening, the Buccaneers' official Twitter handle released a video featuring a slew of members from Tampa Bay's 2002 championship team. Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson, Brad Johnson, Mike Alstott, Martin Gramatica, Joe Jurevicius, Michael Pittman, Booger McFarland, and former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen were among the members of the '02 Bucs that took part in the video.
While just about everyone in the video wished the current team "good luck," they also told them to "bring it home."
"No one in this room -- players, coaches, support staff -- is satisfied with just getting there," said Brooks, the Buccaneers former Hall of Fame linebacker. "It's all about bringing home that hardware, and I know we can do it."
"Finish what you started," added Alstott, the Buccaneers' former Pro Bowl fullback. "Punch them right in the [expletive] mouth. Do your job. Dominate your man. If you do that, you'll be on the ultimate stage in sports."
A good luck message from those who have been there 🙏 pic.twitter.com/STnIlPPii5
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 6, 2021
Led by Jon Gruden, a dominant defense and an efficient offense, the '02 Buccaneers ended years of postseason frustration. After defeating Andy Reid's Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFC Championship, Tampa Bay ran roughshod over the Raiders -- Gruden's former and current team -- in Super Bowl XXXVII, 48-21.
Gruden's familiarity with the Raiders paid major dividends. He instructed his defense not to bite on Rich Gannon's play-action. The result was a record five interceptions off of that year's league MVP. Jackson's two early interceptions helped him win Super Bowl MVP. Dwight Smith's 44-yard pick-six gave the Buccaneers a commanding 34-3 lead with less than 20 minutes remaining.
The Raiders made a run, with a special teams touchdown sandwiched between two Gannon touchdown passes. Gannon's second touchdown pass, a 48-yard bomb to the immortal Jerry Rice, made it a 13-point game with 6:06 left. Tampa Bay's defense took control from there, as Brooks' 44-yard pick-six with 1:18 left gave the Buccaneers an insurmountable lead. With just seconds remaining, Smith's second pick-six of the game capped off Tampa Bay's first championship.
On Sunday, the Buccaneers will hope to mimic the success of the '02 team. To do that, Tampa Bay will have to dethrone the defending champion Chiefs, led by reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. If there is a quarterback that is capable of keeping pace with Mahomes, it is Buccaneer quarterback Tom Brady, who is in pursuit of his seventh Super Bowl victory.
