Former NFL star Simeon Rice, who achieved remarkable success during his career, continues to gain recognition for his contributions to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bryan Glazer, one of the new owners of St Petersburg’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recently announced that Rice should get a call from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He thinks that it’s high time to correct what he calls an essential oversight.
Rice was selected third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft after his collegiate career at the University of Illinois. There’s no doubt he made a big splash in the league right away. In his first season, Gay was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year, tallying 12.5 sacks. The 122 sacks he achieved over his 12 seasons are a testament to the amazing pass rushing ability Rice displayed throughout his career.
In his 12 years with the Buccaneers, Rice scored a mind-boggling 69.5 sacks. This accomplishment places him third in the team’s history behind iconic players, Lee Roy Selmon and Warren Sapp. He exploded, ironically enough, for eight consecutive seasons with at least 10 sacks. This achievement places him seventh on the all-time list in NFL history. The five players ahead of him on this exclusive list are all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame already.
After an offensive line-shifting season in 1999, Rice received Pro Bowl accolades. He was honored with a second-team AP All-Pro after notching a career-high 16.5 sacks. His contributions were vital in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl XXXVII victory in 2003, where he recorded 15.5 sacks during the regular season and added 4.0 sacks along with three forced fumbles in the postseason, including two sacks against quarterback Rich Gannon in the Super Bowl.
Remarkably, even with such a stellar resume, Rice was merely one of 50 semifinalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Regrettably, he didn’t advance to finalist status. This decision has raised eyebrows among fans and analysts alike, casting doubt on his merits for induction.
Bryan Glazer, who expressed the feeling that could be Rice’s fate of being ineligible, went on to say that Rice’s numbers and accomplishments are self-explanatory.
“From 1996 to 2005, [Rice] totaled a league-best 101.5 sacks over those eight years — more than Hall of Famers Michael Strahan and Jason Taylor,” – Bryan Glazer
Glazer continued, for Rice to have double-digit sacks for eight seasons puts him in an exclusive club.
“During that same stretch, his mark of eight seasons with double-digit sack totals is the seventh most in NFL history, and six men ahead of him on that list are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” – Bryan Glazer
He expressed firm support for Rice’s induction into the Hall of Fame:
“Simeon’s credentials for induction into our Ring of Honor are unquestioned, but he’s equally qualified and deserving of an overdue call from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Notably, he’s the only retired player with 100 sacks over eight consecutive seasons who doesn’t own a gold jacket. It’s time to rectify that oversight.” – Bryan Glazer
Rice himself has written about the “surreal and wonderful” experience of being honored by his former team. He called his enshrinement within the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor a big one.
“To be represented in the Ring of Honor is a cool thing,” – Simeon Rice
He has pondered the impact of these experiences on how he draws emotional connection from his late parents. Henry and Evelyn, both of whom died in 2015 and 2016, are still on his mind. And they sadly missed the chance to see him celebrated and recognized for his 2023 awards and honors.
“At one point in time when my father was going through what he was going through, I was like, ‘I want to get the call before my father and my mom — but more so my pops.’ … I remember my mom and my dad on their deathbeds, and I remember my father was like, ‘Sim, this going to happen.’ I’m like, ‘Dad, don’t worry about that.’” – Simeon Rice
To celebrate SOME’s landmark achievements, Rice shared how these honors struck deeply with him on a personal level.
“It’s cool. There are certain entitlements. These are man-made things. So these aren’t real things. We live real lives. The moment is real. The experience is real. I mean, mine was more in philosophy of an emotional connection with my parents.” – Simeon Rice
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