TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Bryan Glazer mentioned Monday that defensive finish Simeon Rice, who amassed 122 sacks in 12 seasons and helped lead the Bucs to victory in Tremendous Bowl XXXVII, is “overdue” for a name from the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame and that “it is time to rectify that oversight.”
In saying Rice on Monday as the latest member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor — with an induction ceremony set for Nov. 30 when the Bucs host the Arizona Cardinals, with whom Rice spent the primary 5 seasons of his profession — Glazer pointed to the numbers.
“From 1996 to 2005, [Rice] totaled a league-best 101.5 sacks over these eight years — greater than Corridor of Famers Michael Strahan and Jason Taylor,” Glazer mentioned. “Throughout that very same stretch, his mark of eight seasons with double-digit sack totals is the seventh most in NFL historical past, and 6 males forward of him on that checklist are members of the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame.
“Simeon’s credentials for induction into our Ring of Honor are unquestioned, however he is equally certified and deserving of an overdue name from the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame. Notably, he is the one retired participant with 100 sacks over eight consecutive seasons who does not personal a gold jacket. It is time to rectify that oversight.”
Rice, 51, was one among 50 semifinalists for the 2025 Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame class, however not a finalist. Upon retiring in 2007, he was ninth in profession sacks; he now could be No. 21. The non-Corridor of Famers forward of him are linebacker Terrell Suggs, who was named a finalist in his first yr of eligibility in 2025 and had 139.0 sacks, John Abraham with 133.5, Leslie O’Neal with 132.5, Von Miller (who continues to be lively) with 129.5 and Robert Mathis with 123.0.
Rice mentioned that at one level, he felt like he “completely” wanted Corridor of Fame recognition, however that issues have modified.
“I am not burdened by that anymore,” he mentioned.
He broke down whereas speaking about his dad and mom, Henry and Evelyn, who died in 2015 and 2016 and didn’t get to see him obtain the popularity he’s now getting. It wasn’t till his fourth yr of eligibility for the Corridor of Fame that he was even on the preliminary checklist of candidates that comes out every September.
“At one cut-off date when my father was going via what he was going via, I used to be like, ‘I wish to get the decision earlier than my father and my mother — however extra so my pops.’ … I keep in mind my mother and my dad on their deathbeds, and I keep in mind my father was like, ‘Sim, this going to occur.’ I am like, ‘Dad, don’t be concerned about that.’
“Then as soon as my dad and mom handed away, it wasn’t a lot anymore,” Rice mentioned.
Rice mentioned the Ring of Honor nod “helps me reconcile quite a lot of issues inside my soul.”
The Bucs group has thrown its assist behind Rice. The staff views its Ring of Honor designation as an essential step in propelling a participant to Canton, because it was with John Lynch and Ronde Barber, who’ve each since been enshrined. The staff’s different Professional Soccer Corridor of Famers — Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and coach Tony Dungy — had been enshrined previous to being honored by the staff.
“To be represented within the Ring of Honor is a cool factor,” mentioned Rice, who will turn out to be the ring’s sixteenth member. “It is cool. There are particular entitlements. These are man-made issues. So these aren’t actual issues. We reside actual lives. The second is actual. The expertise is actual. I imply, mine was extra in philosophy of an emotional reference to my dad and mom. That was it. what I imply? That was it.
“I do know I used to be the baddest motherf—er on the planet. Excuse my language. I knew that. I already knew that. … I do know what it feels wish to get 4.0 sacks in video games. I do know what it is wish to get 6.0 sacks in video games. I executed taking up the blokes that obtained jackets. I am like, ‘Hey, I killed him, 3.0 sacks within the recreation, 2.5 sacks over there. I executed gained a Tremendous Bowl. I executed did all these issues. what I imply? I actually did it.'”
The third choose within the 1996 NFL draft out of Illinois, Rice gained Defensive Rookie of the Yr in 1996 after a 12.5-sack season. He was named a Professional Bowler and a second-team AP All-Professional after a career-best 16.5 sacks in 1999.
Rice signed with the Bucs in 2001 and produced seasons of 11, 15.5, 15, 12 and 14 sacks in Tampa from 2001 to 2005. He was named first-team All-Professional in 2002 and second-team All-Professional in 2003, when he led the league with six compelled fumbles, together with LaVar Arrington and Leonard Little.
Glazer mentioned that Rice performed a pivotal function in “elevating our protection to new heights” and that he was “the lacking piece that unlocked our championship.”
Rice had 15.5 sacks throughout the Bucs’ Tremendous Bowl season, with three compelled fumbles and 4 sacks coming within the postseason, together with two in opposition to the Raiders’ Wealthy Gannon within the Tremendous Bowl. Rice earned Professional Bowl honors in 1999, 2002 and 2003 and departed the group in 2007 after struggling a shoulder harm. His 69.5 sacks for Tampa Bay are third most in staff historical past, behind Selmon and Sapp.
“It is nothing like being accepted and being honored at house,” Rice mentioned. “I performed at quite a lot of locations, I performed a little bit bit after I left in Denver [in 2007] and I performed with [Dungy in Indianapolis] — that was in direction of the top, [and] I used to be injured. And I performed with the Cardinals. But it surely’s nothing like being honored by a staff that you just helped take to the following stage. And I actually admire it from the underside of my coronary heart to lift to this stage.”
