A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough question. This week’s prompt: Who should be the next Bucs Ring of Honor inductee after Simeon Rice?

Scott Reynolds: It’s Time To Give Donnie “The Iceman” Abraham His Due

In the past I have advocated for Hardy Nickerson’s induction into the Bucs Ring of Honor, and I still believe that either he or Tom Brady should be the next inductee to receive such an honor. Both are absolutely worthy. But I do want to advocate for another Bucs great. A player that no one else at Pewter Report – or anyone else in the media – will likely promote. That’s Donnie Abraham, who played cornerback for the Bucs from 1996-2001. He helped Tampa Bay make the playoffs four times, first in 1997 and then again in 1999 as an NFC Central champion, and then again 2000 and 2001.

Abraham was Ronde Barber before Ronde Barber truly became Ronde Barber. What I mean is that he broke the Bucs’ interception record, which was 29 INTs, which was set by Cedric Brown from 1976-84. While getting 29 picks in nine seasons is impressive, Abraham recorded 31 INTs in just six seasons in Tampa Bay. No other cornerback averaged five interceptions per season in Bucs history. Not even Barber, who surpassed Abraham with 47 interceptions in 16 years. Barber averaged 2.9 interceptions per year in red and pewter during his career.

Former Bucs CB Donnie Abraham – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Abraham ranks second behind Barber with the most interceptions in franchise history but still holds the Tampa Bay rookie record for most INTs with five in 1996 when he earned the team’s starting nickel cornerback job. A third-round pick out of East Tennessee State that year, Abraham’s first interception came against Denver’s Hall of Fame QB, John Elway, on national TV. Nice start to a heck of a career – and one that’s worthy of recognition in the Bucs Ring of Honor.

Abraham had back-to-back years with seven interceptions in 1999 and 2000 but only made the Pro Bowl during the 2000 season. Playing alongside Barber from 1997-2001, he produced 26 INTs for Tampa Bay with two pick-sixes. Barber notched just 16 picks and two pick-sixes during that same span. It’s a shame the Bucs didn’t re-sign him after the 2001 season, and he missed out on winning a Super Bowl in 2002.

I remember when Abraham went to Jacksonville for a joint practice in 1996 and held his own against Jaguars star receiver Andre Rison, showing he had ice in his veins as a rookie. I nicknamed Abraham “The Iceman” afterwards and put him on the cover of a Buccaneer Magazine issue that year, which boosted his popularity among fans. The nickname stuck, and Abraham, who is currently the defensive coordinator of the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks, still goes by “The Iceman” today. His handle on X is @Iceman__21.

Matt Matera: Tom Brady Had Tons Of Accolades In 3 Seasons

Tom Brady should be the next Bucs member into the Ring Of Honor because he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the greatest quarterback of all time, and helped change the Bucs’ culture as they won Super Bowl LV together as team in Brady’s first year in Tampa.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Though Brady was only with Tampa Bay for three seasons, he certainly made the most of his time. He took the Bucs out of obscurity and made them the most talked about team across the league, which grew even more after they won the Super Bowl, their second in franchise history. And when it came to franchise records, he holds the Bucs’ single season record for passing yards (5,316) and touchdowns (43) in a season. Brady is also third in career passing yards with 14,643 and second in career passing touchdowns with 108 three years. How many teams don’t have their single season passing yard and touchdown record holding quarterback in their Hall of Fame?

Adding to his career accolades, Brady broke the NFL’s all-time passing yards record and touchdown record while in a Bucs uniform. As a team, Brady helped the Bucs to a franchise-best 13 wins in the 2021 regular season as they won the NFC South. When you put it all together between winning the Super Bowl in the Bucs’ own stadium, winning a Super Bowl MVP, having a monumental impact on the city and the league and also breaking several records, there’s no question that Brady should be in the Ring of Honor.

Bailey Adams: Hardy Nickerson’s Induction Is Long Overdue

Former Bucs LB Hardy Nickerson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As long overdue as Simeon Rice’s Bucs Ring of Honor induction is, Hardy Nickerson’s may be just as overdue. It feels like the legendary Tampa Bay linebacker sometimes doesn’t get as much shine as others because his time came just before the franchise’s turnaround was completed with its run to Super Bowl XXXVII. However, he deserves plenty of credit for laying a lot of the groundwork in the 1990s.

After six years in Pittsburgh, Nickerson signed with the Bucs in 1993 and had an outstanding career in Tampa Bay. He is near the top of the list of the team’s best-ever free agent signings both for his play on the field and the way he helped change the culture for a long-suffering organization. The late great Mark Cook wrote in a June 2021 edition of The Hook that as much as Nickerson did on the field – five Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pros in seven seasons tells quite the story – his biggest contribution may have been the winning mentality he brought from his time in Pittsburgh. Cook said it best back then:

“And Nickerson doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves for the turnaround the franchise had in the late 90’s. While we all point to Tony Dungy, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks as the catalysts for the change in fortunes in Tampa Bay, make no mistake, it started with Nickerson, who helped guide the way to respectability.”

Nickerson was a Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro in 1993 after totaling a single-season franchise record 214 tackles – a record that still stands more than 30 years later. He added a forced fumble, fumble recovery, interception and a sack on his way to a sixth-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Nickerson went on to break the 120-tackle mark in five of his seven seasons as a Buc and followed up his 1993 Pro Bowl selection with Pro Bowls in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. He added another All-Pro selection in 1997 as the Bucs made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, then he had his final Pro Bowl season in 1999 when Tampa Bay reached the NFC Championship Game. It’s truly a shame he wasn’t around when the team finally broke through and won Super Bowl XXXVII. It’s more than time for him to get his Bucs Ring of Honor nod.

Josh Queipo: Made The Case Last Year That Shaq Barrett Deserves The Next Honor

Shaq Barrett was the quiet leader of the first defense to truly shut down Patrick Mahomes in a premier game. His ability as a true edge threat helped elevate the rest of the Bucs defense and Todd Bowles’ scheme. He set the team record in sacks and helped bring home the organization’s second Lombardi Trophy. From 2019 through 2021 he accumulated 37.5 sacks. That three-year total is matched only by Rice himself, who did it over three different period, 2001-2003, 2022-2004 and 2002-2005. Not even Warren Sapp can boast as significant of a three-year span.

Bucs OLB Shaquil Barrett and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The 2020 Bucs defense ranked sixth in yards allowed, tied for fifth in turnovers, and eighth in scoring defense. The offense received all of the praise throughout the season, but the defense was plenty-important. That rings especially true when the team reached the playoffs and had to go through Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, in addition to Mahomes to reach the promised land. Barrett notched 21 pressures, including four quarterback hits and four sacks during that playoff run.

Barrett represents everything the Bucs community wants to see in a Ring of Honor Legend, both on and off the field. He was integral in ushering in the most recent string of success the team has seen and was pivotal in the second biggest moment in franchise history. I will continue to beat the drum for him to become the next inductee until he is so.

Adam Slivon: Gerald McCoy Shined As Bucs’ Bright Spot During Dark Times

The Bucs did not make the playoffs once throughout Gerald McCoy’s time in town, which spanned from 2010-2018. The best year Tampa Bay had with McCoy was when he was a rookie, when the team went 10-6 under Raheem Morris. Otherwise, it was a long-lasting period where the losses stacked up faster than wins, and playoff hopes were gone long before the season ended. Despite this, McCoy starred for those teams and was one of the main reasons people came to Raymond James Stadium on game days. No. 93 was always a sight to see.

Former Bucs DT Gerald McCoy – Photo by: USA Today

During his nine seasons with the team, McCoy put up a lot of production from the defensive tackle position. The third overall pick in 2010, he started to live up to that selection in 2012, when he made his first Pro Bowl. It would be his first of six straight Pro Bowl seasons, and from 2013-2015, he recorded 8.5 sacks or more, topping out at 9.5 sacks in 2013. That production was a catalyst for the unit, as he did everything in his power to carry the defense with Lavonte David over the years. 

Gerald McCoy will not be getting a Gold Jacket, but one can argue his tenure in Tampa Bay deserves Ring of Honor consideration. McCoy was one of the team’s biggest stars for almost a decade, and although it was during a time the Bucs were nowhere near being a contender, he never shied away from the challenge of going out there and competing. That deserves more recognition than he has received and should not be forgotten. When it comes to Ring of Honor-caliber players in team history, McCoy is right there at the top of the list.