Twenty-five years ago, ESPN came out with a list of the top 100 professional athletes of the 20th century. A quarter of the way into the 21st century, it was something that they revisited. With plenty of worthy contenders across a variety of professional sports, it is a conversation that is sure to spark plenty of debate.

While you can check out the full list that ESPN just came out with, two former Bucs players were featured. With plenty of star players having played for the franchise in the 21st century on the team’s 2002 and 2020 Super Bowl-winning teams, who made the cut?

Tom Brady Comes In The Top 5 Of ESPN’s Top 100 List

Michael Phelps. Serena Williams. Lionel Messi. Lebron James. Tom Brady.

All have a convincing case to be considered the most accomplished professional athlete of the 21st century.

Phelps and his 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold medals. Williams and her 23 major titles. Messi’s decorated career capped by a 2022 World Cup victory. James being the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and 20-time all-star.

Former Patriots and Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

But with his seven Super Bowl rings and holding league records for passing yards (89,214) and touchdowns (649), Brady has undoubtedly carved his legacy as the best player in NFL history. On ESPN’s list, he slides in at fifth behind each of these athletes, with Mike Reiss doing the writeup that includes what Bill Belichick, the former Patriots head coach who Brady teamed up with to win six championships, had to say.

When Brady was asked which of his seven Super Bowl rings was his favorite, he was fond of answering: “The next one.” That sums up the player whom Bill Belichick referred to as the “ultimate winner” who often played his best when the stakes were highest. Belichick noted how Brady entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick “with little to no fanfare” and left “as the most successful player in league history.” Said Belichick: “His relentless pursuit of excellence drove him on a daily basis. His work ethic and desire to win were both motivational and inspirational to teammates and coaches alike.”

Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and former QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

In looking at this list, it’s hard to argue against any of the top professional athletes and their placement, but Tom Brady coming in at fifth is surprising. Playing the most important position for arguably the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen and being the most accomplished player doing it, he has a true case to be No. 1.

What might move him further down the list is that he did it in a larger team sport rather than just individually, as Michael Phelps and Serena Williams did throughout their careers. Still, there is no denying that Brady left a lasting footprint for what he did with the Patriots for 20 years – and a final championship in turning around the Bucs before riding off into the sunset after the 2022 season.

Darelle Revis Sneaks Into The Top 100

Coming in at No. 96 on the list is 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Darelle Revis. While Revis was a star largely known for his “Revis Island” tenure with the Jets, he made a brief one-season cameo with the Bucs in 2013. It was a season in which he made the Pro Bowl after recording 50 total tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Former Bucs HC Greg Schiano and CB Darrelle Revis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It was largely a forgettable season for the franchise as they went 4-12, but he was one of the bright spots on a defense that also featured two first-team All-Pros in Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy. ESPN’s Rich Cimini said this about one of the top shutdown corners of his generation.

Revis took man-to-man coverage to a new level in 2009 when the Jets’ coaching staff made the unconventional decision to put him on the opponents’ top receiver with no safety help. He was on his own island, so to speak, spawning the “Revis Island” moniker. The result was one of the best cornerback seasons in history. Revis held Andre Johnson, Randy Moss (twice) and Terrell Owens (twice) — all Hall of Famers — under 35 receiving yards. He did the same to Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. He finished with six interceptions and a staggering 31 passes defended, earning the first of four first-team All-Pro selections.

Did Any Other Former Bucs Have A Case?

Bucs Hall of Fame CB Ronde Barber and Hall of Famers Warren Sapp, Tony Dungy, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch – Photo by: USA Today

While the two former Bucs that made the list are mostly known for their time on other teams, it does raise the question if the team has any other players deserving of being listed. If this list was of the Top 100 NFL players of the 21st century, the likes of Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks would certainly be included.

Barber, a fellow 2023 Hall of Fame inductee alongside Revis, recorded 43 of his 47 interceptions this millennium while making five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro teams. Barber was a true ballhawk and paired that was plus tackling and pass-rushing ability for his position.

Brooks has his own gold jacket and bust in Canton, Ohio after being inducted in 2014. A longtime staple in the late Monte Kiffin’s revolutionary Tampa Bay defense, he won the 2002 AP Defensive Player of the Year leading one of the most iconic defenses in NFL history. That year will always hold a special place for the franchise, but from 2000 until his retirement in 2008, he made seven straight Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro teams.

While each of them just missed the cut on ESPN’s list, the Bucs were not completely lacking representation in some form.