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About the Author: Adam Slivon
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When fans think of the Buccaneers, most, if not all, recall the Super Bowl-winning teams of 2002 and 2020. Anytime before that is generally seen as a dark era of Bucs football filled with a lot of losing seasons. Even with that caveat, plenty of players shined with impressive years and stints. Players that are largely forgotten in the minds of fans, apart from the most ardent and hardcore supporters.
For this series, I wanted to take a look at players who are underrated or not mentioned much when discussing the team’s history. The number of players mentioned in each entry will vary based on position.
The only rules are that they were Bucs between 1976 to 1996 – fitting the prerequisite of rocking the original “Bucco Bruce” uniforms – and are worth remembering.
Overview:
The conclusion of this series is at the safety position, which is one filled with high-end production by two players. An honorable mention should be given to Dwight Smith, a 2001 third-round draft pick who started for only two seasons but had two crucial interceptions in the team’s 48-21 Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Raiders, both pick-sixes.
Former Bucs SS John Lynch – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Looking at the best overall safeties in team history, John Lynch is surely not a forgotten Buccaneer, and after being a third-round pick by the team in 1993, he spent 11 of his 15 seasons with the team. Along the way, he earned five Pro Bowl nods and emerged alongside Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, and Warren Sapp as part of some of the better defensive units in NFL history.
While there was little sustained production from the safety position after Lynch’s departure to the Broncos, Antoine Winfield Jr. appears to be next in line to have a productive career with the Bucs. A second-round pick in 2020, Winfield started off his career with a bang, anchoring the backend of the secondary en route to a Super Bowl ring his rookie season.
In the two seasons since, he has been a versatile, Pro-Bowl caliber player with the ability to impact games with his coverage abilities and some pass rush prowess.
Now without further ado, here are the safeties pre-John Lynch, players who had a knack for big hits and being apt playmakers.
Forgotten Bucs At S
1. Mark Cotney
Mark Cotney was not originally drafted by the Bucs, but he would make Tampa Bay his home after being taken from the Oilers as part of the team’s expansion draft in 1976. He proved to be one of the better picks because of his solid production in Tampa Bay. As the strong safety, he paired with free safety Cedric Brown to form a potent duo at safety into the early 1980s.
In 1979, Cotney was a part of the first Buccaneers playoff team, and during the Bucs’ 24-17 win over the Eagles in the Divisional Round, he appeared in a commercial advertising a 1980 Datsun 210.
When he was not making commercials, he instead made tackles – a lot of tackles. After 73 tackles in 1976, his totals increased to 100 in 1978 and a career-high 105 in 1980.
His Bucs career was put on hold after the 1980 season, as he missed 1981 entirely due to injury and only played in nine games as a reserve in 1982. When it came time for the playoffs, Cotney rose to the occasion. Playing the Cowboys in the Wild Card round, he recorded a 50-yard interception off of quarterback Danny White in the 30-17 loss.
Cotney would begin rounding back into form in 1983 and 1984, and in 1984 he had a career-high five interceptions at the age of 32. That would mark his last year in the NFL however, as he was forced to retire after suffering two cracked vertebrae in his neck during a preseason game prior to the 1985 season.
2. Cedric Brown
Cedric Brown is one of the top safeties in Bucs’ history, and his contributions are not mentioned much when discussing the best defensive players that have played in Tampa Bay. Originally a twelfth-round pick by the Raiders in 1976, Brown was traded to the Bucs in their inaugural season and made it his home for nine years. As with many other forgotten Bucs, Brown was a part of the first playoff team in 1979 and two other teams that advanced to play some postseason football.
Former Bucs FS Cedric Brown – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers
Brown’s biggest seasons on paper were in 1978 and 1981. In 1978, he recorded his first multi-interception game against the Bills in Week 12, playing a big part in the 31-10 victory. On a defense that had 29 interceptions on the year, Brown paced that figure with six interceptions.
In 1981, it was by far his most productive year in the interception department. He had three multi-interception games, including two games with back-to-back pick-sixes against the Broncos and Packers. In total, he had nine interceptions for 215 yards, but even with that eye-popping total, he was not selected for the Pro Bowl.
That would mark Brown’s last season playing 16 games, as 1982 was a strike-shortened year and he battled injuries in 1983 and 1984. He was still productive when he was on the field, but in 1985 he was released during camp. Notching 29 interceptions as a Buccaneer, only behind Ronde Barber and Donnie Abraham, it is clear that Brown was a ball-hawking menace on the field.
His post-playing days also kept him busy in the field, but instead of the gridiron, he started as a field service engineer with Advanced Technology Laboratories in 1989 before retiring in 2012. He is now fully retired, enjoying life with his wife and two daughters.
3. Neal Colzie
Neal Colzie is more known for being a first-round pick by the Raiders and being a part of the late John Madden-led teams of the 1970s, but longtime fans may recall his short tenure in Tampa Bay. After spending 1979 with the Dolphins, Colzie signed with the Bucs in 1980. While he served as a backup to Cotney and Brown, he got his opportunity in 1981 as the starter as Cotney was out for the season.
Colzie took it in stride and had a career year. He recorded six interceptions, including two in the season opener against who the Bucs play this year in the opening week, the Vikings.
He would continue on as the starter in the strike-shortened 1982 calendar year, and in nine starts he tailled three interceptions on his way to being named a second-team All-Pro.
That would really mark the end of his tenure, as he played in only five games in 1983 as Cotney returned to be the starter. He would briefly play in the USFL for the Orlando Renegades in 1985 before hanging them up. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 47.
4. Harry Hamilton
Harry Hamilton joined the Bucs as a free agent signing from the Jets ahead of the 1988 season, and he proved to be a worthy investment. In choosing to sign with the team, he also paired with longtime Penn State teammate Mark Robinson at safety. Right away, he showed off his playmaking abilities.
In 1988, he recorded six interceptions in Tampa Bay. He had another six picks in 1989 and five more in 1990. What makes these totals more remarkable is the fact that between Week 10 of 1988 and Week 11 of 1989, he had all 12 of his interceptions in just 15 games.
During that span, seemingly every time the ball was thrown in his direction he was making a play on the ball. In his three years as a Bucs starter, he also recorded 107, 90, and 119 tackles respectively. An elbow injury in 1991 cut his career short at just 29 years old, and it is worth wondering just how high he could have climbed the team’s all-time interception leaderboard by keeping up that production.
5. Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson also joined the Bucs in 1988, coming over in a trade from the Chiefs. His pairing with Hamilton at safety proved fruitful after they both took their play up a level with their new team. 1989 marked Robinson’s best season, as like Hamilton, he had six interceptions while adding 22 passes defended and 104 tackles.
Robinson spent three seasons in Tampa Bay, and across 40 games had 12 interceptions. He suffered a season-ending injury in 1991 and failed to make it back with the team the following year, ending his career early.
It is hard to find two players with as much career intersection and parallel as Harry Hamilton and Mark Robinson, and how that led to some brief but highly productive stints with the Bucs in the late 1980s.
