25. Buccaneers PR Karl Williams – 1996-2003

By Scott Reynolds

PewterReport.com’s list of the 25 All-Time Greatest Buccaneers begins with Williams, a player that held the No. 25 spot in 2014 when we last formed this list. Williams’ inclusion into the Top 25 All-Time Greatest Buccaneers comes with some controversy. Yet a close look at Williams’ production in his eight years in Tampa Bay justifies his place on this list.

Entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 1996, Williams finished his better-than-expected Bucs career with 6,904 total yards, comprised of 5,205 return yards, including 2,279 punt return yards and 1,227 kick return yards, along with 1,700 receiving yards on offense. That ranks fourth in (non-quarterback) all-purpose yardage in Tampa Bay history behind James Wilder, Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn, which is elite company to be in.

Former Bucs WR Karl Williams – Photo by: Getty Images

Williams, who was nicknamed “The Truth,” is the best return specialist in Bucs history and is Tampa Bay’s all-time leading punt returner by nearly 800 yards and his 10.7 avg. is the highest in Bucs history among players with at least 50 punt returns. He is also the only punt returner to score more than one touchdown and he leads the franchise with five punt return touchdowns.

Williams had seven touchdown receptions as a receiver, including four in 1997 during Tampa Bay’s Wild Card playoff berth as he caught a career-high 33 catches for 386 yards as the team’s third-down receiver and Trent Dilfer’s go-to guy. Those four touchdowns were the most by a Bucs receiver that year, proving that he was more than just a situational special teams player during his Tampa Bay career.

Reynolds’ Take: “Williams was one of the most underrated Buccaneers of all time, and as I stated four years ago, although most of his fame came on special teams, Williams’ tremendous production on all four downs totaled nearly 7,000 yards. That’s enough to secure his place among the 25 All-Time Greatest Buccaneers. While his inclusion on this list might be controversial, the total yardage he was responsible for and his longevity and productivity as the team’s punt returner, Williams, who was a part of five playoff teams, including the Super Bowl team in 2002, deserves to make the cut.”