Scott Smith of the Buccaneers’ official website took a look into the future, exploring possible 2015 inductees into the team’s Ring of Honor.
That gave me a lot to think about. Smith lists James Wilder, Tony Dungy, Monte Kiffin, Mike Alstott and John Lynch as the top five candidates. I’ve got no problem with any of those possibilities and I also would include Ronde Barber after a little more time passes from his retirement. All of those guys belong in the Ring of Honor at some point.
But there are two players from deep in the team’s history that I think belong in the Ring of Honor -- quarterback Doug Williams and running back Ricky Bell. This is where things get a little tricky.
Since starting the Ring of Honor, the Bucs pretty much have gone in chronological order. Derrick Brooks will be inducted in September and Warren Sapp got the honor last year. That makes plenty of sense because Sapp went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year and Brooks will go in this summer.
Brooks and Sapp were from the Dungy era, so it would make sense if Dungy, Kiffin, Alstott or Lynch was chosen in 2015. I’d put Lynch and Alstott as the early favorites.
But I’d like to offer a suggestion to the Bucs. The rules for the Ring of Honor don’t limit the number of inductees to one per year. Next year would be the perfect year to break from tradition and induct two people. Reach deep into the past and make Williams or Bell one of the inductees along with one of the Dungy-era candidates.
Williams and Bell have been passed over before, but it’s time to get one (or both) of them into the Ring of Honor. Bell’s career and life were cut short by an illness. But, for a brief period, Bell was one of the best running backs in the league and a class act off the field.
Williams probably already should be in the Ring of Honor and he’s partly to blame. Williams helped the Bucs go from an expansion team to respectability. But his spot in team history has been clouded a bit. Williams came to work in the team’s personnel office, but that didn’t last. Williams clashed with former general manager Mark Dominik and left the team on bad terms.
It’s time for Williams to set aside his bitterness. And it’s time for the Bucs to set aside memories of Williams’ departure.
The Ring of Honor is a very special thing and it should fully represent the team’s history.