Simeon Rice Gets Spot in Buccaneers Ring of Honor After 19-Year Wait

After nearly two decades, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will add pass-rush specialist Simeon Rice to their Ring of Honor. He'll become the 16th member inducted since the tradition began.

During his electric six-year stint in Tampa from 2001-2006, Rice terrorized quarterbacks with 69.5 sacks. His most spectacular season came in 2002, when he dropped quarterbacks 15.5 times and forced key turnovers on the way to a Super Bowl victory.

"He really was the last piece to the defensive puzzle," said Tony Dungy to Tampa Bay Times. "The dominant pass rusher off the edge that we didn't have. He was the complementary threat to Sapp inside."

Rice will join an elite group of former teammates in the Ring: Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber. While those four now wear gold jackets in Canton, Rice still waits for his Hall of Fame call, despite amassing 122 sacks in his career.

His peak years from 2001-2005 showed pure dominance; no other player in the NFL matched his 67.5 sacks. The 2002 season brought him first-team All-Pro status, adding to his three Pro Bowl selections.

Before becoming a Buccaneer, Rice burst onto the NFL scene as Arizona's third overall pick in 1996, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. In 2001, he signed with Tampa Bay for $34 million over five years, a move that would help shape the team's defensive identity.

The Ring of Honor features 15 other giants of Buccaneer history: Lee Roy Selmon, John McKay, Jimmie Giles, Paul Gruber, Sapp, Brooks, Mike Alstott, Doug Williams, Jon Gruden, Lynch, Dungy, Barber, Malcolm Glazer, Monte Kiffin, and Bruce Arians.

The Buccaneers will announce ceremony details at a later date.