TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Bucs icon Doug Williams glad franchise honoring its past

ADVERTISEMENT

By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 4, 2009

TAMPA - For Doug Williams, Sunday's nod to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' past is both overdue and much appreciated.

The director of pro scouting for the Buccaneers will be on the field when the franchise salutes the 1979 club and honors Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon as the first inductee into the Ring of Honor.

"I've always said history is important,'' said Williams, a five-year starter at quarterback for the Bucs before he departed in a bitter contract dispute following the 1982 season. "It's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where you've been.

"A lot of the guys from that '79 team live in the area and a lot of them were disappointed that it's almost been like they were kicked to the curb. I do think the guys who will be here on Sunday feel pretty good about being a part of all this.''

Until Williams rejoined the organization in 2004 at the behest of former coach Jon Gruden and former GM Bruce Allen, the Bucs had few visible links to their past.

"I'm a big fan of what the Raiders do,'' said Williams, who singled out late running back Ricky Bell as the linchpin of the '79 team that reached the NFC title game. "They might not be winning on the field, but the last time I was up in Canton (Ohio), when the Raiders played in the Hall of Fame game, they chartered a plane for a lot of their ex-players. (Owner) Al Davis never forgot that. You go to Kansas City and they have a club where a lot of their old players go. For the younger players to see the older guys, that's a big thing.

"You just hope if you do it once, you'll do it twice and keep doing it. With so many of the guys living around here, it's easy to let the past be part of the future.''

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT