Takeaways from the Buccaneers documentary series on their history

The Bucs are celebrating their 50th anniversary as a franchise this year and have commemorated it with several special moments on and off the field. Some include wearing the classic throwback uniforms to honor one of the more under-appreciated players in franchise history, Simeon Rice, by inducting him into their Ring of Honor.

The most entertaining thing may be off the field, though, as Amazon Prime released a documentary series on the team’s entire franchise history last week.

The show itself is 10 episodes long and goes through the entirety of the franchise’s history up to the 2024 season. We watched all of it before you did and want to provide some key takeaways or themes from each episode.

Episode 1: Their First Win was Special

On December 11, 1977, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially secured their first win in franchise history. They defeated the New Orleans Saints and Archie Manning by a score of 33-14 in a game that meant the world to so many. Throughout the series, you see a lot of legends speak about the team and the game they love, but seeing and hearing Richard Wood and Dewey Selmon get as emotional as they did will stick with anyone who watches.

Episode 2: Doug Williams and the QB Curse

The team had found its franchise quarterback in Doug Williams, except they didn’t want to spend the money to keep him. In the episode, you hear about the turmoil that was created for Williams on the field while dealing with immense personal tragedy off the field. The non-pursuit of Williams also ushered in what they discuss as a «quarterback curse» for years to come.

Episode 3: 1995 NFL Draft

The 1995 NFL Draft gave the Bucs one of the greatest draft hauls in NFL history. They land Warren Sapp, who fell down draft boards due to rumors around off-the-field issues, while also trading back into the first for Derrick Brooks. You get to hear the process Sapp went through, as well as the thought process the team had in acquiring both of them.

Episode 4: The Glazers Change Their Approach

The Glazer Family had purchased the Bucs in 1995, and it changed the path the team was on. However, they had self-admittedly been treating the team with kid gloves, but they take them off in this episode after seasons with lots of promise kept falling flat. (Sound familiar?)

Episode 5: Jon Gruden Met the Moment

This is one of the more interesting episodes as it gives a unique perspective into the team acquiring head coach Jon Gruden from the Oakland Raiders. They mention how the infamous Tuck Rule game led to them being able to obtain him, and then you see how perfect he was for the moment the team was in.

Episode 6: Super Bowl XXXVII

The first Super Bowl victory in team history was a dominant one, and you get to hear about it from the coaches and players from within it. It is a fun episode with stories many have heard before, but Bucs fans will listen to time and again for how special it was.

Episode 7: Growing Pains through Coaching Changes

The team had a lot of failed seasons, some due to injuries, others due to issues at the quarterback position. All in all, the Glazers made a change, and you see them move on from Jon Gruden and then go through coaches such as Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano. In the case of Schiano, you get to hear him stand his ground on several things that led to his firing, including an infamous play against the Giants in his final season.

Episode 8: Jason Licht Changes His Approach

The Bucs have hired general manager Jason Licht at his point, and you hear him talk about how important the NFL Draft is. At this point in his tenure, he has had a lot of draft misses, and you hear him lay out how he and the team are changing their approach to draft the players they think fit the mentality and approach that Lavonte David brings to the team.

Episode 9: Super Bowl LV

COVID and the hurdles that every team faced are discussed in the episode that leads to Super Bowl LV, where the Bucs faced the Chiefs. You get to hear how Todd Bowles had figured out their offense, the thought process behind Antoine Winfield Jr.’s peace sign to Tyreek Hill and more from the team itself.

Episode 10: Baker Mayfield isn’t Going Anywhere

This episode leads us to the present day, and it was clear as day to me as I watched that this team is so much behind Baker Mayfield that it is truly inspiring. Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jason Licht share their thoughts on getting him to Tampa Bay and how they have enjoyed playing with him. It is clear as day that he is not going anywhere despite how rough of a 2025 season he is having.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Takeaways from the Bucs documentary series on their history