The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got another one of their legends into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer when Rondé Barber was inducted as part of the Class of 2023. Now 11 more players who spent time as a Buccaneer have made the initial list of nominees for next year's class.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame released that list of modern-era nominees for the Class of 2024 on Tuesday and it notably includes the former Buccaneer backfield duo of Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn, known as 'Thunder & Lightning.' Alstott is a six-time Pro Bowler and rusher and touchdown scorer in franchise history. He is the only one of the 11 former Tampa Bay players on the list who spent his entire career as a Buccaneer. He and Dunn were teammates from 1997-2001, forming one of the league's best rushing attacks with their contrasting styles. Dunn ranks third in team history in rushing yards and fifth in receptions.
Also prominent on the list are defensive end Simeon Rice and linebacker Hardy Nickerson. Rice played for the Buccaneers from 2001-06, was a prominent member of the legendary defense that led the team to the Super Bowl XXXVII championship and was the NFL's sack leader from 1991-2005. Nickerson was a Buccaneer from 1993-99, during which he made five Pro Bowl appearances, and is the fourth-leading tackler in franchise history.
The other seven players on the Bucs' list all had shorter stays in Tampa. That group includes (with their seasons as a Buccaneer noted): quarterback Jeff Garcia (2007-08), guard Logan Mankins (2014-15), fullback Lorenzo Neal (1998), running backs Charlie Garner (2004) and Thomas Jones (2003), offensive tackle Lomas Brown (2002) and punter Sean Landeta (1997).
Also on the list of nominees is former cornerback Antoine Winfield, who is the father of current Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The elder Winfield played 14 seasons for the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings.
The initial list of candidates for the Class of 2024 includes 173 players, nine of which have been nominated for the first time. None of the Bucs' 11 candidates are first-time nominees. In November, Hall voters will choose a list of approximately 25 semifinalists from those 173 nominees. That list will be further pared to 15 finalists in January before the final balloting takes place.
