The third inductee into the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor and first offensive addition, Jimmie Giles was instated on December 4, 2011, during halftime of the Buccaneers' game against the Carolina Panthers.
Acquired from Houston in a trade prior to the 1978 NFL Draft, Giles quickly emerged as a standout player, earning honorable mention All-Pro by Sports Illustrated in 1979 and by the Associated Press in 1985, while earning various All-NFC honors from 1979-82. Following the 1980 season, he also became the first offensive Pro Bowl player in franchise history. He remained the only offensive player to represent the team at the league's annual all-star game following the 1981 and 1982 seasons, until running back James Wilder joined him in 1984. Giles then made his fourth Pro Bowl trip in 1985, and, to that point in team history, only DE Lee Roy Selmon had been to the Pro Bowl more frequently.
Giles' four Pro Bowl selections remain the second highest total among offensive players in franchise annals, trailing only the six trips made by fullback Mike Alstott between 1997 and 2002. Giles is still the only Buccaneer tight end to be selected to the game.
A naturally-gifted athlete who was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round of the 1976 MLB draft, Giles possessed a combination of size and speed that was unusual at his position in the '70s and '80s. Though he stood 6-3 and weighed close to 250 pounds, Giles was known for stretching the field, as evidenced by his impressive career average of 15.4 yards per reception. In 1980, Giles not only led all NFL tight ends with 602 yards on 33 catches, but he was one of the league's best downfield threats, period. Among all players with at least 25 receptions, that season, Giles led the league with 18.2 yards per grab. Giles' other noteworthy career trend was his nose for the end zone. Along with a franchise mark of 34 touchdown receptions during his time in Buccaneers orange, the gregarious tight end also owns the team record for most touchdowns of any kind in a single game, racking up four scoring catches in a 1985 shootout against the Miami Dolphins. The resulting 24 points Giles recorded in that contest is also a Buccaneer single-game record.
After a nine-year career with the Buccaneers (1978- 86), Giles still ranks eighth in receptions (279), third in receiving yards (4,300) and first in receiving touchdowns (34) all-time in franchise history, as well as ranking first in each respective category among tight ends. Giles additionally continues to rank highly among single-season leaders by a tight end in team history, with two of the top five seasons in receiving yards and receptions, and three of the top five seasons in touchdown receptions, including the top mark of eight in 1985.