1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Head Coach	Tony Dungy
Home Field	Houlihan's Stadium
Results
Record	10-6
Place	2nd NFC Central
Playoff Finish	Lost NFC Divisional Playoff
Pro Bowlers	9 FB Mike Alstott LB Derrick Brooks QB Trent Dilfer HB Warrick Dunn SS John Lynch C Tony Mayberry MLB Hardy Nickerson DT Warren Sapp LT Paul Gruber (alternate)
Team MVP	QB Trent Dilfer
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1996	1998

The 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 6-10 season from 1996. The 1997 season was notable for several reasons. For the first time, the Buccaneers wore their new pewter and red uniforms, along with their new "flag and skull" helmets, which replaced the orange and white color combination, and winking buccaneer helmet, that they had used since they were first added to the NFL. During the regular season, the Buccaneers surprised many by starting off with a 5-0 record. By the end of the season, they had amassed a record of 10-6 and went to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. After beating the Detroit Lions 20-10 in the Wild Card round, they lost to the eventual NFC Champion Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs 21-7.

Personnel

Staff

1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff
Front Office Owner/President – Malcolm Glazer General Manager – Rich McKay Director of Player Personnel – Jerry Angelo Director of College Scouting – Tim Ruskell Head Coaches Head Coach – Tony Dungy Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs – Herman Edwards Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Mike Shula Running Backs – Tony Nathan Wide Receivers – Charlie Williams Tight Ends – Clyde Christensen Offensive Line – Chris Foerster Offensive Assistant – Ricky Thomas			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Monte Kiffin Defensive Line – Rod Marinelli Linebackers – Lovie Smith Defensive Assistant – Kevin O’Dea Special Teams Coaches Special Teams – Joe Marciano Strength and Conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Mark Asanovich Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Aaron Komarek

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Stadium
1	August 31, 1997	San Francisco 49ers*	W 13-6	Houlihan Stadium
2	September 7, 1997	at Detroit Lions	W 24-17	Pontiac Silverdome
3	September 14, 1997	at Minnesota Vikings	W 28-14	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
4	September 21, 1997	Miami Dolphins	W 31-21	Houlihan Stadium
5	September 28, 1997	Arizona Cardinals*	W 19-18	Houlihan Stadium
6	October 5, 1997	at Green Bay Packers	L 21-16	Lambeau Field
7	October 12, 1997	Detroit Lions*	L 27-9	Houlihan Stadium
8	Bye
9	October 26, 1997	Minnesota Vikings*	L 10-6	Houlihan Stadium
10	November 2, 1997	at Indianapolis Colts	W 31-28	RCA Dome
11	November 9, 1997	at Atlanta Falcons	W 31-10	Georgia Dome
12	November 16, 1997	New England Patriots	W 27-7	Houlihan Stadium
13	November 23, 1997	at Chicago Bears	L 13-7	Soldier Field
14	November 30, 1997	at New York Giants	W 20-8	Giants Stadium
15	December 7, 1997	Green Bay Packers	L 17-6	Houlihan Stadium
16	December 14, 1997	at New York Jets	L 31-0	Giants Stadium
17	December 21, 1997	Chicago Bears	W 31-15	Houlihan Stadium

• = blacked out locally

Standings

NFC Central
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Green Bay Packers	13	3	0	.813	422	282
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	10	6	0	.625	299	263
Detroit Lions	9	7	0	.563	379	306
Minnesota Vikings	9	7	0	.563	354	359
Chicago Bears	4	12	0	.250	263	421

Roster

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1997 roster

Player	POS	G	GS	Birthdate	College
Donnie Abraham	DB	16	16	10/08/1973	East Tennessee State
Chidi Ahanotu	DE	16	15	10/11/1970	California
Mike Alstott	RB	15	15	12/21/1973	Purdue
Reidel Anthony	WR	16	13	10/20/1976	Florida
Ronde Barber	DB	1	0	4/07/1975	Virginia
Tommy Barnhardt	P	6	0	6/11/1963	North Carolina
Greg Bellisari	LB	14	0	6/21/1975	Ohio State
Tony Bouie	DB	16	1	8/07/1972	Arizona
Derrick Brooks	LB	16	16	4/18/1973	Florida State
Horace Copeland	WR	13	11	1/02/1971	Miami
Brad Culpepper	DT	16	16	5/08/1969	Florida
Eric Curry	DE	6	1	2/03/1970	Alabama
John Davis	TE	8	2	5/14/1973	Emporia State
Jorge Diaz	OG	16	16	11/15/1973	Texas A&M-Kingsville
Trent Dilfer	QB	16	16	3/13/1972	Fresno State
Kevin Dogins	C	0	0	12/07/1972	Texas A&M-Kingsville
Warrick Dunn	RB	16	10	1/05/1975	Florida State
Jerry Ellison	RB	16	0	12/20/1971	Tennessee-Chattanooga
Kenneth Grant	DB	9	0	4/18/1967	Albany State
Jeff Gooch	LB	14	5	10/31/1974	Austin Peay
Paul Gruber	OT	16	16	2/24/1965	Wisconsin
Patrick Hape	TE	14	3	6/06/1974	Alabama
Jackie Harris	TE	12	11	1/04/1968	Northeastern Louisiana
Brice Hunter	WR	3	0	4/21/1974	Georgia
Michael Husted	K	16	0	6/16/1970	Virginia
Tyoka Jackson	DE	12	0	11/22/1971	Penn State
Melvin Johnson	DB	16	7	4/15/1972	Kentucky
Marcus Jones	DE	7	1	8/15/1973	North Carolina
Andrew Jordan	TE	2	0	6/21/1972	Western Carolina
Sean Landeta	P	10	0	1/06/1962	Towson
Tyrone Legette	DB	16	1	2/15/1970	Nebraska
John Lynch	DB	16	16	9/25/1971	Stanford
Jason Maniecki	DT	10	0	8/15/1972	Wisconsin
Tony Mayberry	C	16	16	12/08/1967	Wake Forest
Frank Middleton	OG	15	2	10/25/1974	Arizona
Charles Mincy	DB	16	9	12/16/1969	Washington
Dave Moore	TE	16	7	11/11/1969	Pitturgh
Hardy Nickerson	LB	16	16	9/01/1965	California
Jason Odom	OT	16	16	3/31/1974	Florida
Anthony Parker	DB	15	14	2/11/1966	Arizona State
Pete Pierson	OT	15	0	2/04/1971	Washington
Rufus Porter	LB	11	10	5/18/1965	Southern
Jim Pyne	Og	15	14	11/23/1961	Virginia Tech
Shelton Quarles	LB	16	0	9/11/1971	Vanderbilt
Eric Rhett	RB	11	0	12/11/1970	Florida
Reggie Rusk	DB	4	0	10/19/1972	Kentucky
Warren Sapp	DT	15	15	12/19/1972	Miami
Alshermond Singleton	LB	12	0	8/07/1975	Temple
Robb Thomas	WR	16	1	3/29/1966	Oregon State
Regan Upshaw	DE	15	15	8/12/1975	California
Steve Walsh	QB	12	0	12/01/1996	Miami
Steve White	DE	15	1	10/25/1973	Tennessee
Karl Williams	WR	16	7	4/10/1971	Texas A&M-Kingsville
Jerry Wunsch	OT	16	0	1/21/1974	Wisconsin
Floyd Young	DB	12	1	11/23/1975	Texas A&M-Kingsville

Playoffs

Week	Date	Opponent	Result
Wildcard	December 28, 1997	Detroit Lions	W 20-10
Division	January 4, 1998	at Green Bay Packers	L 21-7