 |
|||||
I was born in St. Petersburg in 1971, grew up in Largo and graduated from Pinellas Park High School in 1989. I played football, very badly, at Pinellas Park and became a serious Buccaneer fan during this time. I attended Florida State University and earned a degree in broadcasting. I worked for a brief time in sports radio in Tampa and got to cover the Buccaneers professionally. It was during this time that I discovered I enjoyed sports history a great deal and wanted to become a historian and writer instead of a reporter. I re-enrolled at Florida State and earned a Master’s Degree in Communication with an emphasis on historical research. My master’s thesis was a history of how the Tampa Bay media covered the Buccaneers during their infamous string of double-digit loss seasons (1983-1994). I knew very little about the Buccaneers before the mid 1980’s due to my age. As a fan however, I wanted to know where the team came from in an attempt to enjoy what they are now. That quest became difficult when I discovered that little attention is paid to Buccaneer history. Other than the famous 0-26 losing streak that started the franchise, the era of John McKay is little noted. The first head coach in franchise history deserves better. As the Buccaneers fortunes improved on the field, culminating with a Super Bowl championship, I was taken aback by how the history of the team was shunned. It seems as though the years 1976 through 1996 are being erased from the minds of all Buccaneer fans. I believe this is a crying shame. There were some very talented men who played for the Buccaneers during this era and their stories are in danger of being lost forever if we allow the first twenty years of franchise history to be swept under the rug. I devoted the last three years of my life to telling their story and making sure these men are given their proper due by football fans and the media. Having moved to Ohio, I utilized nights, weekends, vacation days and holidays from my banking job to research and write this book. With no connections or contacts, I was able to interview Lee Roy Selmon, Doug Williams, Hubert Mizell, Bill Kollar, Richard Wood, Rick Odioso and Jack Harris. I was also able to get permission from the estates of John McKay and Ricky Bell to use photos of these men in the book. Thanks to a patient wife I was able to fly to Tampa to research the archives of the public libraries and Tampa Tribune. I also spent weekends and holidays in the basement of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH to research old media guides. What started as a curiosity to learn more about team history has transformed into a book on the 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “McKay’s Men” is my own attempt to commemorate the first championship team in the history of the Buccaneers, an honor that is long overdue. The 1979 Buccaneers won a playoff game quicker than any team in NFL history. That team also owned the NFL’s best defense and an elite NFL running back. They were quarterbacked by a future Super Bowl MVP and anchored by a future Hall of Fame defensive end. To top it off their head coach possessed a resume that was nothing short of legendary. I must admit that in the last three years I have become a great supporter of John McKay. Many might remember McKay as nothing more than a college coach with some great one-liners, but he was so much more. The winner of four national championships at USC, McKay is in the same exclusive company as Bud Wilkinson, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Joe Paterno. However, McKay’s NFL career is often overshadowed by 0-26. This fascination with the losing steak obscures one important fact; McKay successfully coached in the NFL. It was McKay’s work and stubborn belief in his system that allowed Tampa Bay to win as no other expansion team had. I feel McKay should be considered the most influential figure in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This book belongs to John McKay. The book also belongs to Ricky Bell, Doug Williams, Lee Roy Selmon and all of the men who played for the Buccaneers during the years 1976-1996. Their history counts just as much as those who wear pewter. This book is theirs, I hope they enjoy it and feel appreciated. In addition to “McKay’s Men,” I have a continuing column on Bucpower.com devoted solely to the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is my hope that we never forget the orange and white. The books will retail for: $14.95 Come on out and join us for a great time with Denis Crawford/author of "McKay's Men" 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers the story of worst to first!
|
I am a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I have been for more than twenty years. What I have written is professionally done, but it definitely owes its roots to the mind of a fan.