TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Legendary college football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant coined a phrase: “Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships.”
The latter part of that quote is the calling card for the Bucs’ 2002-03 Super Bowl-winning team.
Four members of that starting defense are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and it was those players who helped popularize the influential “Tampa 2” defense.
The scheme operates with four defensive linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and two safeties.
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While its origins aren’t based in Tampa specifically, former Bucs head coach Tony Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin helped revolutionize the scheme.
The Bucs’ success laid the groundwork for other NFL teams to implement their own twists based on their own personnel.
So who better to break down the X’s and O’s than a Hall of Famer who played in the scheme himself? Cornerback Rondé Barber sits with News Channel 8’s Aileen Hnatiuk to break down how the “Tampa 2” works and what makes it so effective.
You can see this story and more during our Bucs 50 Seasons Celebration special, which airs Friday, October 17th at 7 p.m. on News Channel 8.
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