Simeon Rice waves to the crowd after he is inducted into the Ring of Honor and gives a speech during the halftime ceremony at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. ©Jefferee WooNicolas Villamil, Times staffSun, November 30, 2025 at 8:01 PM UTC·2 min readSimeon Rice, one of the best defensive players in Bucs history, was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor on Sunday.
Rice, who spent six seasons in Tampa, had the best moments of his 12-year career with the Bucs. He was a key part of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl 37 victory and was named to the Pro Bowl twice as a Buc.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRice said Sunday that while he never lacked in confidence or ability, his time in Tampa Bay allowed him to elevate his game to an even higher echelon.
The Chicago native and University of Illinois product credited his coaches, namely Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Rod Marinelli, as well as his teammates for enabling him to reach greater heights.
In Tampa Bay, Rice starred while surrounded with an abundance of defensive talent. The 2003 Super Bowl Champion defense also featured linebacker Derrick Brooks, cornerback Ronde Barber and safety John Lynch, who all were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“You couldn’t even stand in that room if you weren’t special,” Rice said. “To be one of the anchors, you had to be a different type of animal, and I believe I was.
“That room was very competitive. We were all out to crystallize and put our names at the highest level of this game.”
Brooks, Barber and Lynch were among the Top 10 on the Bucs’ all-time greatest players list released earlier this year in celebration of the franchise’s 50th season. Rice came in at No. 14, the eighth-highest ranked defensive player.
Rice led the Bucs out of the tunnel pregame Sunday and was commemorated by numerous video tributes from his former teammates and coachesthroughout the first half.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt halftime, he took his place in the Ring of Honor next to Gruden, his coach for the majority of his time in Tampa Bay.
“To be honored like this ... it’s amazing,” Rice said.
“I just feel like I’m a vessel. I carry the torch and the spirit of all of those I have played with, that have supported me. We all go up together.”
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