BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • No. 97
September 14, 2003 • Raymond James Stadium
Photo: Charles Sonnenblick/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers archive
Defensive end • Retired
Speed off the edge. A champion’s finish.
Simeon James Rice
- Born
- February 24, 1974
- Hometown
- Chicago, Illinois
- Listed NFL size
- 6 feet 5 inches • 268 pounds
- High school
- Mount Carmel • Chicago
- College
- Illinois, 1992–1995
- NFL Draft
- 1996 • Round 1 • Pick 3
Arizona Cardinals - NFL career
- Arizona, 1996–2000
Tampa Bay, 2001–2006
Denver and Indianapolis, 2007 - Bucs legacy
- Super Bowl XXXVII champion
Ring of Honor • Inducted 2025
Profile: original Buccaneers biography, Illinois career profile and full-name reference. Career highlights: Buccaneers Ring of Honor profile. Listed size reflects his playing career.
When No. 97 rounded the corner, the clock ran out.
For a quarterback waiting on a receiver to break open, Simeon Rice made patience an expensive habit. His speed around the edge brought urgency to every passing down—and gave Buccaneers fans one more reason to rise out of their seats before the ball ever left the pocket.
Tampa Bay already had a formidable defense when Rice arrived as a free agent in March 2001. Tony Dungy had coached him at the Pro Bowl following the 1999 season and saw how his quickness could fit alongside the Buccaneers’ established talent. Adding Rice gave that front another way to hurry the passer. The original signing story.
The partnership produced six seasons in pewter and red, five straight years of double-digit sacks and a championship performance that still rewards another look. Rice supplied the edge speed. Tampa Bay supplied a place where that speed could help finish a title run.
The Buccaneers chapter
Six seasons of pressure from the edge
Rice started all 87 regular-season games he played for Tampa Bay and recorded 69.5 sacks. He led the team in sacks in each of his first five Buccaneers seasons, reaching at least 11.0 every year from 2001 through 2005. Buccaneers career summary.
| Season | G | GS | Sacks | Team W–L | Season finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 16 | 16 | 11.0 | 9–7 | Lost NFC wild-card round |
| 2002 | 16 | 16 | 15.5 | 12–4 | NFC South and Super Bowl XXXVII champions |
| 2003 | 16 | 16 | 15.0 | 7–9 | Missed playoffs |
| 2004 | 16 | 16 | 12.0 | 5–11 | Missed playoffs |
| 2005 | 15 | 15 | 14.0 | 11–5 | NFC South champions; lost wild-card round |
| 2006 | 8 | 8 | 2.0 | 4–12 | Missed playoffs |
G = games played; GS = games started. Sacks are regular-season totals. Team W–L covers all Buccaneers games that season. Swipe or scroll across tables on smaller screens; keyboard users can focus a table area and use the arrow keys.
Sources: NFL participation and sack totals; Buccaneers season histories for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
2001 A new weapon for an established defense.
Rice joined a defensive front featuring Warren Sapp, Marcus Jones and Anthony McFarland. Dungy, coordinator Monte Kiffin and line coach Rod Marinelli gained a proven rusher whose burst could challenge the outside shoulder of an offensive tackle.
His first Tampa Bay season produced 11.0 sacks. Signing report • Season statistics.
2002 Acceleration toward a championship.
Rice piled up 15.5 regular-season sacks, earned AP first-team All-Pro recognition and added four more sacks in the playoffs. His regular-season surge included five successive games with multiple sacks.
Two of those takedowns came on Super Bowl Sunday, helping complete the job. Buccaneers sack-season retrospective • Championship reflection.
2003–2006 More production, then an injury interruption.
He followed the title with 15.0 sacks in 2003, then posted 12.0 in 2004 and 14.0 in 2005. A shoulder injury limited him to eight appearances in 2006 and ended his season on injured reserve.
That final season closed a remarkably productive Tampa Bay chapter. Year-by-year totals • 2006 injury report.
January 26, 2003 • Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
Two sacks on the biggest stage
Super Bowl XXXVII • Final
48 – 21
TAMPA BAY / OAKLAND
Pressure off the edge.
A championship for the Krewe.
NO. 97 GOT THERE EARLY.
After an interception gave Oakland a short field, Rice delivered an early stop. On third-and-seven from Tampa Bay’s 16, he dropped Rich Gannon for a six-yard loss with 10:56 left in the first quarter. The Raiders settled for a field goal.
With 9:06 remaining in the second quarter, Rice struck again, sacking Gannon for a one-yard loss. An incompletion and a punt followed.
His two sacks and five solo tackles helped Tampa Bay finish a 48–21 victory. The defense recorded five sacks and five interceptions on the night.
5 solo tackles • 2.0 sacks
Super Bowl XXXVII champion
The game concluded the 2002 NFL season and was played in January 2003.
Sources: official NFL gamebook and Buccaneers championship recap.
Chicago • Illinois • The NFL
The making of No. 97
Speed takes shape at Illinois
Rice grew up in Chicago and attended Mount Carmel High School before playing at Illinois from 1992 through 1995. He developed into a disruptive college defender, earning first-team All-America honors in his final two seasons.
Illinois credits him with 44.5 career sacks and 69 tackles for loss. He earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition in 1993, 1994 and 1995, building a body of work that made him one of the leading prospects in the 1996 draft.
Arizona selected him third overall, one pick after Illinois teammate Kevin Hardy went to Jacksonville.
Sources: original player biography and Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame profile.
An immediate impact in Arizona
Rice made his arrival count with 12.5 sacks in 1996 and the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award. His five Arizona seasons supplied 51.5 sacks and established the pass-rushing credentials he later brought to Tampa Bay.
His career-best regular season came in 1999: 16.5 sacks, a Pro Bowl selection and AP second-team All-Pro recognition. By the time he entered free agency in 2001, the league had seen both his first-step speed and the production it could create.
Sources: Cardinals historical records, Arizona career review and NFL season totals.
The final NFL stops
Tampa Bay released Rice in July 2007 following his shoulder-limited final Buccaneers season. He appeared in six games for Denver and two for Indianapolis that year, bringing his NFL playing career to 12 seasons.
He later joined the New York Sentinels of the original United Football League in 2009. That separate professional chapter is outside the NFL statistics presented here.
Sources: contemporaneous NFL release report, NFL participation record and New York Sentinels roster announcement.
The numbers behind No. 97
Career pass-rushing record & honors
Rice finished his NFL regular-season career with 122.0 sacks in 174 games. His seven playoff appearances added 7.0 sacks. The tables keep regular-season and postseason production separate, with Tampa Bay’s share identified in each.
| Scope | G | GS | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL regular season | 174 | 161 | 122.0 |
| NFL postseason | 7 | 7 | 7.0 |
| Tampa Bay regular season | 87 | 87 | 69.5 |
| Tampa Bay postseason | 5 | 5 | 7.0 |
NFL career rows include all teams. Tampa Bay rows are subsets of those totals and should not be added to them. G = games played; GS = games started.
Sources: NFL career summary, Buccaneers career profile and the season and game records linked below.
Championship & NFL honors
- Super Bowl XXXVII champion: Tampa Bay, 2002 season.
- Pro Bowl: 1999, 2002 and 2003 seasons.
- AP first-team All-Pro: 2002 season.
- AP second-team All-Pro: 1999 and 2003 seasons.
- AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: 1996 season.
Sources: Cardinals honors records, 2002 retrospective and Buccaneers 2003 season review.
Production worth remembering
- Eight NFL seasons with at least 10.0 sacks.
- Five straight Tampa Bay seasons with at least 11.0 sacks, 2001–2005.
- Four sacks at Washington on October 12, 2003.
- Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame: Class of 2019.
- Buccaneers Ring of Honor: inducted November 30, 2025.
Sources: annual sack totals, four-sack game account, Illinois recognition and Ring of Honor ceremony photographs.
Regular-season pass rushing • Every NFL season
| Season | Team | G | GS | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Arizona Cardinals | 16 | 15 | 12.5 |
| 1997 | Arizona Cardinals | 16 | 15 | 5.0 |
| 1998 | Arizona Cardinals | 16 | 16 | 10.0 |
| 1999 | Arizona Cardinals | 16 | 16 | 16.5 |
| 2000 | Arizona Cardinals | 15 | 11 | 7.5 |
| 2001 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 | 16 | 11.0 |
| 2002 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 | 16 | 15.5 |
| 2003 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 | 16 | 15.0 |
| 2004 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 | 16 | 12.0 |
| 2005 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 15 | 15 | 14.0 |
| 2006 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 | 8 | 2.0 |
| 2007 | Denver Broncos | 6 | 1 | 0.0 |
| 2007 | Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Career | Four NFL teams | 174 | 161 | 122.0 |
The two 2007 rows show his separate Denver and Indianapolis stints; together they represent one NFL season. Tampa Bay seasons are highlighted in red.
Sources: NFL games, starts and sacks and NFL career sack table. Games, starts and sacks are the consistent statistical series used throughout these tables.
Regular-season totals • All four NFL teams
| NFL team | Seasons | G | GS | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 1996–2000 | 79 | 73 | 51.5 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2001–2006 | 87 | 87 | 69.5 |
| Denver Broncos | 2007 | 6 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2007 | 2 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Career | 1996–2007 | 174 | 161 | 122.0 |
These team totals are summed from the annual rows above. Denver and Indianapolis share the 2007 season; the career spans 12 NFL seasons, not 13.
Source: NFL career summary.
Postseason pass rushing • By NFL season
| Season | Team | G | GS | Sacks | Team finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Arizona Cardinals | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | Lost NFC Divisional |
| 2001 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | 1 | 2.0 | Lost NFC Wild Card |
| 2002 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 4.0 | Won Super Bowl XXXVII |
| 2005 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | Lost NFC Wild Card |
| Career | ARI / TB | 7 | 7 | 7.0 | — |
Season labels follow the preceding regular season. The 1998 row covers Arizona’s January 1999 playoff games; the 2002 row includes Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003. Only seasons in which Rice appeared in the playoffs are listed.
Sources: career and 2002 postseason totals, Buccaneers playoff sack records and the 2001 NFL game log. Season totals are reconciled with the seven appearances below.
Every playoff appearance • Seven games
| Season | Game date | Team | Round | Opponent | Result | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Jan. 2, 1999 | Arizona Cardinals | NFC Wild Card | at Dallas Cowboys | W 20–7 | 0.0 |
| 1998 | Jan. 10, 1999 | Arizona Cardinals | NFC Divisional | at Minnesota Vikings | L 21–41 | 0.0 |
| 2001 | Jan. 12, 2002 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFC Wild Card | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 9–31 | 2.0 |
| 2002 | Jan. 12, 2003 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFC Divisional | San Francisco 49ers | W 31–6 | 1.0 |
| 2002 | Jan. 19, 2003 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFC Championship | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 27–10 | 1.0 |
| 2002 | Jan. 26, 2003 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Super Bowl XXXVII | Oakland Raiders | W 48–21 | 2.0 |
| 2005 | Jan. 7, 2006 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFC Wild Card | Washington Redskins | L 10–17 | 1.0 |
Scores show Rice’s team first. The word “at” identifies a road game. Super Bowl XXXVII was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. All seven appearances were starts; these games are already included in the postseason totals above.
Dates and results: Arizona’s 1998 schedule, the 2001 NFL game log, Buccaneers–49ers history and Tampa Bay’s 2005 schedule. Sacks: Buccaneers playoff records, the 2002 NFC Championship gamebook and the Super Bowl XXXVII gamebook.
Calculation note: Arizona’s 0.0 playoff sacks, the 1.0 against San Francisco and the 1.0 against Washington are derived by subtracting the other verified entries from the published career and season totals.
Film • Teaching • Recognition
Beyond the huddle
Football gave Rice an audience. Filmmaking gave him a new craft to learn. In a 2017 interview with the University of Illinois Alumni Association, he described returning to student life at the New York Film Academy and learning to make short films before writing and directing the independent thriller Unsullied.
His account connected the two chapters through the willingness to start again: study, practice and keep improving. The pass rusher who had spent years mastering his position was now working to earn credibility behind the camera. Read his alumni interview.
Passing the craft to young Buccaneers. During a training-camp visit, Rice worked with Noah Spence and Ryan Russell on pass-rushing technique, including hand placement and practical repetitions. Camp report.
Honored by Illinois. Rice entered the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing the college career that helped launch his rise to the NFL. Illinois profile.
Back in the spotlight at Raymond James. His Buccaneers Ring of Honor induction placed his name among the figures celebrated in the stadium where he spent six NFL seasons. Induction ceremony.
Sources & statistical notes
Published November 2, 2026. NFL playing statistics cover Rice’s completed career through 2007. Later recognition and activities are dated separately.
- Player identity: the original Buccaneers biography supplies his birth date, hometown, high school and listed playing size. Pro Football Reference records his full name.
- College record: Illinois credits Rice with 44.5 college sacks. That figure is used here instead of the rounded 45 found in an older biography.
- Statistical scope: the six tables present games, starts and sacks. Historical tackle, pass-defense and fumble totals differ across official web summaries and older team reports, so those categories are not combined into a career series here. The Super Bowl feature uses the individual line in the original gamebook.
- Totals and seasons: regular-season and postseason figures are separate. Team totals are subsets of the corresponding NFL totals. His two 2007 team stints are listed separately without adding a duplicate combined-season row. The 2009 UFL chapter is outside every NFL total.
- Playoff appearances: Rice played in seven postseason games, starting all seven. Only actual appearances are counted. Award and playoff season labels refer to the preceding regular season, even when games or ceremonies took place in the next calendar year.
- Honors: AP first-team and second-team All-Pro selections are listed separately. His 2019 recognition is the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame; his 2025 recognition is the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.
- Ring of Honor dates: the selection was announced in May 2025. The induction itself occurred November 30, 2025, as documented by the official ceremony video and game-day photographs linked above.
- Photo and story sources: the main image shows Rice against Carolina on September 14, 2003. It is credited to Charles Sonnenblick/Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Original team reports, university records and the championship gamebook are linked beside the passages they support.