Bucs Gameday

Buccaneers Super Bowl champion takes coaching job

A career Buccaneer is taking a job in Tampa with a high school football program,
River Wells|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A former Tampa Bay Buccaneers mainstay is staying in Tampa this year as a high school football coach.

Buccaneers fans rightfully think of Lavonte David when talking about franchise legends who have played their whole career in Tampa Bay, and older players like Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber come to mind, too. But there's another player who has been with the Buccaneers for the entirety of his long career, and that's defensive tackle William Gholston — Gholston may not be a Hall of Fame-caliber player like the others mentioned, but he played for the Bucs in every year of his 11-year career, and he earned a Super Bowl ring with the Bucs in 2020.

Gholston isn't officially retired yet, but he entered the league in 2013 and he's 33 years old heading into the 2025 season. As a result, it seems like he won't be playing in the NFL this year — per On3 reporter Andy Villamarzo, he's officially joined Sickles High School's coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. The Sickles Gryphons, a high school team in Tampa, went 2-8 last year, so Gholston's presence may be able to boost the team on the defensive side of the ball.

If this is the end for Gholston, he'll finish his career in Tampa Bay with 271 solo tackles, 169 assists, 20.5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 interception in 196 games, including the playoffs. if not, though, his new job keeps him close to Tampa Bay, and he could join the team later on in the year like he did last year.

READ MORE: Buccaneers All-Pro says defense is 'hungrier' in 2025

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River Wells
RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.

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