On This Day: Bucs Trade for Jon Gruden
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have been the laughingstock of the NFL for much of their existence, but in 2002, they made the long journey to the pro football mountaintop, bringing home a Lombardi Trophy.
The man leading the charge? Head coach Jon Gruden, who gave the Bucs' offense just enough of a boost to take advantage of one of the best defenses in NFL history. Gruden's Bucs destroyed his former team, the Oakland Raiders, 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Tampa Bay paid a steep price for Gruden, sending two first-round picks and two second-round picks to the Raiders, along with $8 million. But what they got in return was a priceless championship, something the team had never accomplished before.
The Bucs also haven't won a playoff game since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Gruden was fired after the 2008 season, and Tampa Bay is now on their fifth different head coach in 12 years.
Relive Gruden's crowning achievement in Tampa Bay:
