Bucs face rough road as champs

Challenges have kept past winners from returning to the Super Bowl the next season.

By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 29, 2003

HONOLULU -- To the world champion Buccaneers, there's always another hand to squeeze, an autograph to sign or a piece of confetti to sweep out of the car.

But if they want to again experience the jubilation that winning the Super Bowl brings, they will have to be prepared for what happens when the parade route ends.

The past three Super Bowl winners have not returned to the championship game the following season. The Patriots did not make the playoffs, the Ravens were eliminated in the second round and the Rams fell in the first.

Being a world champion brings a new set of problems off the field and more challenges between the lines, said several Pro Bowl players with Super Bowl rings.

"I'll tell you what, the last year was the most physically draining and mentally draining because of everything that comes along with being a champion," Patriots defensive back Lawyer Milloy said. "I really didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time at home because of the high demand for appearances. I live in Seattle and I was flying back and forth.

"You have to deal with that, and it seems like the offseason workouts come a lot faster. You're already trying to get geared up, meet the new faces, then you're going to the ring ceremony and all that. When you go out in your hometown, which is going to be Tampa for them, everybody treated us a lot better. Everybody wants autographs. You can't really go into stores like you used to."

Even previously unrecognizable players, such as Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Dexter Jackson, will find that fame isn't fleeting. Jackson also is a free agent, and he may have increased the price for the Bucs.

"They have a lot of young guys, guys that might not get as much notoriety in Tampa, step up in that game," Milloy said. "So now they're going to have to adjust. (Dexter) Jackson, the MVP of the Super Bowl, it's going to be a little bit harder with him. I know his wife is pregnant. They're going to have to deal with people shoving their baby out of the way just to get an autograph of him. People are just going to be excited. It definitely gets draining."

From a competitive standpoint, the Bucs face other challenges. In addition to having to re-sign free agents like Jackson and linebackers Shelton Quarles and Al Singleton, the coaching staff could be raided. On Tuesday, the 49ers were granted permission to interview defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin for their coaching vacancy.

"It's tough to get back because of the length of the season," said Rams running back Marshall Faulk, who won Super Bowl XXXIV before St. Louis lost to the Saints in the first round of the playoffs the next season. The Rams rebounded a year later by winning the NFC Championship Game but lost to New England in Super Bowl XXXVI. "Just the demand on excellence.

"Nowadays, you win the Super Bowl -- and Tampa Bay is going to find out -- people go through all your stuff and they find out all your weaknesses, whatever it is. And they try to exploit that. Not to mention everybody wants a champion in them. They come in, they take players off the team because of free agency and so on and so forth. There's a lot of things that you're up against."

Already, the Bucs face a trip to Japan for a preseason game against the Jets. By winning the Super Bowl, they are guaranteed to open the season at home on Monday Night Football, and several other nationally televised games will follow.

"Then you go into training camp and try to prepare like a champion knowing the schedule is going to be tough. We had a hell of a schedule, so we were all geared up," Milloy said. "We never had like a Sunday to Sunday game until the end. We had a lot of Monday night games, and I hate night games. They were short weeks. We beat Detroit on Thanksgiving.

"Then on top of that, there's an asterisk by your name and everybody knows who you are. Last year, we were searching for respect. This year, we got it and there were a lot of situations we weren't ready for and we didn't know how to bounce back. We weren't ready for what teams were bringing us because we were the champion."

Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, who won Super Bowl XXXVI with his 48-yard field goal to beat the Rams on the final play, said the offseason can feel like a blur.

"The offseason goes so fast because there's so many things going on. It kind of jumps up on you right away," he said. "You almost have to know how to -- and we could've done a better job of it -- get some down time so you're refreshed coming into the new season. Because if you don't, it's almost a bit overwhelming."

Faulk said that players and coaches battle for endorsements, and jealously can be a problem.

"There's a lot of distractions. Everybody wants a piece of the pie and everybody wants to do something," Faulk said. "Everybody wants credit. And as long as everybody decides to put in all the work and do the things that are needed and demanded of a champion, that's fine. It all works."

The parade may be over but the Bucs are still in for a heck of a ride.

"It makes a world of difference," Vinatieri said. "Obviously, we know it's a game and it's not life or death. But your life changes for the better winning that one. ... You'd never think it'd be that big of a difference, but I'm sure all the Bucs players will be able to tell you this year for them is going to be amazing. So much fun. They earned it, and no one can take it away from them."