CLAIM TO FAME: After a stellar high school career at Gibbs in St. Petersburg and an outstanding college career at Tulane, which included leading the Green Wave to a 12-0 season as a senior, King made a storybook NFL debut. Drafted by his hometown team, King played in the final six games of his rookie season and started five. The Bucs won five of those six and reached the NFC Championship Game. Perhaps King's greatest moment was Dec. 6, 1999, when he made his first career start in a Monday night game against the Vikings. King was 11-of-19 for 93 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-17 win. In the second round of the playoffs, five weeks later, King's acrobatic touchdown pass to tight end John Davis with 7:29 left gave the Bucs a 14-13 win over the Redskins and a place in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams. Off the field, King has remained dedicated to his roots by keeping homes in Tampa and St. Petersburg. A young man who isn't afraid to speak out on his Christian faith, King has kept close ties to the community and was given the key to the city of St. Petersburg in February 2003. In 2000, King launched a program called King's Dream, which focused on educating children on the civil rights movement. The program culminated in King taking about 20 children on a tour of famous civil rights monuments in Birmingham, Montgomery and Atlanta. In January, King relaunched the program, turning its focus to opening the minds of middle and high school students from the Northside Teen Center to the political processes of local, national and international government. The three-year program, which will feature 12 classes per year, will culminate in a field trip to Tallahassee the first year and Washington the second year. At the end of the third year, King plans to take the group to the United Nations headquarters in New York and NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "He's a very driven person, and that's from a mental and physical standpoint. I'll say this, his drive is second to none."
- Bucs defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, one of King's close friends.
DID YOU KNOW?: After an electric first season and subpar second year, King has had little opportunity to show his ability. But coaches say that the past two seasons King's understanding of the game and work ethic have been outstanding. That might explain his performance in the 2003 preseason, during which he was 46-of-63 for 430 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. In spot duty during the regular season, King went 15-of-22 for 130 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: An unrestricted free agent on March 3, King wants an opportunity to start in the NFL and would love to do it in his hometown. But with starter Brad Johnson entrenched and rookie Chris Simms the heir apparent, King's run in Tampa Bay may be coming to an end. He plans to test the free-agent market.
WORDS TO LIVE BY: "I've always felt that we're blessed to be who we are. That everything I have is a blessing. Because of that, I know to whom much is given, much is expected. So, I try to pass on those blessings to others and take advantage of the opportunities I have to do that."
