1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

The 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 9-7 season, having made the playoffs 2 of the last 3 years. The season was shortened by a players stike. Tampa Bay resumed play with an 0-2 record after two close losses, and made it 0-3 with a 9-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. But then the Bucs gave birth to their 1982 nickname, The Cardiac Kids, so named for their ability to secure victory from the most unlikely and improbable of situations. The played their next game on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins and won on a strong running game, starting a streak of 5 wins in their last 6 games. The final margin of victories were only 6,3,1,2, and 3 points. Against the Buffalo Bills, they only secured the win after Lee Roy Selmon Hall of Fame Defensive end, caused a fumble on the Bucs 26 yard line with only minutes left in the game with Tampa leading by 1. Placekicker Bill Capece kicked game winning Field Goals over Detroit and Chicago in the last two games of the season at Tampa Stadium after trailing in both games by double digits. They lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1982 playoffs where they were the victims of some controversial calls by the officials. This was the last year Tampa Bay would appear in the playoffs with their Orange Uniforms, and with the loss of QB Doug Williams to the USFL, the start of 14 straight losing seasons, including 13 with double digit loss.

Offseason

The Sean Farrell Draft Gaffe

The Buccaneers may be the only team in history to actually select the wrong player in the draft. Deliberating between selecting Penn State guard Sean Farrell and Bethune-Cookman defensive end Booker Reese, Buccaneer staff saw that negotiations with Farrell's agents would be difficult, and decided to pick Reese. Due to a faulty speakerphone, their representative in New York failed to get the message to draft Reese, and instead turned in the card with Farrell's name on it.^[1] The Bucs were so enamored of Reese that they traded their 1983 first-round pick for the Chicago Bears' 1982 2nd-round pick to be able to select him. Farrell wound up starting 59 games over 5 years with the Bucs. Reese started only 7 games in three seasons. After a 1984 arrest, he was sent to the Los Angeles Rams for a 12th-round draft pick.^[2] The Bears used the Bucs' pick to select star receiver Willie Gault.^[3]

NFL Draft

^[4][5]

The 2nd-round pick was obtained from the Chicago Bears in exchange for the Bears' 1983 1st-round pick. The Buccaneers' original 2nd-round pick had been traded to the Miami Dolphins as part of a trade for cornerback Norris Thomas. Their 4th-round pick and their second pick in the 3rd round came from the San Diego Chargers, in trades for RB Ricky Bell and LB David Lewis. The Bucs' original 4th-round pick was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for DE Dave Stalls.^[5]

Regular season

Schedule

Standings

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1982 Roster

Playoffs

NFC First Round

• Dallas Cowboys 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

The Cowboys had 445 yards of total offense, while their defense held Buccaneers quarterback Doug Williams to just 8 of 28 completions for 113 yards and intercepted him 3 times. Dallas running back Tony Dorsett rushed for 110 yards, while kicker Rafael Septien made 3 field goals.

Awards and honors

• Lee Roy Selmon, All-Pro selection
• Lee Roy Selmon, Pro Bowl selection
• Lee Roy Selmon, Co-Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player

References

• Buccaneers on Pro Football Reference