When Tom Brady <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28936050/the-story-split-tom-brady-bill-belichick-patriots">announced</a> in March of 2020 that he was leaving the Patriots and moving to Tampa to try to win another Super Bowl, few people really believed he could do it. The Buccaneers had assembled a decent roster, but Brady was taking over a 7-9 team that had finished in the bottom half of the NFC South for three years running. The Buccaneers taking an aging quarterback who had just killed off his own team&#8217;s playoff run with a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/1/5/21050260/tom-brady-retirement-new-england-patriots-wild-card-loss">pick-six</a> seemed like a punt doomed for failure. 
A year later, it turned out the Buccaneers knew exactly what they were doing.
 The team that thrashed the reigning Super Bowl champions to win the franchise&#8217;s second NFL championship was largely made up of those risks – talented players who needed a better fit and a new system. 
From hiring the retired Bruce Arians as head coach to signing the mercurial Antonio Brown, every risk turned out to be part of a calculated game plan. Come Super Bowl 55, it all paid off. 
The Offense
Tom Brady: Starting this list with anyone but Brady would be ridiculous. Brady wasn&#8217;t the last piece of the Super Bowl puzzle for Tampa, but he was the piece that finally made the picture come together. 
Former number one overall pick Jameis Winston had quarterbacked the Buccaneers for the past five seasons, but his inconsistency had been his undoing, with a ludicrous 33-touchdown-30 interception stat line in 2019 underlining his lack of championship credentials. Brady was the exact opposite, a proven winner with an eye for team management – and taking the chance to sign him was the big break Tampa needed. 
Brady had a near-perfect game in Super Bowl 55, throwing for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and his steady leadership behind the line kept the Buccaneers focused. Unlike Mahomes, his dramatic passing didn&#8217;t steal headlines, but as Michael Rosenberg <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/02/08/tom-brady-super-bowl-lv-mvp">wrote</a> for SI, he made the reads when it counted and allowed the weapons at his disposal to thrive. 
Perhaps just as important as his on-field performance was his mere presence in Tampa, which served as a magnet for players hungry for a tilt at winning a ring with the GOAT.
Rob Gronkowski: &#8220;Gronk&#8221; coming to Tampa was the first of those Brady recruits — and one of the NFL storylines of the year. Drawn out of retirement by the chance to play with his old Patriots teammate once again, he caught two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, and though he didn&#8217;t always thrive throughout the season, he proved to be a crucial part of the championship team. 
Though Gronkowski was a free agent at the start of the year, the Patriots technically still had the rights to him, which the Buccaneers acquired in exchange for a fourth-round pick. A fourth-round pick for 14 points in a Super Bowl? Not a bad deal. 
Leonard Fournette: <a href="https://theathletic.com/2034327/2020/08/31/with-no-trade-market-jaguars-waive-running-back-leonard-fournette-whats-next/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=leonard%20fournette">Released</a> by the Jaguars in August of 2020 after he became increasingly frustrated with the declining franchise, Fournette seemed to be a problematic locker room figure, but Brady wanted to give the running back a shot. Encouraged by Brady, the Buccaneers signed him as a free agent, but Fournette often <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/leonard-fournette-was-almost-cut-by-buccaneers-after-week-14-prior-to-epic-super-bowl-run-bruce-arians-says/">struggled</a> earlier in the season.  
However, Fournette found his groove in the playoffs, rushing for 300 total yards in the postseason and scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
Another Brady pick, Antonio Brown, scored the fourth Buccaneers touchdown of the night – meaning all four of the Buccaneers touchdowns in the Super Bowl came from Brady recruits. 
The Defense: 
As exciting as Tampa&#8217;s offense was, much of the credit for the Super Bowl win has to go to their defense. The Tampa Bay pass rush left Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes no room to breathe, and just like the Brady-designed offense, the defense’s recruitment strategy of smart free agent signings and trades paid dividends once again.
Shaquil Barrett: Barrett&#8217;s name could reasonably have been in the ring for Super Bowl MVP — and again, like most of the players on this list, he signed with Tampa in free agency. When he reached 19.5 sacks to lead the NFL in 2019, it was clear the Bucs had done some good business yet again. 
Jason Pierre-Paul: After eight years in New York playing for the Giants, Pierre-Paul was traded away to the Buccaneers for a third-round pick in 2018. The Giants <a href="https://theathletic.com/2174626/2020/11/02/giants-buccaneers-jason-pierre-paul/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=jason%20pierre%20paul">wanted</a> to free up contract space, but a little less than three years later, it&#8217;s clear who got the better end of the deal. Pierre-Paul quickly slotted into his role on the Buccaneers defense, racking up 30.5 sacks in three years, despite often struggling with injuries. 
Together with Barrett, Pierre-Paul helped form a menacing pass-rush, stifling quarterbacks throughout the playoffs and allowing the Buccaneers the luxury of only rushing four on passing downs. 
Ndamukong Suh: Suh came to Tampa in 2019 with perhaps the best resume of these defensive players, but he only <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/sports/football/tampa-bay-barrett-suh-pierre-paul.html">arrived</a> because the Dolphins released him in 2018 and the Rams let him leave after their Super Bowl run in 2019. Together with Barrett and Pierre-Paul, however, Suh found his rhythm in Tampa, and the band of misfits shredded the Chiefs ramshackle offensive line throughout the entire Super Bowl. 
The Coach
Bruce Arians: Perhaps more than any player on the roster, Bruce Arians defines the story of the 2020 Buccaneers. He had been plotting the Buccaneers&#8217; renaissance since he arrived in Tampa in early 2019, but many <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/08/tampa-bay-buccaneers-bruce-arians">doubted</a> Arians had what it took to actually lead the Buccaneers to success. 
Arians came out of retirement to coach the Buccaneers at the age of 66, but when he won the Super Bowl this year at age 68 (making him the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl), those questions faded away. 
It took a few years, but the Buccaneers did their business and quietly went from 5-11 bottom-dwellers to Super Bowl winners. With Brady seemingly no closer to retirement, Super Bowl 55 might not be the end of their success.

NFL: FEB 07 Super Bowl LV – Chiefs v Buccaneers

Tampa-Ball: How The Buccaneers Built A Roster of Rejects And Misfits And Won A Super Bowl 

Sports

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady

Patrick Mahomes is the poster child of the NFL — optimistic, talented, and entertaining. He seems to have every trick in the book up his sleeve. His talents were on display Sunday night, as the Kansas City Chiefs steamrolled the Bills in the AFC championship, with Mahomes leading his team to their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. 
Until he was <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30759905/kansas-city-chiefs-qb-patrick-mahomes-concussion-protocol-practice-again-friday">cleared</a> from a potential concussion on Friday, however, no one knew if he could play in the pivotal matchup. 
When he struggled to his feet and then trudged off the field one week earlier after taking a massive hit against the Cleveland Browns, it seemed certain that Mahomes had a concussion. For nearly a week, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30736753/kansas-city-chiefs-coach-andy-reid-says-concussion-protocol-patrick-mahomes-returned">no one</a> – from Chiefs Coach Andy Reid to Mahomes himself – had any idea whether the Kansas City superstar would be able to take the field on Sunday. 
In the end, Mahomes was cleared to play after extensive tests. Two days later, he and the Chiefs thrashed the Bills in front of a socially-distanced crowd at Arrowhead Stadium. While Mahomes was clearly ecstatic as he closed in on a victory, we should acknowledge that we witnessed something far more important than the clinching of a Super Bowl berth. The fact that the enforcement of the league’s protocols came anywhere close to resulting in the benching of its flagship quarterback for a championship game means that the NFL is starting to prove – finally – that it&#8217;s committed to taking concussions seriously. 
It’s been a long time coming. 
The current <a href="https://www.nfl.com/playerhealthandsafety/health-and-wellness/player-care/concussion-protocol-return-to-participation-protocol">concussion protocol</a> is rigorous, with players required to go through various stages of testing. If they are diagnosed with a concussion, they go through five steps of recovery before an independent physician can confirm a player has recovered sufficiently. Last week, doctors weren’t sure whether Mahomes had a concussion or not. But, according to the Washington Post, his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/01/19/nfl-patrick-mahomes-concussion-protocols/">stumbling</a> after being hit could have been a symptom of a concussion, and sideline doctors made the call to take him out of the game. However, Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid knew that not so long ago, Mahomes might have just shaken off the hit and stayed on the field. 
“There was a chance back in the day that Patrick comes back in (the game),” Reid <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30736753/kansas-city-chiefs-coach-andy-reid-says-concussion-protocol-patrick-mahomes-returned">said</a> on Monday. “You saw him run up the tunnel. By the time he got to that point, he was feeling pretty good. But there’s a certain protocol you have to follow and that takes it out of the trainer’s hand and the player’s hand and the doctor’s hand.”
Unfortunately, “back in the day” really isn’t that long ago. As the medical impact of concussions has been researched, and the long-term effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) on football players’ brains (such as one famous 2017 study <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2645104">finding</a> evidence of CTE in the brains of 110 of 111 former NFL players) have been explored, the NFL has been forced to address some of the dangers of football by changing its practices.
For example, as the Boston Globe <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2018/03/07/here-how-nfl-concussion-protocol-really-works/QyXfXdadpOB1nL1mfX4pOP/story.html">covered</a> in 2018, the NFL has gradually increased the number of concussion specialist staff at all games across the past decade to avoid missing concussions. Every stadium has two ATC (trained athletic trainers) spotters who watch live video feeds for possible concussions, and three independent UNCs (unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants). However, even with such administrative changes, protocols have often lagged behind in application. 
The NFL’s current concussion protocol was <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/09/16/nfl-concussion-protocol-policy-history">instituted</a> in 2013. Only two years later, Rams quarterback Case Keenum kept playing in a 2015 game against the Ravens after suffering a serious concussion, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/11/29/case-keenum-concussion-review-could-prompt-changes-to-nfl-protocol/">highlighting</a> just how easy it was for a player to slip through the new system. Then, in 2017, Texans quarterback Tom Savage <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/11/sports/football/tom-savage-houston-texans-concussion.html?action=click&amp;module=RelatedCoverage&amp;pgtype=Article&amp;region=Footer">kept playing</a> after a hit left him on the ground, hands trembling (a major concussion symptom). In response, scrutiny was increased further.
More changes came — such as new <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24743994/really-changed-nfl-call-action-concussions">rules</a> to avoid large collisions on kick returns — and concussions <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jan/24/nfl-concussions-decline-injury-report-2018#:~:text=There%2520was%2520a%252024%2525%2520decline,every%2520third%2520game%2520in%25202017.">did decrease</a> between the 2017 and 2018 seasons after the NFL announced a “<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22603654/nfl-doctor-says-rising-concussion-numbers-sparks-call-action">call to action</a>” regarding the damaging consequences of concussions. But moments like Keenum’s concussion — where professional athletes continue to play through ignorance or dismissal of concussion protocols — serve as an ongoing test of the efficacy of the league’s protocols. 
In 2021, Mahomes’ injury was an example of such a test, and the fact that both Mahomes and Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson were removed from their respective games for potential concussions indicates that the NFL is — slowly — making progress. 
Many current and former players have come out in support of the changes. In an interview with TMZ last week, Brett Favre <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/01/19/brett-favre-patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs-afc-championship/">voiced</a> concern for Mahomes following his potential injury while discussing his own health.
“When you’re in the moment, and you’re young, (you think) you’re bulletproof, man,” Favre said. “But, I’m 51 years old and I’m wondering what tomorrow will bring because of concussions more than anything.”
Thankfully, the system seems to have worked this time. The decision wasn’t Reid’s or Mahomes’ to make, and the doctors and neurologists responsible made the call that Mahomes was free to play. He looked as bright as ever Sunday evening, and now a second consecutive Super Bowl is on the horizon for the 25-year-old, aided by the confidence of having passed concussion protocols.
Doctors have been crying out for change for years – and at long last, the NFL seems to be listening.

Patrick Mahomes

The Evolution Of The NFL’s Concussion Protocols

Readers Pass

An enduring legend who changed the face of baseball forever when he shattered Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 (a record he would hold for 33 years), Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer Henry “Hank” Aaron died this month, aged 86. 
Following in Jackie Robinson’s footsteps, Aaron climbed his way from the “Negro leagues” — a collection of professional baseball leagues comprising of African Americans — to the pinnacle of Major League Baseball, smashing records left and right while enduring torrents of racial abuse as he cemented his place among baseball’s greats.  
Though no cause of death was mentioned, Braves chairman Terry McGuirk <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30759123/long-home-run-king-hank-aaron-dies-86">confirmed</a> Aaron’s death in a statement Friday. 
“We are absolutely devastated by the passing of our beloved Hank,” McGuirk said. “He was a beacon for our organization first as a player, then with player development, and always with our community efforts. His incredible talent and resolve helped him achieve the highest accomplishments, yet he never lost his humble nature. Henry Louis Aaron wasn’t just our icon, but one across Major League Baseball and around the world.”
Aaron truly was an icon — and a few of his greatest career highlights, performed often in the face of the vicious racial tensions of the Civil Rights era, testify to his place in the pantheon of baseball legends. 
April 13, 1954 — Major League debut 
Determined to be a baseball star from a young age, Aaron spent barely a <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30759337/hank-aaron-lasting-impact-measured-more-home-runs">month</a> with the Negro American League Indianapolis Clowns before major league scouts realized his potential, according to ESPN. When he signed with the then-Boston Braves in 1952, his talent was clear — and an injury to outfielder Bobby Thomson gave him his big break to start for the Milwaukee Braves on April 13, 1954 (the Braves had moved to Milwaukee in 1953). His first major league <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/sports/baseball/hank-aaron-dead.html">homer</a> would come 10 days later against the St. Louis Cardinals — and he never looked back. 
October 10, 1957 — The World Series 
Aaron would only win one World Series in his storied career, achieving that ultimate goal in the 1957 World Series. Only three years after making his major league debut, Aaron smashed in three home runs and hit .393 over seven games to seal one of the greatest seasons of his life with a trophy as the Braves trounced the Yankees and won the second World Series in their history. Throughout that historic season, he tallied 44 home runs, 132 RBIs and 369 bases, winning the NL MVP award for the only time in his career.  
July 14, 1968 — 500 dingers and counting 
As the 1960s went by, Aaron’s competition with other greats of the time like Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle started to take shape as his hitting prowess increased, but according to ESPN, many people thought <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30759337/hank-aaron-lasting-impact-measured-more-home-runs">Mays</a> would end up more likely to threaten Ruth’s home run record. But when Aaron <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/hank-aaron-career-timeline">nailed</a> a home run off Giants pitcher Mike McCormick over the Atlanta Stadium left-field wall to reach his 500th home run (the Braves had moved to Atlanta in 1966), the seminal achievement of his career began to loom on the horizon. By 1971, his tally would be at 639, and eyes around the nation began to turn to the star from Mobile as he marched toward Ruth’s record. 
April 8, 1974 — Aaron surpasses Babe Ruth as the greatest home run hitter in baseball history 
There can be no question — April 8 wasn’t just the greatest moment of Aaron’s career. It ranks as one of the greatest moments in baseball, no — sports — history. Receiving regular death threats from baseball fans furious that Aaron, a black star, could surpass Ruth’s legacy, Aaron edged ever closer to Ruth’s record of 714 home runs as racial turmoil continued to divide the country. He equaled it on April 4, with Vice President Gerald R. Ford congratulating him after the game. Then the fateful <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/sports/baseball/hank-aaron-dead.html">moment</a> came — a home matchup against the Dodgers. Aaron slammed a 400-foot homer over the wall of Atlanta Stadium, sending the fans into raptures and an 11-minute standing ovation, according to The New York Times. Aaron didn’t just pass Ruth’s record that day. He solidified his place as one of the greatest baseball players ever to play the game. 
July 20, 1976 — No. 755  
Aaron moved back to Milwaukee after the 1974 season to play for the Milwaukee Brewers, and his career would gradually draw to a close over the next few years. He sent one last home run (his 755th, to be exact) hurtling into the stands in 1976 and retired later that year, completing one of the greatest careers in baseball history. Aaron’s record of 755 homers would be passed by Giants star Barry Bonds in 2007, but in many baseball fans’ eyes, Bonds’ steroids scandal leaves Aaron’s record intact to this day. 
August 1, 1982 — Entry into the Hall of Fame 
Six years after his retirement, Aaron was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving the second-highest voting percentage ever at the time, with his 97.8% of votes only ranking behind Ty Cobb’s 98.2% when he was inducted. Regardless of Bonds’ status as the record holder, Aaron’s Hall of Fame career still stands today as an example of determination in the face of adversity, and his consistency (hitting <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-atlanta-braves-hank-aaron-coronavirus-pandemic-0fa32aff826d18bbeb9efedd42cd81a2">at least</a> 20 home runs in 20 consecutive seasons, according to the Associated Press) earned him an undeniable place in baseball legend. In 1999 the MLB created the Hank Aaron award to honor the top hitter in each league, and in 2002 President George W. Bush honored Aaron with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, testifying to Hammerin’ Hank’s monumental contribution to American sports history.  
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John Nekrasov

Tampa-Ball: How The Buccaneers Built A Roster of Rejects And Misfits And Won A Super Bowl

The Evolution Of The NFL’s Concussion Protocols

6 Moments That Defined Hank Aaron’s Record-Breaking Career