Chris Simms’ NFL initiation didn’t come on the practice field or in a meeting room. It arrived the moment Jon Gruden told Simms to introduce himself to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ veterans, a rite of passage Simms quickly learned was anything but ceremonial.
“I stick my hand out, and Sapp goes, ‘Get the f— away from me,’” Simms recalled, laughing now at what felt like a shocking first interaction with Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp. But with time and experience, Simms came to believe that moment wasn’t entirely spontaneous.
When @CSimmsQB got to the Bucs, @BarstoolGruden told him to introduce himself to the vets. So he went to go shake Warren Sapp's hand.
"I stick my hand out, and Sapp goes 'Get the f— away from me'."
"Did Gruden know that was gonna happen? I think he probably did." pic.twitter.com/ESv5mZzHWc
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) December 9, 2025
“Did Gruden know that was gonna happen? I think he probably did,” Simms quipped.
The exchange encapsulates the era Simms entered. Gruden pushing buttons, veterans testing newcomers, and a locker room defined by the presence of icons like Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber. Tampa Bay’s culture, demanding, unforgiving, and built on accountability, forged some of the franchise’s greatest players and sustained the Bucs during one of the most successful stretches in team history.
Grit and humor defined this era of Buccaneers football
Those expectations extended far beyond personal interactions. Tampa Bay’s roster-building success, especially in the third round, helped cement the foundation of a championship defense. Lynch and Barber became two of the most celebrated mid-round hits in NFL history, later earning gold jackets after rewriting the franchise record book. Their careers, like Sapp’s, were reminders that toughness wasn’t optional in Tampa. It was the standard.
Simms eventually earned his own place in that lineage, becoming one of only two quarterbacks the Buccaneers ever selected in the third round. His tenure overlapped with the end of Tampa Bay’s dominant defensive era, a time when veterans still served as gatekeepers to the franchise’s identity.
And while the Bucs continue evolving, with a new generation chasing another playoff run, stories like Simms’ endure because they capture what made Tampa Bay Tampa Bay. A blend of personality, pressure, and purpose, often delivered with a hit of Sapp-sized intimidation.
