The No.31 shirt
It is strange that when you consider that the next number in the
sequence, 32, has seen some of the best players in franchise history
wear it in games, that the No.31 shirt could have such a collection of
nobodies and never-weres. It is though the number of my personalised
Buc jersey as 31 is the number I wore for many seasons in the British Baseball
League.
Hence it is actually quite hard to find a "best to wear it" nomination. It took nearly a decade for 31 to be worn
for more than a couple of games, and even then, Craig Curry was a poor link in a terrible Leeman Bennett-
coached secondary. Jerry Anderson, the first owner, became a hero off the field when he saved two boys
from drowning but sadly died in the process.
Tim Wansley had a terrible off-field attitude and was cut by Jon Gruden after the 2003 season, and Mazio
Royster was one of these players who left college a year early and never recovered. Floyd Young was a
good special teamer and Darryl Pollard once had a 75-yard interception return against Chicago, but that
really is about it.
Two players picked up the 31 jersey during 2006, Derrick Strait who was briefly on the roster early in the
season, and then former Raider 1st round pick Philip Buchanon who held it until 2008 when he joined the
Lions as a free agent.
One of the longest-owning wearers was EJ Biggers who did an OK job in his Buccaneer career and Major
Wright did not do a lot at all in his three seasons in the number. Jordan Whitehead, has had a very
promising fuirst two seasons but then switched numbers leaving it for Antoine Winfield to take over the
number in 2020 and quickly establish himself as the best ever to wear it for the Bucs.
BEST EVER TO WEAR No.31 FOR THE BUCCANEERS - ANTOINE WINFIELD
Click on the player's name for their profile
page, Buccaneer stats and picture galleries
Years
Player
Pos
1978
Jerry Anderson
S
1984
Randy Clark
S
1984-86
Craig Curry
S
1987
Sonny Gordon
S
1990
Rodney Rice
CB
1992-93
Darryl Pollard
CB
1994
Mazio Royster
RB
1997-00
Floyd Young
CB
2002-03
Tim Wansley
CB
2006
Derrick Strait
CB
2006-08
Philip Buchanon
CB
2009-12
EJ Biggers
CB
2014-16
Major Wright
S
2018-19
Jordan Whitehead
S
2020-
Antoine Winfield
S