Tampa Bay Buccaneers Legend John Lynch Named One of NFL's Greatest Safeties

Buccaneers fans already knew it, but John Lynch was one of the best safties the NFL has ever seen.

Aug 8, 2021; Canton, Ohio, USA; Inductee John Lynch (left) and presenter son Jake Lynch (right) pose with the bust of John during the Class of 2021 NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Before he was helping put together Super Bowl-caliber teams for the San Francisco 49ers, former NFL safety John Lynch was doing it on the field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While he was at times shaded from the spotlight by other legendary Buccaneers players on the team's first Super Bowl roster, Lynch's contributions and value were never doubted or discounted by those who cheered on or covered the team closely.

Still, there were times where Tampa Bay loyalists would have to remind outsiders of the impact Lynch had on arguably the best defense the NFL has ever seen. Those impacts helped Lynch become a Super Bowl Champion, got him enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and landed him No. 11 on Ian Valentino's best safeties of all-time list for 33rd Team.

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Aug 8, 2021; Canton, Ohio, USA; Inductee John Lynch (left) and presenter son Jake Lynch (right) pose with the bust of John during the Class of 2021 NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

"What made Lynch so special was his ability to impact the game in every phase and role he was in."

- Ian Valentino on John Lynch

"John Lynch was impactful enough to make the Ring of Honor for both Tampa Bay and Denver (Broncos). The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Hall of Famer earned four All-Pro and nine Pro Bowl nominations throughout his 15-year career," Valentino says. "What made Lynch so special was his ability to impact the game in every phase and role he was in. Mostly a box defender and strong safety in Tampa Bay, Lynch starred with his physicality and ability to finish plays. With 788 tackles, six sacks, seven forced fumbles and 23 interceptions in 11 years with the Buccaneers, he defined a dominant unit that also had Ronde Barber, Warren Sapp, and Derrick Brooks."

Lynch, born in Illinois, attended high school and college in California before being drafted into the NFL and heading to Florida, and ultimately played his last official snaps in the league in Colorado with the Broncos.

He's as traveled as he is accomplished, and even though he's built an NFC rival to the Buccaneers these days as the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, there are undoubtedly members of the fan base who turn their cheers towards the West Coast if and when their favorite team is eliminated from championship contention.

Because that's the kind of treatment you get when you're one of the best the league has ever seen.

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