Tampa Bay wide receiver Keenan McCardell caught two touchdown passes: one for the Super Bowl he missed 11 years ago while injured, and one for last night's Super Bowl XXXVII win over Oakland.
McCardell received a ring for Super Bowl XXVI when Washington beat Buffalo in Minneapolis, but in his mind he never counted it. He missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and since then has longed for a ring he felt he earned.
"This validates me," said McCardell, in his first season with the Bucs. "Now I know how those guys (the active Redskins players) felt when they won. It's an unbelievable feeling. I'm numb. When I get back to my hotel room, I'll probably cry like a girl."
The touchdown catches of 5 and 8 yards were the only receptions for the 11-year veteran from UNLV who was a 12th-round draft pick.
On the first one, a 5-yarder, McCardell beat cornerback Charles Woodson in the front right corner of the end zone for a 20-3 lead with 30 seconds left in the half.
On the second touchdown, McCardell looked like a basketball player as he posted up strong safety Anthony Dorsett. He took the 8-yard pass in the middle of the field and used a drop step move to spin around Dorsett into the end zone.
"(Coach) Jon (Gruden) put us in a lot of one-on-one situations," McCardell said. "On that second one, I got one on one with a safety, and any time a receiver sees that, he licks his chops. I should be able to beat a safety one on one."
@breaker:Homecoming king
@b:Life is good if you're Tampa Bay strong safety John Lynch.
The Super Bowl comes to your hometown, where you already are recognized as a multisport star athlete from your days at Torrey Pines High and Stanford.
ABC Television trusts your personality well enough that it chooses you and Oakland future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice
to wear live microphones during the game.
The camera homes in on you repeatedly, including at the end of the game as you celebrate with teammates and hold your son, Jake.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection played his role in a secondary that shut down Oakland's prolific passing game.
"This is so special to spend 10 years in the league and to finally win a championship," Lynch said. "To win it in my hometown makes it even more special. There is a long legacy of athletes from San Diego who've won Super Bowls. Guys like Marcus Allen
and Terrell Davis.
"
@breaker:A sly smile
@b:Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice,
considered light for the NFL at 268 pounds on a 6-foot-5 frame, must have only been feigning concern all the times he was asked about facing Oakland's mammoth offensive linemen.
Rice beat offensive tackle Barry Sims
(6-5, 300) early and often by getting outside him and pressuring quarterback Rich Gannon.
Rice finished with two sacks and five tackles.
"Size only matters if you allow it to," Rice said. "Speed kills. That's the school I come from. I was going to climb Mount Everest if I had to."
@breaker:Best-laid plans
@b:Tampa Bay kicker Martin Gramatica,
who had field goals of 31 and 43 yards to give the Bucs a 6-3 lead, has a confession. Those first couple of short, knuckleball kickoffs that the Bucs covered so well were mistakes.
"I think I was so excited, I mis-hit the first couple," Gramatica said. "But they were working so well, we decided to keep doing it."
