In 2009, former Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice spoke repeatedly about returning to the team with which he once won a Super Bowl. He called himself a “super hero with no one to save,” and he claimed in June of that year that he had drawn some interest from the Jets.
Eventually, Rice signed with the UFL, and he had one unremarkable season there.
Two years later, Rice is still talking about playing for the Buccaneers again.
“All I know is my services are ready if they’re ready,’’ Rice, 37, told Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune. “When Raheem smartens up before I turn 40, whenever they need a guy off the edge, just call.’‘
Kaufman says Rice was “half-kidding.” Frankly, Rice should be full-kidding. It’s over. In his heart, he knows it.
And, to his credit, he’s moved on. His comments came after the screening of his 30-minute short film, When I Was King, at the Gasparilla Film Festival in Hyde Park.
Perhaps his goal in talking about playing for the Bucs was to get some buzz for his movie. If so, it worked.