New HofF inductee John Lynch takes final bow before Bucs fans Having already received his bust and blazer, former Bucs safety John Lynch received his final piece of Pro Football Hall of Fame swag before his old fan base Monday night. Hall of Fame president David Baker presented Lynch - a backbone of the storied Tampa Two defense from 1993-2003 - with his "Ring of Excellence" at halftime. Former teammates and fellow Hall of Famers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks joined Lynch along with Lynch's wife and three daughters on the field. (His son, Jake, plays football at Stanford). "These guys (Sapp and Brooks) are like brothers to me," Lynch told the Raymond James Stadium crowd. "And to join them in a new class ... is something I could never imagine, and it is so cool." Lynch also gave another Hall endorsement to fellow Bucs Ring of Honor member Ronde Barber, reiterating to the former cornerback and three-time first-team All-Pro that "your time is coming buddy." "And most of all, tonight is about the fans here in Tampa," Lynch added. "You guys supported me in the lean times when we were 4-12, when we were 5-11, and the proudest moment in my football life was bringing the Lombardi Trophy back here to Raymond James." Joey Knight, The Tampa Times, published 23 November 2021