BUCS

Rice Has Harsh Words For Gruden

By IRA KAUFMAN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jul 27, 2007

CELEBRATION - Simeon Rice may not be healthy enough to sack a quarterback, but he took down a head coach Thursday.

Hours after the Buccaneers cut the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, Rice reflected on his six years in Tampa and sharply questioned the sincerity of Coach Jon Gruden.

"He's the phoniest [expletive] in the world," said Rice, who helped the Gruden-led 2002 Bucs to a Super Bowl title and registered 69.5 sacks in his six years in Tampa. "Jon Gruden didn't have the decency, after all these years and all we've been through together, to talk to me face to face. I know he's happy today."

General Manager Bruce Allen informed Rice of his release on reporting day after the 33-year-old veteran failed a club physical. Rice acknowledged he is not fully recovered from surgery to repair an injured left shoulder that limited him to eight starts last year.

"The only fall-off year I had came when I was hurt," he said. "I came here for a million dollars in 2001. I took a pay cut to come to Tampa just to show the world what I could do, and I'm going to come back full throttle. I'm still not 100 percent. I played two games last year with one arm and I'm not right yet. If another team out there respects me, I'll be right in three or four weeks.

"I'm the most consistent thing they ever had in Tampa. I'm excited about the future, because I believe in me. I always bet on black, baby. The next step is to let my body heal up and then I'll be a maniac. I'm an ageless wonder."

Rice said he was heading back to his native Chicago to complete his rehab before seeking a new employer.

"Whoever gets me is gonna be happy," said Rice, who is No. 3 in sacks in franchise history behind Lee Roy Selmon and Warren Sapp. "I'll be grabbing my crown back. I'll miss [Derrick] Brooks, Brian Kelly, Ronde Barber … those are my guys forever."

Former Bucs defensive lineman Dewayne White, who signed with Detroit as a free agent in the offseason, hopes to be reunited with Rice.

"Sim was a great mentor for me and a great leader," White said. "The guy's a future Hall of Famer, a guy who leads by example. If you're willing to follow his pace, you can do great things. Wouldn't that be something if Simeon ended up here? That would be awesome."

Rice has often spoken of his immense respect for Lions second-year coach Rod Marinelli, who guided Tampa Bay's defensive line from 1996-2005.

"I love Rod, I love [secondary coach] Raheem Morris and ownership's been great down in Tampa," Rice said. "Monte Kiffin and I may have had our differences, but we did big things together. Now it's time for me to really step on the gas.

"All the Bucs did today was give me an adrenaline shot in my arm."

Reporter Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833 or ikaufman@tampatrib.com.