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| James Wilder was a productive runningback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1980s.. Source: https://bucsreport.com/2016/10/07/ james-wilder-sr-to-be-inducted-into-missouris-hall-of-fame/ (May be subject to copyright) |
But this is more a story of the father than the son. It’s a story of a man, who played for the first ever NFL team I called my favourite – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Carrying the ball for the Bucs when their uniforms still resembled more a creamsicle than a jersey, was James Wilder.
This is his football journey with a team that was terrible but showed glimpses of brilliance.
Playoff bound
The first year I watched NFL football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on TV virtually every week. They had been the worst team in the NFL, going winless as an expansion team at 0-14 in 1976, and faring not much better in the succeeding seasons going 2-12 and 5-11 in 1977 and 1978.
The first year I watched NFL football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on TV virtually every week. They had been the worst team in the NFL, going winless as an expansion team at 0-14 in 1976, and faring not much better in the succeeding seasons going 2-12 and 5-11 in 1977 and 1978.
Yet, a renaissance was dawning in Florida. The Buccaneers had built a nucleus of talent on both sides of the ball, and had become competitive. Defensively they were led by college standout linebacker Leroy Selmon and his brothers Lucious and Dewey. Offensively, they had Rickey Bell at runningback, receiver Kevin House, tight end Jimmie Giles, and leading them all was young and improving quarterback Doug Williams. He was the reason I loved the Bucs – he had a strong arm, almost too strong, and was one of the only African-American quarterbacks in the NFL. I always cheered for an under dog, and hated racism, so Williams ticked all the boxes.
They were still coached by John McKay who had made his name coaching the USC Trojans. I always remembered his hat, which looked like the same hat Gilligan wore on “Gilligan’s Island”.
As Williams matured at quarterback, Bell rushed for 1,000 yards and the defence gelled into the best in the league, the Buccaneers won the NFC Central title in 1979 with a 10-6 record. They beat Philadelphia in the NFC Divisional Game and lost 9-0 to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game after Williams was knocked out of the game with an arm injury.
They plummeted to 5-10-1 to open the ‘80s, then won the NFC Central for a second time in three years in 1981 losing to Dallas in the NFC Divisional Game. They again qualified for the playoffs in the strike-plagued 1982 season where they again lost to Dallas in the first round.
It was in that 1981 season the Buccaneers started a rookie runningback they took in the 1981 draft, who would assume full-time duties in 1982.
His name was James Wilder.
Franchise best
James Wilder starred three season for the Missouri Tigers, leading them to three straight bowl games from 1978 to 1980, rushing for 2,357 yards and 22 touchdowns on 487 carries. He also caught 59 passes for 412 yards and two touchdowns.
James Wilder starred three season for the Missouri Tigers, leading them to three straight bowl games from 1978 to 1980, rushing for 2,357 yards and 22 touchdowns on 487 carries. He also caught 59 passes for 412 yards and two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers took him in the second round and played him sparingly in his 1981 rookie season, where he rushed for 370 yards and four touchdowns on 107 carries. He proved to be a productive receiver out of the backfield, catching 48 passes for 507 yards and a touchdown. That type of production would continue.
He followed that up in 1982 with 324 yards and three touchdowns on 83 carries, as well as 53 receptions for 466 yards and a touchdown. Then he had 640 yards and four touchdowns on 161 carries and 57 receptions for 380 yards and two touchdowns in 1983.
Wilder’s career took off in 1984, when he rushed for 1,544 yards and 13 touchdowns on 407 carries. He also had 85 receptions for 685 yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl and came within 16 yards of setting the league record for most combined rushing and receiving yards with 2,229 yards. He set NFL records with 43 carries in a single game, and total carries at 407, which have both since been broken. He also set a record for most touches in a season with 492, that still stands.
He would have a second straight 1,000-yard season in 1985 with 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns on 365 carries, plus 53 receptions for 341 yards.
James Wilder would go on to play the entire decade, from 1981 to 1989 in Tampa Bay, before closing out his NFL career in 1990 where he split time between Washington and Detroit.
His final stats in Tampa Bay were 5,957 yards and 37 touchdowns on 1,575 carries, and 430 receptions for 3,492 yards and nine touchdowns.
According to Wikipedia he ranks first in Buccaneers history in rushing yards, rushing attempts and receptions, although the reception record has since been passed by Mike Evans.
However, the Buccaneers fell to the ranks of the worst teams in the NFL, not winning another division, qualifying for the playoffs or finishing better than 6-10 from 1983 on through the rest of the decade.
Junior
Carrying the football must be in the genes in the Wilder family. James Wilder junior would play for the Florida State Seminoles from 2011 to 2013, and was part of the team that won the national championship after the 2013 season.
Carrying the football must be in the genes in the Wilder family. James Wilder junior would play for the Florida State Seminoles from 2011 to 2013, and was part of the team that won the national championship after the 2013 season.
He bounced around the NFL until 2017 when he came north to the CFL and the Toronto Argonauts where he helped the Boatmen win the 2017 Grey Cup.
Awaiting James Wilder junior was Toronto Head Coach Mark Trestman, who was an assistant coach with the Tampa Buccaneers in 1987 where he coached – James Wilder senior.
Like father, like son, they both played for Trestman.
Parting thoughts
When the Tampa Buccaneers won the Super Bowl a couple months ago, I was thinking back to that time I cheered for the Bucs back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Names such as Doug Williams, Leroy Selmon, Ricky Bell – and James Wilder came to mind.
When the Tampa Buccaneers won the Super Bowl a couple months ago, I was thinking back to that time I cheered for the Bucs back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Names such as Doug Williams, Leroy Selmon, Ricky Bell – and James Wilder came to mind.
James Wilder was a tough player who had the misfortune of joining the Buccaneers just before they began a tailspin that took them to the bottom of the standings.
Yet he was a work horse both rushing and receiving, and did everything he could to help his team win.
Even if he never won a championship, it seems he instilled toughness, durability and the other values needed to win in his son who won college and CFL championships.
The football journey of James Wilder was complete.
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