MVP

Here it is, the final award in this awards season. This is the MVP award, giving to the most valuable player on the Buccaneers. This player displayed leadership, sportsmanship, and without him, the team struggled.

And the Atop the Crow’s Nest award for MVP goes too:

Jeff Garcia and Barrett Ruud!

Although this award show is brand new, we have a first! There was a tie between players, so the award will turn into a co-MVP award, shared by both Jeff Garcia and Barrett Ruud. And why not? Without either of these men, the Bucs would have struggled mightily. Ruud ignored his age and experience, and became the leader of a Buccaneers defense that ranked second in the league. Always there to make a play, Ruud stood out as the true leader among a defense full of veterans. The defense worked as a whole, but Ruud was the glue that held them together. Speaking of veteran leadership, Jeff Garcia brought his over from the Eagles, and rescued a team that was 4-12 a year ago. He missed a few games due to injury, but still had one of the best seasons a Buccaneer quarterback has ever had. When Garcia wasn’t in the lineup, it showed. The offense struggled to gain yards or even put points on the board. With Garcia, the offense exploded, as Garcia led them to 8 wins as a starter. Without these two, the Bucs would have been a completely different team. Not just on offense and defense collectively, but altogether. That’s why they have to share this award, because they were each too valuable to have been blanked in this category. Congratulations, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Ruud!

This ends the 2007 awards seasons for the Buccaneers. Recapping our winners:

Special Teams Player of the Year: Micheal Spurlock
Rookie of the Year: Tanard Jackson
Defensive Player of the Year: Barrett Ruud
Offensive Player of the Year: Jeff Garcia
MVP: Jeff Garcia and Barrett Ruud

Will these men repeat their titles next year (except for Jackson)? We’ll have to wait and see. 2008 is upon us, and the new football season is only 10 months away!