Former Bucs safety John Lynch finally received his gold jacket Friday night, six months to the day he was elected into the Hall Of Fame.
It was a night to remember for the Bucs, Lynch, and his family. Many were on hand to celebrate and plenty chimed in on Twitter, as well. Lynch received his jacket alongside Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Charles Woodson, Drew Pearson, and Alan Faneca. They are the six players inducted into the 2021 class. Tom Flores represents the inducted coach and Bill Nunn, a former scout, represents the inducted contributor.
.@JohnLynch49ers receives his Gold Jacket!#PFHOF21 | @Buccaneers | @Broncos pic.twitter.com/2zjRxHSxn6
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 7, 2021
"There would not be a Tampa 2 defense without John Lynch." –@michaelstrahan
📺: @ProFootballHOF Game on FOX pic.twitter.com/FxUwEl2qCq
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 6, 2021
Thankful and Blessed! #amIdreaming?! pic.twitter.com/idfSop76IN
— John Lynch (@JohnLynch49ers) August 7, 2021
In my mind Donnie Shell and John Lynch were the two best to ever play Strong Safety. They had to do so many different things to make the defense work and they did it over the long haul. Besides being great players they are great men as well. Congratulations & welcome to the HOF! pic.twitter.com/nDhXfDUil0
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) August 6, 2021
My guy! Congrats @JohnLynch49ers. Can’t wait to celebrate this with you and the fam. Love ya, man! https://t.co/VnmtrubeAB
— Rondé Barber (@rondebarber) August 7, 2021
The Bucs drafted Lynch in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played 11 seasons for the Bucs, appearing in 164 games with 132 starts. He racked up 788 total tackles, 23 interceptions, 6.0 sacks, 42 pass break-ups, and seven forced fumbles during his time in Tampa Bay. Lynch is widely considered to be one of the foundational pieces that helped the Bucs make the playoffs five times -which includes the franchise’s first Super Bowl win- from 1997-2002.
The Bucs parted ways with Lynch after the 2003 season. He went on to play four more seasons with the Denver Broncos. He played in 60 games with 59 starts and recorded 271 tackles, three interceptions, 7.0 sacks, 26 pass break-ups, and nine forced fumbles. Lynch also helped the Broncos reach the 2006 AFC Championship game. Overall, Lynch finished with 1,059 tackles, 26 interceptions, 13.0 sacks, 68 pass break-ups, and 16 forced fumbles over the course of his 14-year career.
Be sure to check out Lynch’s enshrinement ceremony on Sunday, August 8. It will be broadcasted live on the NFL Network starting at 6PM EST.
