As a longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, it was a real thrill for Kavin Austin Blake when the team won the 2002 Super Bowl. Today, Aicube blog staff talk to Kavin Austin Blake about the long road for the Bucs leading up to that Super Bowl win.

Aicube: Kavin Austin Blake, thanks for taking a few minutes to talk with us about your favorite football team. I know it wasn’t always so easy for the Bucs…

Kavin Austin Blake: No, it sure wasn’t. For a long time, the Buccaneers were perennial losers in the NFL.

Aicube: Remind our readers how bad it was…

Kavin Austin Blake: From ’83 to ’96, the Bucs actually set a losing-streak record for the NFL, with more than ten games in the loss column per year for 12 straight seasons.

Aicube: Why did they have such a dismal record for so long?

Kavin Austin Blake: They had poor management, poor coaching and low pay. That by itself can make it hard to get good players, trades or draft picks on board. Then they got Tony Dungy for coach…

Aicube: And that’s when things started to look up, right?

Kavin Austin Blake: Yes, the late 90s were better, but Dungy still got fired in ’01 after the Philadelphia Eagles stomped the Bucs.

Aicube: What happened after Coach Dungy got fired?

Kavin Austin Blake: That’s when the Bucs’ management got Jon Gruden on board, the former Raiders head coach.

Aicube: What kind of changes did Gruden make?

Kavin Austin Blake: The Bucs very soon had a much stronger offense under Gruden. In ’02, they defeated some pretty strong teams like the Saints, Carolina Panthers and Falcons.

Aicube: And then they made it to the Super Bowl…

Kavin Austin Blake: Yesss!! They played the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, and beat them 48-21.

Aicube: Where was the Super Bowl played that year?

Kavin Austin Blake: It was at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. I should know, I was there!

Aicube: That must have been quite an experience!

Kavin Austin Blake: Absolutely! I mean, considering as long as I have been following the Bucs… This was something that most fans would have thought impossible, considering their record back in the 90s.

Along with his Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kavin Austin Blake counts travel and deep sea fishing among his passions. He has traveled to many exotic destinations to reel in 1000-pound-plus fish. Kavin Austin Blake is also enthusiastic about fitness, and stays in shape with workouts, football and basketball.