BUCCANEERS FACE THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS IN SUPER BOWL 55 THIS
SUNDAY.
THE CHIEFS WERE JUST IN
THE BIG GAME LAST YEAR,
BUT IT'S BEEN 18 YEARS
SINCE THE BUCCANEERS
WERE THERE.
AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL
55, CHASE BIEFELDT LOOKS
BACK AT SUPER BOWL 37
WITH IDAHO NATIVE AND
FORMER BUCS OFFENSIVE
LINE COACH, MICHAEL
CHRISTIANSON.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING A
PART OF A SUPER BOWL
WINNING
WINNING TEAM? WELL IT WAS PRETTY SURREAL, THAT'S FOR
SURE. I MEAN I DIDN'T
REALLY EXPECT IT TO
HAPPEN IN MY FIRST YEAR
IN THE NFL AFTER
COACHING IN COLLEGE
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
AND HAVING THAT KIND
OF OPPORTUNITY. THERE'S
AN OLD ADAGE THAT
DEFENSE WINS
CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND
THAT WAS DEFINITELY THE
CASE FOR US. IT WAS A
WHIRLWIND. THAT WAS
ACTUALLY A YEAR THAT
THE
THE BUCCS
THE BUCCS DIDN'T HAVE A BI WEEK, SO WE WENT RIGHT FROM THE NFC
CHAMPIONSHIP TO THE
SUPER BOWL WHICH
MADE IT EVEN MORE
SURREAL.
WHAT'S YOUR FONDEST
MEMORY OF BEING A PART
OF THAT FRANCHISE?
"THE WIN AT THE END OF
THE GAME, THERE'S A
PICTURE OF ALL THE
BUCCS STANDING AT THE
PODIUM. IT'S KINDA LIKE A
GAME OF WHERE'S
WALDO, YOU CAN JUST
FIND EVERYONE THAT'S IN
THERE. THAT WAS PRETTY
AMAZING. GIVING MY
FAMILY A HUG AT THE END
OF THE GAME AND
REALIZING, AS A COACH,
THAT'S THE PINNACLE OF
WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO
GET TO AND WE JUST
SUCCEEDED AND DID IT."
"HOLDING THE VINCE
LOMBARDI
LOMBARDI TROPHY, IT'S JUST A BIG HUNK OF
SILVER
SILVER BUT JUST THE PRESTIGE AND HONOR OF BEING THERE. AND THE
COOL PART IS, THE
COACHES NAMES ARE
ETCHED ON THE TROPHY
ALONG WITH THE
OWNERSHIP, SO THAT'S
SITTING IN CANTON, OHIO
AND THAT'S PRETTY COOL.
WHENEVER I SEE THAT
THING, IT GIVES ME
GOOSEBUMPS AND LITTLE
OF CHILLS."
OF CHILLS."
IT'S
IT'S KIND
IT'S KIND OF A SPECTACLE OF NFL HISTORY, HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN JUST
COMING IN AT THAT AGE
AND WINNING A
SUPERBOWL. WHAT WAS
THAT LIKE WORKING WITH
HIM?
"HE'S A SERIOUS GUY AND
HE'S GRINDER AND LIKES
TO WORK. I TELL
EVERYBODY THIS STORY
ALL THE TIME, IT'S PRETTY
FUNNY.
FUNNY. THE FIRST DAY WE GOT THERE AS A STAFF, I SHOWED UP AT 6 O'
CLOCK IN THE MORNING
AND I BEAT EVERYBODY
ELSE EXCEPT FOR HIM.
AND HE WAS IN MY OFFICE
WAITING FOR ME AND
ASKED WHY I WASN'T
THERE AT 4:30 WHEN HE
WAS THERE. SO I LEARNED
REAL QUICK THAT I
NEEDED TO BE AROUND
HIM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
AND LEARN AS MUCH
FOOTBALL AS I COULD."
WHAT IS THE ONE THING
THAT STILL STICKS OUT TO
YOU ABOUT THE TAMPA
BAY BUCCANEERS TO THIS
DAY?
"THE DEFENSE. WE DID A
GREAT JOB. IT'S BETTER TO
BE
BE LUCKY
BE LUCKY THAN TO BE GOOD, AND WE HAD A PHENOMENAL DEFENSE
THAT STAYED HEALTHY
WITH DERRICK BROOKS,
WARREN SAPP, AND
SIMEON RICE GUYS LIKE
THAT ON DEFENSE. WHEN
YOU'RE PLUS-13 IN THE
TURNOVER MARGIN,
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
SUCCESS. AND THAT WAS
IT FOR US."
WHAT'S THE SPECTACLE
OF THIS YEAR'S
SUPERBOWL IN YOUR
EYES?
"AS A FORMER BUC AND A
MEMBER OF THAT 2002-
2003 SUPER BOWL, I'M A
LITTLE JEALOUS. IT'S THE
FIRST TEAM IN NFL
HISTORY TO ACTUALLY
PLAY A SUPER BOWL IN
THEIR HOME STADIUM,
AND MAN, THE FANS AT
TAMPA ARE GREAT."
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO HAVE AN
UNBIASED ANSWER HERE,
BUT WHAT ARE YOU
HOPING TO COME FROM
THIS SUPER BOWL?
"FOR ME, I'M GOING TO
ROOT FOR THE BUCS, BUT
IN THE END I'M JUST
HOPING FOR A GOOD
GAME. YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT A GUY WHO'S 43
YEARS OLD IN TOM BRADY
AND LEADING ANOTHER
TEAM TO A SUPER BOWL
AND
AND A
AND A CHANCE TO WIN IT. I CAN'T EVEN COUNT HOW MANY HE'S WON,
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT
THE YOUNG UPSTART. FOR
ME, THE BIG STORYLINE IS
GOING TO BE THESE TWO
QUARTERBACKS AND HOW
THEY PLAY AGAINST EACH
OTHER AND WHO RISES
TO THE TOP."
WELL THANKS FOR
TALKING TO ME MIKE, I
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
"YOU BET CHASE, THANKS
FOR YOUR TIME. GO
BUCS!"
BUCS!"
MIKE
MIKE ALSO
MIKE ALSO HELPED COACH THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS TO
SUPER BOWL 47 AS A
RUNNING BACKS COACH
IN 2013.
HE'S BEEN RETIRED FROM
THE GAME FOR 8 YEARS
NOW,
NOW, AND
NOW, AND IS LOVING LIFE IN THE TREASURE VALLEY. BUT SAYS HE GETS THE
OCCASIONAL CALL FOR
COACHING JOBS. HE SAYS
HE MIGHT JUST TAKE ONE
SOON.
SOON.