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In 1975, the Buccaneers built a small practice complex with offices near Tampa International Airport called One Buccaneer Place. As other NFL teams upgraded their
facilities, Bucs players and coaches stepped up their complaints about
the aircraft noise, cramped offices, small locker rooms and run-down
condition of One Buc Place. Even head coach Jon Gruden has
sarcastically referred to the facility as "The Woodshed." For much of
the team's existence, the Bucs held training camp on the University of Tampa campus. However, since 2002, the team has held training camp in Orlando at the expansive and better-equipped Disney's Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World.
In August 2006, the Bucs unveiled their new training facility, which
had been under construction for the better part of a year. Conveniently
located across the street from Raymond James Stadium on the former site of Tampa Bay Center,
a large mall that the Glazers purchased in 2002 and later demolished in
2005, this state-of-the-art complex is now the largest for any team in
the NFL. Featuring expansive new offices and meeting rooms, two natural
grass practice fields, a theatre designed for both team meetings and
press conferences, an expanded weight training room, a giant kitchen, a
rehabilitation center with three separate pools and a locker room twice
the size of the existing one at One Buc Place, the Glazers told
building contractors that "money was no object" in the construction of
the facility. To that end, plasma televisions are featured throughout--primarily in
the offices of the coaching staff--and head coach Jon Gruden's corner
office even features a shower with a view of the practice fields. The
building is capped off with a giant five-story glass and steel football
as a key design element. A third practice field, featuring artificial
turf, will be added in the future.
In the second week of September 2007, statues of important figures
from the Bucs 2002 Championship season were moved into the lobby area
in an exhibit called "Moment of Victory". The life-size statues included players Mike Alstott, Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, Brad Johnson, John Lynch, Shelton Quarles, Simeon Rice, Warren Sapp, and head coach Jon Gruden. The statues are modeled after images from the sideline towards the end of Super Bowl XXXVII.
Practices at the currently-unnamed facility will remain closed to
the public, although the existing mall parking on the west side of the
property is still available for use on game days. The facility is still
referred to as One Buc Place.
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