TAMPA (FOX 13) -
Paul Gruber, a left tackle who started in all 183 games he
played in for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be the fourth person inducted into
the team's Ring of Honor.
Gruber joins Lee Roy Selmon, John McKay, and Jimmie Giles,
and all will be officially honored at a game in October.
Gruber played his entire 12-year career in Tampa.
The Bucs opened a ceremony Thursday with a video tribute,
but perhaps the best praise came from another former Buccaneer: Tony Dungy.
The former Bucs coach called Gruber the model player.
"He was an example for everybody," Dungy said. "He wasn't a
vocal guy, but he did what you asked for without having to ask for it, and for
a coach, that's so special."
Gruber now lives in Colorado
outside of Denver.
He has three children, and his youngest daughter just graduated from high
school.
He said he learned a lot from Dungy.
"Just the way he handled situations and treats people and so
I think probably just the example, watching him as a father and as a husband
and so on, and he's just a tremendous role model," Gruber said. "It's nice that
he said that."
