Tampa Bay Buccaneers founder honored in south Fort Myers

Bill Marcum, a founder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the team’s first employee, was celebrated at The Preserve, a south Fort Myers assisted living, nursing and memory support community where he now lives. 

Ahead of the NFL franchise’s 50th anniversary game Sept. 21 at Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers sent Marcum a personalized jersey in their iconic creamsicle orange, a tribute to the man credited with making Tampa a football city. 

“I think it was really eating at him that he couldn’t go to Tampa and be part of the 50th celebration because of physical limitations and whatnot,” said Marcum’s brother, Ron Marcum. “Knowing that you got the stuff you got from the Bucs and that they remembered him and acknowledged him I think is really fantastic.” 

In the late 1960s, Marcum was a member of the Tampa Jaycees, a civic group where he became determined to bring professional football to the city. Tampa Stadium sat largely unused except for occasional college games. Armed with an NFL handbook purchased from a newsstand, Marcum began calling league offices to learn what it would take to host an exhibition game. 

His persistence led to a breakthrough. After collecting more than 100 signatures and pledging his own collateral, Marcum secured an agreement with the Washington Redskins. On Aug. 10, 1968, the Redskins played the Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Stadium before 42,000 fans — the city’s first taste of professional football. 

That success launched a series of high-profile games Marcum helped organize, including appearances by the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. By 1974, his relentless promotion bore fruit when the NFL voted to expand to Tampa. Two years later, the Buccaneers took the field. 

Marcum was hired as the team’s first employee by owner Hugh Culverhouse. His work as a promoter not only helped birth the franchise but also shaped the Buccaneers’ future as a business and cultural institution. Today the team is valued at more than $7 billion. 

“I broached the subject with him one time because I read the book ‘The Yucks’ that talks about Tampa Bay and their history, and the very first sentence talks about Bill Marcum,” said Aileen Smith, a life enrichment assistant at The Preserve. “Once I told him that I had read the book, he was very interested in talking about how it all came to be.” 

For Marcum, the recognition underscores a lifelong commitment to bringing the NFL to Tampa Bay. “Oh, I think it’s been a wonderful ride, and I’m glad they let me come along,” he said with a smile. 

His jersey now serves as a reminder of the impact of one man’s determination. Without Marcum, Tampa might never have joined the NFL map.