Hardy Nickerson MLB - Buccaneers Madden Career 1992-2003 - Peak 99 OVR

When Hardy Nickerson signed with Tampa Bay in 1993, the Buccaneers were a punchline; he turned the middle of their defense into a place opponents dreaded. A fifth-round pick out of California in 1987, he spent six seasons with the Steelers before free agency brought him south, where he piled up 214 tackles in 1993 and set the tone for the unit Tony Dungy would later build into a champion. He made five Pro Bowls, took first-team All-Pro honors in 1993 and 1997, and landed on the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team.

By the time Madden handed him a 93 in the 2000 edition, Nickerson was the benchmark at his position in Tampa, a number that reflected a decade of steady production and violent, sure tackling. He later played for Jacksonville and Green Bay before retiring after the 2002 season, but the identity of that rising Buccaneers defense traced straight back to the man in the middle.