Carsten Neubauer
Germany
Carsten's history with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a matter of perfect timing. Born in 1976, just two days after the Bucs closed their winless 0-14 inaugural season, Carsten narrowly avoided ""suffering"" through a winless year. Because the team won their first-ever game just three days before his first birthday, he holds the rare distinction of having never lived a single year on this planet where the Bucs didn't secure a victory.
Growing up in Germany, Carsten's early access to football was limited to short highlights. However, as NFL Europe expanded the sport's reach, Carsten officially lost his heart to the ""perennial losers"" from Florida in 1995. Drawn in by the iconic ""creamsicle"" jerseys and the legendary play of Mike Alstott, he remained a loyal witness through the ""low blows"" of the late 90s, preparing him for the ultimate reward.
In 2002, Carsten secured accreditation for Super Bowl XXXVII before the participants were even determined. A week after watching Ronde Barber's legendary 92-yard interception return in a San Diego sports bar, he stood in the stadium to witness the Bucs claim their first championship. To this day, he treasures a victory newspaper he ""borrowed"" directly from the players' bench during the celebration. While he owns over 20 jerseys, he is most often seen in the #83 of his favorite player, Joe Jurevicius—though he also proudly wears a 1977 Randy Hedberg jersey, honoring the Bucs QB with the ""dubious"" 0.0 career rating because, in Carsten's eyes, a Buc is a Buc.
Through the years of struggles that followed, Carsten never jumped ship. He became a regular fixture at Raymond James Stadium and attended every Bucs game in London, eventually witnessing a second Super Bowl victory in the Tom Brady era.
Today, Carsten is a pillar of the European NFL community. As a co-founder and board member of Bucs Germany e.V., he acts as a "jack of all trades," managing club communications and helping the fanbase grow. He takes special pride in providing logistics and support to German fans visiting Tampa for the very first time. A regular voice on the "Krewecast" podcast, Carsten serves as a vital bridge between fans in the UK, Spain, and Germany. Whether mentoring new fans or finishing his 300-page manuscript on the team's history, Carsten's life remains a testament to the "loyalty for the best club in the league."