Family of Martin Luther King Jr. will be Bucs honorary captains tonight

TAMPA — As honorary captains go, they don’t get more impactful than this.

Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King will be at tonight’s NFC Wild-Card Game as special guests and serve as Bucs captains during the coin toss with the Eagles.

This marks the first time the family has joined the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day at an NFL game.

The league increased its commitment to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King throughout wild-card weekend. The pledge includes a five-year commitment to Realizing the Dream, an initiative by the King family to unite and uplift communities by calling for 100 million hours of service by the 100th anniversary of Dr. King’s birth.

Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King Jr., right, speaks as he stands with his wife Arndrea Waters King, left, and their daughter Yolanda King during the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Aug. 26, 2023. [ JACQUELYN MARTIN | AP ]

“Having the King family in attendance to celebrate the remarkable legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this special evening is an honor and a privilege,” said Bucs co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz in a news release. “The work being done by the Martin Luther King III Foundation is truly inspirational and aligns with the Buccaneers’ social justice mission to effect meaningful and positive change through purposeful dialog and impactful programs.”

The Bucs will honor Dr. King’s legacy throughout the game with video board tributes and graphics, and halftime will showcase the Bethune-Cookman University concert chorale.

Former Bucs Super Bowl-winning head coach Bruce Arians will be a second-half guest on the ManningCast (ESPN2) during tonight’s game.

Arians still serves as the Bucs’ senior football consultant but has been intentionally absent from most games and practices this season. Arians felt it may not have helped coach Todd Bowles last season, his first as Bucs head coach, by being around the team. He attended the season home opener against the Bears.

Former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will be the ManningCast guest in the first half.

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