Buccaneer Win Was Homecoming Joy for a Tampa Hero

It was the treat of the year to see the underdog Tampa Bay Buccaneers take down the high and mighty New Orleans Saints last Sunday.

It was an even bigger treat to see the face of one of our nation's finest react to his team's great victory.

Meet Major Earl Bedford, 172nd Infantry (Task Force 1-2), veteran of four tours in the fields of Iraq.

It was a joy to finally have him home. A huge reception of friends and family welcomed him with open and loving arms while the Bucs pulled the surprise of the year on the Saints.

Earl Bedford, field call sign "Black Hawk 20", is a Tampa guy. He's an unwavering fan of the Buccaneers and all things Tampa. His friendships were forged on the playing fields of Port Tampa, Robinson High School, and Florida A&M University.

He is a member of this Bleacher Report community as well.

He had his hands full Sunday with his mom (Irene), wife (Janice), and his children Chanice (14), Yovan (10), Kierra (5), and baby Pearl, who is a year old.

With another 80-100 people showing up to welcome him home, Bedford had to catch portions of the Buccaneer action and rely on some of us to call him over as things turned in favor of the Bucs.

He was the man of the hour; you could see it on the face of his wife, mother, and all those with him as they rejoiced in his return. He has returned with a Bronze Star, awarded to him for his courage and leadership in combat.

And he's seen way too much combat. He thanked his mother and wife, "for being patient and keeping the faith. I stayed strong because of her (wife Janice). I can't imagine what she was going through and can't imagine what my mother was thinking when she hadn't heard from me in a while."

He presented them with the "black scarves" of the 1-2 Infantry. It is their unique addition to their uniforms and a tradition from the Vietnam combat era.

Then the Bucs presented Earl with a victory.

It was a thriller in overtime. A stunner, to say the least.

But in many ways, it seemed less important than the work Bedford has performed.

You see, he's a member of the real "team of the decade"; that would be the United States military.

Major Earl Bedford is weary of combat. He's spent the equivalent of three years in harm's way.

And it was a mortar attack on his company headquarters at 4:30 one morning that was "the last straw."

He lost two of his men in that attack.

Look in the face of a combat veteran and you can see the toll it takes.

But Earl Bedford is now home, in Tampa, back with those who have prayed for him and are now overjoyed to be back with him.

He'll be at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, pulling for his Bucs when they face Atlanta.

Sure, the Bucs want to win for embattled coach Raheem Morris on Sunday.

But if they knew Major Earl Bedford, they'd want to win for him too.