Hard Times Hit Former Bucs Player

It seems that nobody is immune to the tough economic times we are facing, not even professional athletes.

A former and unnamed Bucs player had fallen on hard times about a year and a half ago after he was released by the team, The player brought the ring into Capital Pawn shop to get a quick loan without the hassle of going through a bank says owner Joe Cacciatore

At first, Cacciatore said he thought the ring was a fake or stolen. He had an undercover detective come in to witness the deal. But it all turned out to be legit.

The ex-Buc was trying to negotiating a contract with another team and ended up getting $6,000 from the pawnshop for the ring that cost about $17,000 to make. Then, he moved out of Tampa and never returned to claim the Tiffany's championship ring

After keeping the ring for the allotted 60 days and even longer, he eventually sold the ring to a die-hard Buccaneers fan in Fort Lauderdale for $25,000.

"We gave him the ring," Cacciatore said, "and he gave us a suitcase full of money."