In the four seasons that Mike Alstott has played under Jon Gruden he has seen his carries, rushing yards, receptions and receiving yards significantly diminish. In a way Alstott has been in 'lock down' for the last few seasons. For all intensive purposes Gruden has deployed Alstott as a typical fullback: lead block for the RB and provide pass protection when needed. And while Alstott has been able to accomplish the ultimate team goal and win a Super Bowl with Gruden it's hard not to look at the perennial Pro Bowler and think that he's being underutilized. Especially when the previous coach relied on him so heavily.

Tony Dungy and Mike Alstott were both rookies when they arrived in Tampa in 1996 but it didn't take long for the two to make their mark and in the process turnaround one of the sorriest franchises in sports history. In his rookie season Alstott caught an incredible 65 passes for 557 yards and quickly became a fan favourite. Over the next few seasons Alstott became known around the league for his tenacious running style and incredible ability to break tackles more easily than a Hollywood heiress can break a wedding engagement. He posted back-to-back seasons of 846 and 949 yards rushing during the prime seasons of the Thunder-and-Lightning era with Warrick Dunn in 1998 and 1999.

	It's like Alstott has some sort of blueprint of the goal line area. (Source: Fox.com)

Although Alstott's talents have been recognized with numerous Pro Bowl selections his innate ability to come through in goal line and 3rd - n -short situations is still somewhat overlooked. At times it looks like he's got a Michael Scofield-esque tattoo of the goal line area because his instincts are so good. He always seems to know the proper time to go low and power through, leap over the pile or bounce out to the outside like he did against the Washington Redskins in a 2000 playoff game in which he cut to the right only to be stuffed and was forced to backtrack left across the entire goal line and in the process he made it one of the longest and greatest two-yard runs in history. The most amazing thing about Alstott success rate in these situations is that he triumphs despite everyone in the stadium knowing that he's getting the ball.

Chris Berman is well known for his nickname giving and HR Derby calls but my personal favourite is his work on Sunday Primetime. I love his Three Stooges-esque sound effect when a player makes another miss but even more so I love his Mike Alstott sound effect anytime the FB breaks a tackle. And on games like the 2002 one against the Cleveland Browns where on one play Alstott broke six tackles before finally getting taken down by the seventh defender Berman is at his finest. But for a while there it looked like Berman wouldn't have the chance to show another Alstott highlight.

Alstott underwent major neck surgery in November 2003 when the toll of his physical style of play came to a head with a neck injury that required season-ending surgery and possibly signaled the end of his career. According to a Tampa Bay Tribune report, Alstott's two-hour operation to address a compressed disc included removing the disc through the front of his neck past his vocal chords and vocal box. The disc was lodged between his C5 and C6 vertebrae. A cadaver bone was then put in its place and then a small titanium plate was inserted to hold everything together. Incredibly, Alstott was back on the field nine months later playing with the same pounding running style he always had. His on-field return may have been 2004 but his official return date was actually November 13, 2005.

	Alstott has a penchant for coming through at critical times. (Source: AP)

Fans and media members were in total unison after the Bucs thrilling 36-35 victory over the Washington Redskins: we just witnessed the Mike Alstott of old settle the Game of the Year. Alstott converted two huge goal line carries for TDs in the first half, which only served as a cue for the drama that finished the game. With the Bucs down by one with little time left in the game Gruden decided to gamble and go for the win with a two-point convert rather than force the tie with a single and go into OT. Everyone in the stadium knew who would get the ball including the Skins defense but like he always does Alstott came through in the clutch and won the game. Afterwards Alstott was reflective about the game-winning convert: "We have less than a minute to go and he (Gruden) calls my number, so yes it's up there. It's probably No. 2 behind the Super Bowl, no question about it."

Alstott has already gone on the record as saying he will not play for another football team so ultimately the fate of his career rests with the Buccaneers organization. Alstott's contract expires at the end of the season so it's entirely possible that this may be the last we will see of him. If it is indeed his last season, he's going out with the same bang that he entered the league with.