Family Of Martin Luther King Jr. Will Be Honorary Captains For Eagles-Buccaneers Game

Three Kings, some pirates, and a handful of predatory birds gathered at midfield before an NFL playoff game.

That’s not the start of a good joke, that’s actually going to happen today.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are honoring three members of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family for the holiday that shares his name. Three members of Martin Luther King Jr.’s family will serve as honorary captains for today’s NFC Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

King’s wife, son, and daughter - Arndrea Waters, Martin III, and Yolanda Renee, respectively - will join Tampa Bay for the coin toss.

"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," Buccaneers Co-Owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said. "The work being done by the Martin Luther King III Foundation is truly inspirational.”

In addition to honoring the three Kings, Raymond James Stadium’s video board will display tributes to Dr. King himself throughout the game.

Fortunately for the Kings, they'll likely catch a good game once the pregame festivities end. Despite losing to Philadelphia earlier this season, Tampa Bay has played far better football recently. The home team won five of their last six regular season games, while Philadelphia lost five of their last six.

Additionally, wide receiver A. J. Brown will not play due to a knee injury, giving Tampa Bay an edge on defense. Plus, the Kings won't have to deal with lots of snow and the frigid cold - that’s Buffalo’s problem.

Kickoff is sscheduled for 8:15 ET.