Leonard Levy, a sports visionary for Tampa, dies at age 89

Tampa civic icon Leonard Levy has died.

When Tampa began its pursuit of a National Football League franchise in the early 1970s, Levy led the committee that lobbied for a team. Through those relationships, the NFL expanded to Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers began play in 1976.

Levy also was the head of the committee that landed the first of multiple Super Bowls for the area.

Rob Higgins, Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, tweeted Levy was a “Visionary. Advocate. Mentor. Friend. The Godfather of #TeamTampaBay.”

Higgins added, “We don’t have the sports community that we do without him.”

– Joe Henderson, Extensive Enterprises Media