The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced retired defensive star Ronde Barber will become the 13th player to be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.
Ronde Barber, the best defensive back in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history, will finally get his name alongside those of Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks; the Bucs announced Barber will become the 13th player to be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.
Barber will be inducted at halftime of the Bucs-Giants game on September 22nd. Barber will also be in the booth doing color commentary for FOX that day.
This is an honor that is long overdue as Barber will be remembered for the biggest play in franchise history when he intercepted Donovan McNabb at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown that sealed the win for the Bucs in the NFC championship game and put them in Super Bowl 37 against the Oakland Raiders.
Barber, drafted in 1997 out of Virginia, played for the Bucs his entire career and started 232 of the 241 games he played in.
Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer said Barber “personified greatness on and off the field during his 16 seasons as a Buccaneer and we look forward to honoring his remarkable career this upcoming season. His achievements are as impressive as they are long, but Rondé ’s most defining qualities were his ultra-competitive nature, his passion for this game, and his love of the Tampa Bay community.”
Barber is one of the top 10 Buccaneer players of all time and is one of the top five all-time Buccaneer defenders along with Derrick Brooks, Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, and John Lynch
Given his long career and the numbers he put up throughout his 15-year career, it is somewhat surprising that Barber has not been able to get any kind of support for the Hall of Fame.
Barber is the only player in NFL history to have 25 sacks and 40 interceptions. He also holds the NFL record with 200 consecutive starts at cornerback.
During his final season in 2012, Barber had what would be considered an above-average year with 92 tackles and four interceptions.
Barber never missed a game due to injury and played in five Pro Bowls throughout his career.
Overall with Tampa Bay, Barber boasted 1,428 tackles, 28.0 sacks, 47 interceptions, eight pick-sixes, 243 passes defended, 15 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, four fumble return touchdowns, one blocked punt return for a touchdown, and one punt return for a touchdown.
Those are some outstanding numbers for a defensive back. It should not be too long before Barber is wearing a gold jacket and his bust is displayed in Canton alongside other NFL greats.
