TAMPA BAY, Fla. — Third time was the charm. Ronde Barber is a Hall of Famer.
Tampa Bay Bucs fans have known this for a while. But now it’s official.
Barber is a member of the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
What You Need To Know
- Bucs CB Ronde Barber elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Barber, who played for the Bucs from 1997-2012 played an NFL record 215 games at defensive back while grabbing 47 interceptions, recording 28 sacks and scoring 12 touchdowns
- Hall of Fame voter Ira Kaufman: “The third time was the charm for No. 20. You could argue it shouldn’t have taken three years. Nobody cares at this point. He’s in.”
In his third time as a finalist, Barber finally punched his ticket to Canton. The player who reimagined the slot cornerback position was the Cal Ripken of defensive backs. He set a league record for most consecutive games played, 215, the most for any defensive back. He also posted remarkable stats, including 47 interceptions and 28 sacks and 12 touchdowns.
So what made the difference this go round? The man responsible for presenting the case for Barber, Hall of Fame voter Ira Kaufman, said it was simply his time.
“Ronde had so much going for him, I was surprised he didn’t get in a little earlier,” Kaufman said.
His home office is a shrine to each of the Hall of Fame members he’s had the honor of presenting. From his first Warren Sapp to Derrick Brooks to Tony Dungy and John Lynch. Ira now has to make room for the latest inductee.
“It’s not easy,” he said. “And there’s 15 candidates and a maximum of five can get in. That’s two thirds of the people walking away disappointed.”
In his Hall of Fame pitch to voters, Kayfman began his presentation with an anecdote from former head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden recalled how the Bucs head trainer during Barber’s time with the team had a photo of the cornerback placed prominently in the training room. And whenever players who ask why Barber’s face graced the room, the trainer would reply: “ 'Because I want all of you to know what toughness looks like. He’s never been in here.' Unquote. That was the start of my Ronde Barber presentation,” Kaufman said.
And it worked. Barber’s special skill set and versatility set him apart from other slot corners. And that got him enough votes to get a spot in the Hall of Fame.
“This presentation was the winner,” Kaufman said. “The third time was the charm for No. 20. You could argue it shouldn’t have taken three years. Nobody cares at this point. He’s in.”
And then there were four. Four members of that Super Bowl XXXVII defense in Canton.
The latest member, Barber, with arguably the No. 1 play in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history now gets to add Hall of Famer to his impressive resume — and cement that defensive unit as one of the greatest to ever play the game.