Barber’s Record May Stand Forever
May 15th, 2016
May hold two unbreakable Bucs records.
OK, it is a Sunday morning in mid-May. Not exactly the height of football season.
So Joe hopes on this particular Sunday morning your fog resulting from last night’s activities can be cleared enough for a fun post. Multimedia maven Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com is typing out loud, sort of, about likely unbreakable Bucs records. It is a pretty good list.
One that jumps out at Smith is Ronde Barber’s team record of 10 picks in 2001, Father Dungy’s last year and the year before the Bucs won the Super Bowl — which happens to be the Bucs’ last playoff victory.
Ronde Barber himself never had more than five interceptions in any of his other 15 seasons. I don’t think the 2001 version of the greatest cornerback in franchise history was any better than the 2000 or 2002 versions, and he had exactly two picks in each of those years. Interceptions are a fickle statistic – Josh Norman, Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis didn’t even have 10 picks combined last year – and sometimes being too good at your job lowers a cornerback’s chances at getting them. Quarterbacks learn to stay away from your part of the field.
This record isn’t light years ahead of the other top marks in franchise history. Cedric Brown held the record of nine for 20 years, and Brian Kelly had eight in 2002. But that’s it, that’s all the eight-plus interceptions in the entire history of the franchise, and none have come in the last 13 seasons as the rules have been tweaked to favor quarterbacks and receivers. No Buc has had more than six in a season since 2002. Donnie Abraham, probably the most consistent season-to-season interceptor in team annals, topped out at seven.
In fact, in the NFL as a whole there have only been seven 10-interception seasons in the last 20 years (all of them were exactly 10, by the way, none of them since 2006. Everything is going to have to fall exactly right for a DB to do that again, and I’m betting that’s just not going to happen.
Barber’s name appears in more than one team record that may never be broken on this pretty darn good list by Smith.
Yes, Joe firmly believes Barber should be in the Hall of Fame. Might take him a while, but if somehow the “Custodian of Canton” can last long enough, Joe is hoping Barber gets in.
This nonsense about Barber being a system corner is hogwash. Every player is a product of his system. Hell, Joe Montana was a system quarterback, the best ever. Jack Ham was a system linebacker, too. Never heard anyone hold that against him. Same with Lawrence Taylor. Not once has Joe ever read that should have held Taylor back.
May 15th, 2016 at 8:25 am
I think Ronde will eventually get into the HOF. It also depend on what kind of class heso inducted with as well. If it’s a weaker class then ,aybe he’ll get the nod.
The top 3 corners in franchise history…
1) Ronde Barber
2) Brian Kelly
3) Donnie Abraham
Sorry Revis but you only played one season here and it was only for a paycheck so your not worthy.
And when it’s all said and done with, maybe VH3 is mentioned in that category above. I think he has the skillset to do so. He will certainly get his share of ints, I know that’s for sure. That is his strong suit, he makes plays on the ball and that’s the main reason the bucs drafted him, because we need turnovers. Something bucs corners did not do at all last season. (Combined 2 ints) that’s puthetic. VH3 will probably double that this season.
May 15th, 2016 at 8:27 am
Oh wait I forgot Tim Wansley on that list…shoot. LOL
May 15th, 2016 at 8:33 am
Wayne Haddix one year with 7 seemed like a miracle.
May 15th, 2016 at 8:39 am
What are you talking about Joe!!! Rhonde Barber will be the next to enter the Hall of Fame!!!! Mostly that will be the end of it from the Superbowl era!!!!
May 15th, 2016 at 8:47 am
On that this of great buc corners don’t forget Ricky Reynolds.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:07 am
I hope they spell Ronde’s name correctly when he gets in the hall.
Talib was one of are best corners too. I’m glad not everyone forgot Haddix’s pro bowl year. We didn’t get many those years.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:19 am
Haddix was an INT king in Tecmo Bowl.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:23 am
I think it will be hard to keep him out. Between his consecutive game streak and sack total as a corner his numbers are hard to ignore, and he has that ring. Some players get snubbed because they never got a ring.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:25 am
Buc realist-
John Lynch
May 15th, 2016 at 9:35 am
One huge thing that the stats do not reveal, Is how clutch he was!!!! Watch every huge game and Rhonde Barber was splashed all over it!!!!!
May 15th, 2016 at 9:37 am
@Dave
Great player but not Hall of Fame!!! If they let him in they should stop giving out the Gold Jackets and just start hand out Gold T-shirts!!!!!!!!!
May 15th, 2016 at 9:49 am
Ronde Barber is the best nickel corner in the history of the game. If you’re the best at anything in the history of the game then you belong in the HOF — and yes, that includes kicker and punter.
John Lynch was great and deserves a spot in the ring of honor, but does not belong in the HOF. I feel the same way about Tony Dungy. For Dungy to get into the HOF before Jimmy Johnson is an absolute joke.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:49 am
NO way kelly is better than abraham. No way.
@ realist
Barber is HOF worthy. He has numbers that no other player has put up in history. Not sure why you feel he is not deserving. When a person does things that no one else has done in the history of the nfl, then that person deserving inmo.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:51 am
I agree with The Buc Rhealist.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:56 am
@Buc1987
Most do, though some it takes some a year or 2,,,,,,Kinda of like lovie’s adjustments!!!!!
May 15th, 2016 at 10:40 am
Well they let dungy in… Lynch shouldve a lock is Dungy can get in.
May 15th, 2016 at 11:21 am
Sorry but Lynch was a True Game Changer. The middle of the field was shut down, he was the first player game planned around, and EVERYone on the field was afraid of being held up too long in the act of tackling with no. 47 on its. Any NINE time pro bowler deserves to be in the Hall.
May 15th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Ronde is a God!!!
May 15th, 2016 at 1:33 pm
@Joes
Now don’t say yes until you have thought about it!!! We have until after the 2017 when they induct Mr. Barber to the Hall of Fame!!!! We could road trip it up there!!! I need some help anyways to hold up my 10 foot “Rhonde Barber is Legend!!!” sign!!! If you prefer to fly though we will have to stop somewhere to make the sign there !!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!
May 15th, 2016 at 1:48 pm
Bhuc Rhealist Fhukin get the guy’s name right!
One of my favorite corners? Dwight Smith. Simply because he was one of Rich Gannon’s favorite receivers and even caught 2 TD passes. Played well when they moved him to safely too.
May 15th, 2016 at 3:27 pm
Realist should add to the 10 foot HOF Rhonda banner “McKoy sucks” just to let national fans know where real Buc fans stand. It’s sure to go viral.
May 15th, 2016 at 3:55 pm
“Help me Rhonde yeah, get the H outta my name”, although some with the name do spell it that way. Yhea rhight.
May 15th, 2016 at 4:58 pm
DemBoyzFromDaBay727
U forgot about Mike Washington
May 15th, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Ricky Reynolds was a great corner for the Bucs in the early 90’s, he was arguably better than anybody but Barber.
May 15th, 2016 at 9:35 pm
Can’t get used to that H. Been here for 3 years and that H has always been there when he uses his “favorite player’s” name.
I’m always calling him out about it, so I KNOW he continues to do it just for me.
Don’t fret everyone, he’s doing it on purpose.
May 15th, 2016 at 10:24 pm
87,
“Haddix was an INT king in Tecmo Bowl.
Hahaha that was what popped into my thoughts as well. Fun Game
With ya On this Tiny Tim,
“NO way kelly is better than abraham. No way.”
Mr. Barber will make the HOF How many other CB’s Have 20+ Sacks & 40+ Interceptions? 10+ Forced Fumbles. How many?
Go Bucs,
May 15th, 2016 at 10:29 pm
Donnie Abraham is an unsung Buc hero at cornerback. Almost at Rodney Dangerfield levels.
Same thing with Hardy Nickerson never being acknowleged as the one player that started the Buc turnaround.
May 16th, 2016 at 8:26 am
I guess you could throw Talib in the at no. 4. And come to think of it Abraham is probably no. 2 on that list. Kelly was drafted and retired as a Buc tho. So that counts as something.
ABRAHAM 31 INTS (as a Buc)
KELLY 23 INTS but Kelly had more passes defended.
May 16th, 2016 at 8:27 am
No one agrees on Tim Wansley tho? Huh…
May 17th, 2016 at 12:18 am
@Buc Realist
1 of 4 players in the history of the game to have 25+ int’s and 25+ sacks
15 forced fumbles
Started all 16 games for 15 years
47 ints for over 900 years and 8 TD’s more than Lott
Dion had 53 ints and 9 td’s in his career and 1 sack
Darrell Green played 5 more years and only got 54 int’s and 6 td’s
Mel Blount 57 INT’s 2 td’s
So to think Ronde Barber is not a Hall of famer then maybe none of those other guys are either. his stats are right in line and better than most of everyone else that played the position.
Look at number of games played, INT’s, Sacks, TD’s, FF, passes defended, all of it and tell me who matches him on every stat category? Ronde was a complete player in every way.
But i guess he was just a good player and not hall of fame material.
May 17th, 2016 at 6:29 am
@Pillow
It was in reference into Dave’s comment, about John Lynch!!!! Please read more carefully next time!!!!!
May 17th, 2016 at 10:13 am
@Buc realist
Sorry I did misread, and I agree, and Lynch was an awesome player. And Barry Sanders said best about Lynch. He was always in your mind. You knew he was out there and he was coming for you. Stats didn’t get lynch into the hall. But what it meant when he was on the field.