Rondé Barber: Tougher Than You Thought
August 5th, 2023
Hall of Fame induction today.
Today is a historic day. A fifth Buccaneers player will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame around noon in Canton, Ohio.
That would be former cornerback Rondé Barber, who joins his former teammates Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, plus the late great Lee Roy Selmon enshrined in the halls of Canton.
What Barber did on the field was extraordinary. But what about behind the scenes? Well, leave it to one of the best NFL writers in the country to dig it up.
Dan Pompei of The Athletic spoke with Barber’s former Bucs trainer, Tom Toriscelli, about how Barber thought not playing in a game was completely distasteful if not shameful.
[Barber] had a strained hip flexor, so Toriscelli put the cornerback on the injury report. Barber didn’t like that.
“Hey, Todd,” he told him in the cafeteria. “Take me off the injury report and don’t ever put me on it again.”
Toriscelli was floored. “I’m like, ‘OK. I don’t even know this guy.’”
But Toriscelli took Barber off the injury report and rarely put him on another. Barber went the last nine seasons of his career without being listed on an injury report.
Pompei points out that despite never appearing on an injury report his final nine seasons, there were times Barber was hurt. Significantly hurt. Painfully so.
Barber instead so focused on the game and on winning. He refused to be distracted by an injury. If he could get on the field, he was fine.
Joe heard a story from famed JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman that Toriscelli once placed a photo of Barber in the Bucs’ trainer’s room. This confused Chucky and he asked Toriscelli why he was doing that.
Toriscelli told Chucky that he wanted to make sure the rest of the Bucs players knew what toughness looked like.
Former Bucs DB @rondebarber tells people he needed to do more to be equal. Never the biggest guy, but his impact in the NFL was undeniable.
He's been a legend in the Tampa Bay area for a long time and later today, you can finally call him a Hall of Famer.#GoBucs | @10TampaBay pic.twitter.com/eiihqvXXuG
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) August 5, 2023
August 5th, 2023 at 12:10 am
🍻RB20
August 5th, 2023 at 12:16 am
Rod Munch , the fashionista that he is, will be wondering about Ronde’s dress size when he cries during his acceptance speech.
August 5th, 2023 at 12:19 am
That’s a pretty incredible story. Ronde 100% deserves the hall.
August 5th, 2023 at 12:24 am
They should have Ronde run the secondary or the D overall. Watch that D become unstoppable.
August 5th, 2023 at 12:47 am
Congrats RB20….very deserving of it! What a player!
August 5th, 2023 at 2:43 am
Ronde’s enshrinement is well deserved. Congratulations Ronde for being a real one and a Buc for Life!
August 5th, 2023 at 3:21 am
The greatest single play in Buc’s history!
August 5th, 2023 at 4:42 am
Well deserved. It was a huge honor to watch him lynch brooks sapp A-train rice and Dunn play the game. Much more to thro in there but when you think of the tough bucs that punched you in the mouth this is who comes to mind.
August 5th, 2023 at 5:24 am
110% effort. Ronde barber. Led by example.
August 5th, 2023 at 5:53 am
Ronde is everything an NFL player should aspire to. Never heard anyone say a bad word about the guy. Of course he never made the news doing stupid things like stealing ,groping, punching. Class is something many young people today know nothing of. Toughness most of all this dude was tough. Physically and mentally.
Go Ronde, and thanks for being a special player and a special person.
Go Bucs!
August 5th, 2023 at 5:53 am
Thanks for all the memories Ronde! Lb for lb one of the toughest Bucs to ever put on the pewter and red! Schianos true definition of a Buccaneer Man!
August 5th, 2023 at 5:54 am
BTW It is criminal that it took this long to get this man in the HOF!
Go Bucs!
August 5th, 2023 at 7:22 am
Barber is pure class that’s the best way to describe him. He’s been the pride of Tampa Bay since he was drafted. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of watching him play should also know he was tough as hell.
August 5th, 2023 at 7:24 am
Pretty cool…! And to think just a few short years ago the Bucs only had 1 in the HOF.
August 5th, 2023 at 7:42 am
I think I’ll watch the NFC Championship game vs the Eagirls tonight in his honor.
August 5th, 2023 at 8:55 am
I am so sorry.
I forgot to thank Ira for his hard work and dedication in his efforts to get Ronde that Bust in Canton.
If they ever want to include guys like Ira I would put he and Tom McEwen One and One A.
Go Bucs!
August 5th, 2023 at 9:15 am
A leader in every sense of the word
August 5th, 2023 at 9:56 am
Greatness personified
I’ll never jump as high as I did the night he shut down the vet
I’ll never forget him gutting through some horrible teams and being the consummate leader after the “glory years” of our D
I’ll never forget the example he has set for greatness
August 5th, 2023 at 10:26 am
One Greatest of All-Time! Congrats Ronde!
August 5th, 2023 at 10:26 am
…
August 5th, 2023 at 10:27 am
One of the Greatest of All-Time! Congrats Ronde!
August 5th, 2023 at 11:12 am
Congrats to Ronde….well deserved!
August 5th, 2023 at 11:58 am
I wonder if anyone keeps track of, statistically speaking, splash plays (offense or defense) that make the fans jump up and yell.
If Ronde doesn’t lead that category (I think he does [for the Bucs]) he’s at least top 3.
Considering the NFL is an entertainment business, that should at least be a consideration for the ‘Hall’. IMO(It would also get the A-Train into the mix)
August 5th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
Well deserved, and LONG OVERDUE.
CONGRATS RONDE!!!!
Still my all time favorite Bucs.
August 5th, 2023 at 4:14 pm
That Athletic article is great, it had a bunch of stuff I never knew, in particular how hurt he was that 2002 season.