Bucs LB Barrett Ruud is one of the few players to publicly stick up for Chucky.

Joe has already documented that thus far the lone person to really stick up for Chucky was the notorious waste of talent: John Daly.

Sure, Derrick Brooks sort of stuck up for Chucky on the night he was fired when he call Steve Duemig’s show on WDAE-AM 620. But Brooks was more upset that people were dancing on Chucky’s grave, upset that people were knocking his coach. And that is why Brooks is such a stand up guy.

Today, add Barrett Ruud to the slim list of people sticking up for Chucky.

Appearing on the Jim Rome Show heard on WDAE-AM 620 at radio row at the Tampa Convention Center, Ruud was quick to defend Chucky.

“I think he took too much of a knock,” Ruud said repeatedly. “I liked him. He entertained me. He kept me on my toes. I thought he was a good coach.”

Of course, Ruud admitted Chucky didn’t have a whole lot to do with the defense, but enjoyed Chucky when he handled team meetings.

Ruud did hint that possibly the defense did get a bit cocky or possibly overlooked Carolina, which started the Bucs’ historic collapse that led to Tampa Bay watching the playoffs on TV.

“Going into the Carolina game we were coasting,” Ruud said.

Ruud also confessed that he couldn’t get all that excited about the Super Bowl watching a team that finished with as many wins at the end of the season (Arizona) as the Bucs had through November.