Why Ronde Barber Is A Hall Of Famer
May 10th, 2013
Yes, yesterday was a bittersweet day for Joe. He didn’t want to see Ronde Barber leave the game. Who did?
But Barber left the game in a classy way and with all his body parts intact. That was the way to do it. The Bucs still wanted him back. But Barber wasn’t sure his 38-year old body could get ready for one more year of pounding.
Most sensible people agree that someday Barber will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The real question is when? Tampa Bay electronic media czar J.P. Peterson makes a compelling case for Barber’s induction sooner rather than later on TampaBaySportsCentral.com.
The ONLY corner with 25+ sacks and 45+ interceptions meaning…he could beat 300 pound tackles or shifty backs on a blitz then on the next play cover a number one receiver lined up in the slot or outside? He finished with 28 Sacks and 48 picks, which in the days of specialization and shorter careers is a stat that may never be approached…let alone broken.
His most important and telling stat to me is his 1,423 tackles (Tackles are a very much disputed stat as official post game film study counts often can change a 5 tackle game into a 13 tackle game). But by most comparison measures Ronde’ is the top tackling corner by over 300 tackles! Consider Deion Sanders, a Hall of Fame corner only had 492…in his career! We can talk about flash and big plays all we want (and we will) but still basic tackling is the foundation of defensive football. Ronde’s superior instincts, intelligence and dogged film study not only put him in position to make game changing plays but also put him in position to make the Blue Collar plays that are the foundation of solid Tampa 2 defense. Keeping the 2 yard gains from becoming 8 or 80 yard plays.
These numbers prove his incredible versatility. But watching every one of his approximately 16,500 plays I’ve seen him take on 270 pound Brandon Jacobs in full stride. It didn’t end well but he got him down! I’ve seen him hold his own 1 on 1 with Magatron Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Marcus Colston…guys that are almost a foot taller…and compete for jump balls. He didn’t always make the play but more often than not he did. He has unselfishly played special teams over the years blocking punts and returning them for scores. The fact is…you can’t find players in this league who can do all those things or are even willing to do all those things.
Of course, as Joe wrote earlier, he believes Barber gets in. It may not be for a few years, though. There aren’t that many cornerbacks in the Hall of Fame, and if you list some of the players that will be eligible for the first year along with Barber, wow. Leading the list is Ray Lewis along with Randy Moss, Donald Driver, and perhaps Brian Urlacher and/or Charles Woodson. That’s not to mention worthy players who did not get in on their first at-bat.
Now the numbskulls out there who claim Barber was a system player thus not worthy of induction, Joe has no time for fools. Virtually every player is a system player.
Would Joe Montana have been a Hall of Fame quarterback had he been drafted by a ground-and-pound team? Would Dan Fouts have been a Hall of Fame quarterback if he played for Bill Walsh or a coach who believed in throwing the ball deep? What would have happened if Lawrence Taylor was drafted by a team that used a 43 defense? What would have ever happened to Kellen Winslow if he played for a run-oriented team that required blocking by a tight end?
Barber is a Hall of Famer. It’s really that simple.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:07 am
He did tackle, and rarely missed. A few ran through, and only remembered because it happened so rarely, LOL.
To me Ronde at times was a CB, with a LB mentality, and sometimes would pay for that in his play.
One memory was a hit on Reggie Bush early in a season, he looked to be making a statement hit on Bush early in the game. I didn’t think he was going to get up for a minute, but he did. The tackle was made though.
The guy was a tackling technician, better than any other CB in the history of the game. I know there were big hitters, but technical ability in the open field are few, and far. Most others were pile jumpers.
I think he will have much more HOF support than some think.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:11 am
Tell of this to Pete Prisco over at CBS who was swearing up and down Barber was NOT a HOF. Bucs fans were crushing him on twitter. All Prisco kept saying was longevity does not equal HOF. Does that guy have a HOF vote? He is such a joke.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:38 am
he belongs in the hall. put up a video of his “play” in philly so we can remind everyone how big time he was.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:42 am
Anyone who says he is a system player is just plain stupid. Yes he played most of career with one system, but this past year showed how special he is. Making plays every game at a new position in a new defense.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:45 am
Joe, I am sure he will be in the HOF and here is why, Sapp, Brooks, Lynch, Dungy, maybe even Kiffen, one from each level of the defense, DL, LB, CB, and Safety. One of the greatest defenses ever and I go back to the Fearsome Foursome of the LA Rams. Class will win out.
May 10th, 2013 at 9:05 am
I agree with Joe that Ronde will get a bust in Canton someday. The player who reminds me the most of Ronde, at least statistically, is LeRoy Butler of the Packers, and Florida State of course.
Butler is on the outer edges of being a Hall of Fame candidate because his stat line…
Pro Bowls: Four
First-Team All-Pro: Four times
Interceptions: 38
Sacks: 20.5
TDs: Three
That is a hell of a career, but Ronde blows that away.
Pro Bowls: Five
First-team All-Pro: Three times
Interceptions: 47
Sacks: 28
TDs: 14
It’s simple. Ronde belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
May 10th, 2013 at 9:06 am
they have a defense named after them.
May 10th, 2013 at 9:14 am
Barber, Brooks, Lynch, Rice, Alstott, should all join Sapp in the HOF.
May 10th, 2013 at 9:23 am
No doubt ……he’ll get there!
May 10th, 2013 at 10:43 am
After spending the last decade trashing the defensive scheme that made Sunday’s tough it’s no surprise they’d trash the players that made it work. Meanwhile the Bucs are moving away from it as the teams that couldn’t beat it are busy implementing it. I suspect the HOF voters will gain more appreciation for the players like Ronde that made the defensive scheme work in the years ahead as more teams try to emulate it.
May 11th, 2013 at 12:10 am
Good luck and God bless you Ronde! We will miss your interceptions and great tackles.