PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers' great Ronde Barber is finally getting recognized as one the greatest players in NFL history.
It was a long time coming for Barber, but he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer after being a finalist for three consecutive years.
Barber, who is also the general chair for the Valspar Championship, spoke for the first time about getting the call to the Hall.
“I cried a little bit, hugged my wife and best friends that were, and said finally,” Barber said at Valspar Media Day. “I’m that guy. It took me a long time to get to where I am. I truly believed I was going to get there.”
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the greatest individual honor of the sport. Barber did not only contribute to the team with his franchise-best 47 interceptions, but he was also a pioneer at his position and one of the most versatile defensive backs in the game,
“Perseverance, hard work, really is uncommon. That’s a word I use a lot,” he said. “Do things uncommon to the position, and you can be special. There was a lot that went into that, and I’m glad it’s now being appreciated.”
Barber said that the next time he walks through the Hall in Canton, Ohio, will be his first time.
“I have never been in the Hall of Fame,” he said. “We played there; I didn’t go in. I’ve been there five times, and I’ve never gone through the Hall. I was purposefully waiting until I had my opportunity to go in.”
Barber will be joining fellow Hall of Famers and teammates Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, and John Lynch from that Bucs’ defense that delivered the team’s first Super Bowl in 2003.
The enshrinement ceremony will be on August 5.
