Age: 26
5th
season in pro football & with Buccaneers
College: Virginia
Height: 5’10” Weight: 184
Prelude:
Barber
intercepted 15 passes in college and was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast
Conference selection three times before declaring for the NFL draft after his
junior year. He was chosen by the Buccaneers in the third round in 1997 and saw
action in only one game as a rookie. Barber broke out in ’98, developing
quickly and moving into the starting lineup. He played well in combination with
Brian Kelly across from CB Donnie Abraham and made up in instincts what he
lacked in speed, intercepting a total of six passes in three seasons, one of
which he returned for a touchdown.
2001 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Interceptions
– 10 [1, tied with Anthony Henry]
Most
interceptions, game – 3 vs. New Orleans 12/23
Int. return
yards – 86 [18]
Most int.
return yards, game – 56 (on 3 int.) vs. New Orleans 12/23
Int. TDs – 1
[12, tied with many others]
Sacks – 1
Fumble
recoveries – 2
Forced
fumbles – 1
Tackles – 58
Assists – 13
Scoring
TDs – 1
Points – 6
Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at
Philadelphia)
Interceptions
– 0
TDs – 0
Awards &
Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA
Pro Bowl
Buccaneers
went 9-7 to finish third in the NFC Central and qualify for the postseason as a
Wild Card entry while leading the conference in interceptions (28). Lost NFC
Wild Card playoff to Philadelphia Eagles (31-9).
Aftermath:
Barber spent
another 11 seasons with Tampa Bay. He was a second-team All-NFL selection by
the Associated Press in 2002 and his 92-yard interception return for a
touchdown against Philadelphia nailed down a win in the NFC Championship game on
the way to a NFL title. Barber received first-team All-NFL honors following the
2004 and ’05 seasons and was chosen to a total of five Pro Bowls. He appeared
in 240 consecutive regular season games, starting 215 of them, and ending up as
a free safety starting all 16 games at age 37 in 2012. Unwilling to come back
in a reserve role, Barber retired, having intercepted a franchise-record 47
passes and also accounting for 28 sacks and over a thousand tackles. He was
named to the All-2000s team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His twin brother
Tiki had a 10-year career as a running back for the New York Giants.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
