As David Lynch once said, today is a monumentally important day. Ronde Barber is set to become the sixth Tampa Bay Buccaneers player to get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Technically there’s a seventh player joining the Hall of Fame, as Darrelle Revis is being inducted along with Barber. Revis is best remembered for his years with the New York Jets, but spent one season with the Bucs back in 2013.
Barber is the fifth member of the iconic 2002 Super Bowl-winning defense to get a bust in Canton, joining Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and head coach Tony Dungy. It’s been a long time coming, and it always felt to Bucs fans like it should be a matter of when not if Barber got into the Hall of Fame but the gatekeepers at Canton sometimes have different feelings.
There’s now no question about Barber’s legacy, he’s forever among legends of the game and will be remembered as one of the greatest players in history. The fact that he was a lifelong Buccaneer only makes his induction sweeter as he becomes only the third player in Tampa Bay’s franchise history to complete that feat.
Derrick Brooks and Lee Roy Selmon are the other two players, so it’s safe to say Barber is in good company.
How to watch Pro Football Hall of Fame 2023
Here’s all the information you need to know to watch Ronde Barber and the entire Hall of Fame class get inducted into Canton.
- Date: Saturday, August 5, 2023
- Start Time: 12pm ET
- TV Channel: NFL Network | ESPN
- Live Stream: ESPN+ | Fubo.tv
The festivities start at noon ET, but it’s a long affair and will go almost the entire day.
New NFL Hall of Fame inductees
Ronde Barber might be the headliner for Buccaneers fans, but he’s being joined by a handful of other iconic players as part of this year’s Hall of Fame class.
Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
Ronde Barber | CB | Buccaneers |
Joe Thomas | OT | Browns |
Darrelle Revis | CB | Jets, Patriots, Buccaneers, |
Zach Thomas | LB | Dolphins, Cowboys |
Demarcus Ware | LB | Cowboys, Broncos |
Chuck Howley | LB | Bears, Cowboys |
Joe Klecko | DE/DT | Jets, Colts |
Ken Riley | CB | Bengals |
Who is inducting Ronde Barber into Pro Football Hall of Fame?
On Friday night, Barber got his gold jacket from a few familiar faces from his days with the Bucs. John Lynch and Mike Tomlin were on hand at a special dinner to present Barber with his gold jacket, but it will be another person inducting him.
Ronde’s twin brother Tiki Barber will be giving the induction speech before the unveiling of the bust.
While guys like Lynch, Tomlin, Tony Dungy, or Derrick Brooks all make sense as guys who. Old give the induction speech for Ronde, it’s pretty hard to top having your brother share in one of the most special moments of your life.
2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame speeches order
For those wondering when Ronde Barber will be taking the stage and getting his bust, here’s the order of inductions and speeches:
- Zach Thomas
- Ken Riley
- DeMarcus Ware
- Joe Klecko
- Chuck Howley
- Darrelle Revis
- Don Coryell (Posthumous)
- Ronde Barber
- Joe Thomas