Rondé Barber: Next Ring Of Honor Choice Is Easy
May 29th, 2025
Next?
It’ll be interesting to see if Rondé Barber has any legit sway with Team Glazer.
The iconic Hall of Famer says the next Buccaneers Ring of Honor inductee after Simeon Rice this year is an easy choice.
Barber made it clear recently on the WFLA-TV streaming show bearing his name that he believes Gerald McCoy, Donnie Abraham, James Wilder and Tom Brady are Ring-worthy. But there is distance between them and one man.
“There’s only one at No. 1 in my list here,” Barber said.
“The No. 1 on my list, like without a doubt, the next person to go into the Bucs’ Ring of Honor needs to be Hardy Nickerson. … When I got here in 1997, there was a presence. It was like a Darth Vader presence walking around the locker room and on the football field. Like that just commanded respect in the way of doing your job, was one person, and he was No. 56.
“Made [five] Pro Bowls while he was in Tampa; he was AP All-Pro twice. The man had a 214-tackle season.”
Barber went on to say how Nickerson served as Tony Dungy’s mouthpiece and it was Nickerson who executed the mid-1990’s change of culture among players.
For those unaware, Nickerson was a Buccaneers middle linebacker for seven seasons, 1993-1999. He showed up in Tampa as a veteran free agent and was well worth the money. Pro Football Reference lists him as the NFL’s 10th-leading tackler since 1987.
Joe doubts there’s a blueprint or strict criteria Team Glazer follows to make its Ring of Honor choice. So the next pick sure is a mystery.
Joe still can’t figure out why Team Glazer punted on formally honoring the 20th anniversary of its first Super Bowl team three years ago. Fans would have loved it and, well, most franchises like to devote a game day to celebrating that achievement.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:09 pm
It’s criminal he isn’t already in the ring.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:11 pm
Loved Hardy. He passed the baton nicely to Brooks.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:11 pm
Wish he and Dunn could’ve been a part of that superbowl team.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:13 pm
KA
Has think he made Brooks.. Brooks.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:19 pm
Hardy was the first to change the culture. He was also the mentor to Brooks and Sapp.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:21 pm
Absolutely criminal how Hardy is not in yet he was cleaning clocks here in Tampa before Sapp brooks and lynch came along 💯💯 #Hardware56 🫡🫡💪🏽
May 29th, 2025 at 9:24 pm
Completely agree. Loved Nickerson
May 29th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
I can think of 10 players that belong in the ring before McCoy gets in there.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:34 pm
Pelbuc is right. Hardy was really the guy who started changing the culture of the locker room. He made players accountable, something that did not happen under guys like Leeman Bennett, Perkins and Williamson. He set the table for guys like Brooks, Lynch, Sapp snd Barber to feast.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:37 pm
Hardy Nickerson definitely belongs next
May 29th, 2025 at 9:48 pm
Hardware use to crack dudes’ face masks.
May 29th, 2025 at 9:50 pm
Har-dy! Har-dy! Har-dy!
May 29th, 2025 at 10:00 pm
I’ve been a long time advocate for James wilder. But I’m VERY ok with Hardy. He was the catalyst to our big leap in the 90s from joke franchise to defensive powerhouse.
May 29th, 2025 at 10:23 pm
Hardy “ Hardware” Nickerson BELONGS in the ring of honor. No doubt. Hardy was the first to bring respect to the then Yuccaneers and started the culture shift in Tampa. Hardy was a scary dude on the field and would not accept losers in the locker room. Just ask Brodrick Thomas and Keith McCants. I remember Hardy talking about a reoccurring dream about hitting a player so hard the his head came off. Helmet rolling around on the field with an opposing players head inside. Scary indeed. I still rock my orange Nickerson #56 Jersey with pride. I still think he is one the most under appreciated Buccaneers of all time. Maybe even a borderline hall of famer
May 29th, 2025 at 10:27 pm
Agree with Brian in St
Agree with Brian in St Pete that Hardy is due but James Wilder should be the next man up for sure! And He is way over due!
p
May 29th, 2025 at 10:32 pm
I was here when Hardy came to the team. Without him the Tampa two doesn’t work.
May 29th, 2025 at 10:34 pm
Wider was amazing and his numbers still stand in spite of the Bucs being the yucks! Give the man his due!
May 29th, 2025 at 10:38 pm
That must be Quincy Black.😃 He should be in there at some point soon, too!
May 29th, 2025 at 11:08 pm
Agree 1000%.
Hardware is the one player that changed the culture.
May 29th, 2025 at 11:09 pm
Nickerson was tougher than woodpecker lips…
May 29th, 2025 at 11:24 pm
Has to be Wilder, for reasons many others have said plus his sheer volume of carries will never be broken league wide. But I’d like to throw in a name I’m not seeing or hearing: Mark Carrier. Long before Evans was making average qb’s / head cases pro bowl alternate selections Mark was doing it in black out games with little help else in the receiving core.
May 29th, 2025 at 11:35 pm
The Glazers punted because they only care about profits.
Case in point, they’re fine with one and done in the playoffs.
Bowles allows them to sell the fiction that they want another ring.
The fans mean very little to them.
May 29th, 2025 at 11:56 pm
I said it before, but since a number of guys got their HOF jackets, I always thought the first guy the Bucs should have put in the Ring of Honor was Nickerson. No single player was more responsible for the turnaround of the franchise than he was – in that he changed the attitude of the team. I just wish he was a bit younger when he got here, so he could have been here through the peak of the franchise in 2002 with that all-time great NFL defense, the best passing defense in the history of the NFL, and it’s very much a valid argument to say they’re the best defense ever, period. Had Nickerson been on that 2002-03 team, we’d be talking about his HOF induction – so Ring of Honor should be the very very least he’s given, and it’s a shame it hasn’t already happened.
May 30th, 2025 at 1:12 am
I think it will Hardy next year’s home game against the Steelers. That’s how they doing Rice this year against the Cardinals.
May 30th, 2025 at 3:36 am
Sorry Ronde, but you came around a decade later, BUT JAMES WILDER is the EASY pick!!!!
May 30th, 2025 at 5:40 am
yeah james wilder…
he was duding before dudes were dudes
May 30th, 2025 at 6:35 am
I’m glad that Rondé Barber agrees with me. 😁
May 30th, 2025 at 6:58 am
Hardy is to the Bucs what Reggie White was to the packers culture change
May 30th, 2025 at 7:08 am
As usual Ronde aint wrong. He did rule the locker room back in those days and if you were not on board with the program Nickerson would let you and anyone else know about it. If I remember right he was not afraid to air your dirty laundry in public.
Go Bucs!
May 30th, 2025 at 7:34 am
Nickerson was that man. ROH for sure.
May 30th, 2025 at 8:05 am
Love all the players but Ring of Honor gets cheapened with guys making it every year. It should be guys who mean more to the community somehow than just football. Selmon, Bell, Gruber, Brooks, Alstott and Rondé would be plenty.
May 30th, 2025 at 8:06 am
Gramatica or nobody.
May 30th, 2025 at 8:19 am
Rondé Barber might know a little more than some typing fan who thinks they have the answers.
May 30th, 2025 at 8:34 am
long overdue
May 30th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Speaking of the Glazers. Since the “woke” era is now officially over. Can we get rid of the male cheerleaders and possibly female coaches as well?
May 30th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
Nickerson is a legit choice, but I think Wilder was ROH worthy even before Nickerson was on the team. Hard to appreciate the present/future while ignoring the past
May 30th, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Holly Moley, he’s not listed on the Stadium Ring?? Wow, that’s a true Sin , Hardy Nuckerson has got to be the NEXT MAN UP!!
May 30th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
I love hardy Nickerson other like wilder, Richard Batman wood, Cedric brown, Mike Washington and Rickey bell
May 30th, 2025 at 4:35 pm
I guess that he is not politically correct enough.
May 30th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Hardy was all we had in 94 95 we would chant his name in the old sombrero! Hardy Hardy Hardy, the heart and soul of the team
May 30th, 2025 at 6:28 pm
I adore Hardy. I was 15 when he got here and he was the first time I felt like we had a bad app. There was plenty of tough guys but he stood out big time.
May 30th, 2025 at 6:31 pm
Buccos Says:
May 30th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Speaking of the Glazers. Since the “woke” era is now officially over. Can we get rid of the male cheerleaders and possibly female coaches as well?
……………………………………………….
Im 100 billion percent with you on the male cheerleaders. But the lady coaches from what I hear are doing g a good job. Also I think one left already.
May 31st, 2025 at 8:34 am
Donnie Abraham went on to play amazing after he left the Bucs.
After we didn’t re-sign him.
I was wonder how much MORE dominant our defense would have been with Donnie Abraham and Ronde Barber during the Super Bowl run.
Donnie Abraham is one of the best corners I’ve ever seen.
Go watch his film. He’s like Champ Bailey.