Ronde Barber, whose jersey number of 20 will go up on the Raymond James Stadium façade next to his name in just over a week, is one of 11 former Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were announced as nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday. It would be a fitting class – 2020 – for Barber to join on his way into Canton.
Barber, John Lynch, Mike Alstott and Simeon Rice are the most prominent former Buccaneers on the initial list of 122 nominees revealed by the NFL on Thursday. Hall of Fame voters will pare that list down to 25 semi-finalists in November and then to 15 finalists in January. The Hall of Fame Selection Committee will then vote for the Class of 2020 on the Saturday before Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
Lynch, Barber and Rice have all been HOF semifinalists in the past. Lynch has been a finalist in each of the last six years.
Barber will be inducted into the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor in a halftime ceremony during Tampa Bay's game against the New York Giants on Sunday, September 22. He will join Lynch, Alstott and others as the 13th person in that exclusive group.
Seven other players who spent small portions of their NFL careers in Tampa were also on Thursday's list of those eligible for the Class of 2020: Quarterback Jeff Garcia, running backs Thomas Jones and Lorenzo Neal, tight end Dallas Clark, offensive lineman Lomas Brown and punters Sean Landeta and Reggie Roby.
