Hall of Fame Misses the Mark on Rondé Barber (Again)

What does a guy have to do to get a Gold Jacket around here?

Thursday night, the 15 finalists for the next Pro Football Hall of Fame class were announced, and once again, Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Rondé Barber was not among them.

For the third consecutive year since he became eligible, Barber made it as far as the 25-man list of semifinalists. His former teammates, John Lynch and Simeon Rice, also made that cut, but Lynch was the only one to get the finalist nod (for a seventh straight year).

What's keeping Barber out of Canton?

Your guess is as good as mine.

What Barber lacked in prototypical size, he more than made up for in heart, intelligence and instinct. He played with an unmatched work ethic, and an undying willingness to do whatever was necessary to help his team win.

That led Barber to revolutionizing the slot corner position. He was an absolute terror as a blitzer, getting after opposing quarterbacks with a regularity never seen before from an NFL defensive back. His nose for the football made him one of the league's most dangerous playmakers, and the numbers back it up.

Barber is the only player in NFL history with at least 45 interceptions and at least 25 sacks.

Only four players in league history have more non-offensive touchdowns than Barber: Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, and future (should-be-first-ballot) Hall of Famer Devin Hester. Barber is the only player of those four to have never been a return specialist.

Barber was an iron-man for 16 seasons in Tampa Bay, and currently holds the NFL record for consecutive starts by a cornerback (209, including playoffs), and consecutive starts by a defensive back (224, including playoffs).

Late in his career, much like Woodson, Barber showed his versatility and team-first mentality by moving from corner to safety.

A member of the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s, Barber holds eight franchise records in Tampa Bay, and was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor in September. A five-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro (three first-team), Barber led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2001, a number no player has eclipsed since.

Barber was never your cookie-cutter, line-him-up-across-from-the-same-guy-and-chase-him-around-all-day kind of corner. He didn't play the position like Champ Bailey or Ty Law, but they also couldn't play the position like he could, either. Barber was a rare defensive weapon who forged the mold for a now-essential position in today's pass-happy NFL. Many teams have tried to find that kind of player, but none have replicated Barber's dominance as both a cover man, a pass rusher, and a touchdown machine.

But evidently, that's still not enough for Canton.

Shame.