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Ronde Barber has officially retired from professional football after 16 years of playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.
The Buccaneers moved their team's most iconic active player to safety last season, but he would have lost his starting spot had he returned this season after the additions of All-Pros Dashon Goldson and Darrelle Revis.
Barber retires as the only NFL player with at least 46 interceptions and 28 sacks, as the league's first specialist at slot cornerback, and as one of the best Buccaneers in franchise history. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was named an All-Pro five times as well. Add in twelve career touchdowns, an appearance on the 2000s All-Decade team and very few players can say they have had a career as successful as Barber's.
Ronde Barber came in the 2002 NFC Championship Game, when the cornerback picked off Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and ran it back to seal a Buccaneers Super Bowl berth.
Fare thee well, Jamael Oronde Barber, and enjoy your retirement. We'll see you at your Ring of Honor ceremony and hopefully your Hall of Fame induction.