Barber Answers His Critics Martin Fennelly, The Tampa Tribune, published 24 November 2008 Thirty-two-year-old Ike Hilliard turned to the man next door in the winning locker room at Ford Field. "Congratulations, man," Hilliard told Ronde Barber. "We showed old guys still get down the field," Barber said. Old? Hilliard caught a long touchdown pass in the Bucs' 38-20 comeback blowout against the Lions. But it was the 33-year-old Barber, with his first two interceptions of the season, after all the open wondering this season about what he had left, who answered as loudly as anyone, racing 65 yards with his second pick for a touchdown. Ronde the difference maker returned. The Bucs came back again on the road, this time from 17-0 down. But Barber made a comeback within the comeback. He made the big plays - Ronde plays. "It's been a part of my career, there's no doubt about it. It's to my benefit and probably a little bit to my detriment," Barber said. "It's what people expect out of me, so when it doesn't happen, anything else I'm doing gets magnified in a negative light." Yes, it came against the now 0-11 Lions. Does it matter? Ronde Barber needed a day like this. No one, least of all Barber, would confuse this with his best seasons, the Pro Bowl seasons, or that night in Philadelphia, Ronde running way into the night at Veterans Stadium to close out the Eagles and an NFC title. He had missed some plays this season, and either not gotten the chances or not seized them. Well, he did Sunday. "There's a time in everyone's career when they just can't do it anymore," Barber said. "That time is not right now for me. It's not that time for Derrick either." Derrick Brooks has heard the same whispers. Brooks has answered. He watched Barber do the same Sunday. "He's been faced with some criticisms, most of them unfair," Brooks said. "But for him to step up to provide the spark plays for us on defense ... I can't be any prouder of Ronde for stepping up and answering the critics. Ronde just stayed the path." Barber smiled. "If you only knew. I'll just say that. If you only knew. Doubt creeps in everybody's mind. I don't pretend that it doesn't. But I'm a positive guy, and I'm surrounded by positive people." So there was the positive guy, swiping a Daunte Culpepper pass in the second quarter, his first pick in 13 games dating to last season. It set up the touchdown that put the Bucs ahead for good at 21-17. Then, in the third quarter, he hopped in front of an out route and the race was on, a race he won. And now no active NFL player has scored on more fumble returns and interceptions than guess who? "He showed some speed on the return," Jon Gruden said with a grin. "It's still there," Barber said, grinning more. "I still got a little Tiki Barber in me." Is he everything he was in the past? Probably not. Early in Sunday's game, he was beaten for a touchdown by a younger, taller Calvin Johnson, who is simply going to be a beast in his NFL career, a difference maker. Then we looked up and there was Ronde, making the difference, the kind this defense has made to help win the Bucs titles and a world championship. "It defined us in '02, when we won our Super Bowl," Barber said. "It's still the thing that defined us." It will always define No. 20.