Barber, Ronde 1975-

views updated

Barber, Ronde 1975-

PERSONAL:

Name pronounced RON-day; born Jamael Oronde Barber, April 7, 1975, in Roanoke, VA; son of James (J.B.) and Geraldine (a financial director) Barber; married; wife's name Claudia; children: Yammile Rose, Justyce Rosina. Education: University of Virginia, B.A. (marketing), 1997.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Tampa, FL. Office—c/o Tampa Bay Buccaneers, One Buccaneer Pl., Tampa, FL 33607.

CAREER:

Professional football player and broadcaster. Played college football at University of Virginia; third-round draft pick of Tampa Bay Buccaneers in National Football League (NFL) entry draft, 1997; cornerback for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1997—. Cohost of Sunday Sports Extra, WFLA, 2000, 2002-03; host of The Ronde Barber Show (radio program), Tampa, FL; cohost of The Barber Shop, Sirius Satellite Radio, 2005-06;

MEMBER:

Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Bill Dudley Award, University of Virginia; Society of Professional Journalists Award, for Sunday Sports Extra; named NFL Alumni Defensive Back of the Year, 2001; named to NFL All-Pro team, Associated Press, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006; selected to NFL Pro Bowl, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007; inducted into Virginia High School Hall of Fame, 2006; Christopher Award, 2006, for Game Day.

WRITINGS:

(With brother, Tiki Barber, and Robert Burleigh) By My Brother's Side, illustrated by Barry Root, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Tiki Barber and Robert Burleigh) Game Day, illustrated by Barry Root, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

(With Tiki Barber and Robert Burleigh) Teammates, illustrated by Barry Root, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Tiki Barber, a former National Football League (NFL) star with the New York Giants, and his identical twin brother Ronde Barber, an All-Pro cornerback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are the coauthors of By My Brother's Side and other wellreceived picture books. The multi-talented brothers, whose off-field activities include radio and television broadcasting, have made literacy a cornerstone of their volunteer efforts. "We work essentially as spokesmen and conduits to get the message of literacy to the public," Ronde told Suzanne Rust in the Black Issues Book Review. "Most people in the public eye are role models by default," Tiki remarked to Publishers Weekly interviewer Shannon Maughan. "It's something I take very seriously, because I know someone is always watching what I'm doing. One of my biggest powers is influence, even over adults sometimes, and I try to [use] it in the right way."

Born April 7, 1975 (Ronde is older by seven minutes), the Barbers excelled at both sports and academics at Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Virginia. They decided to play football and room together at the University of Virginia, where they earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors their senior year and graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce. A second-round selection of the Giants in the 1997 NFL draft, Tiki enjoyed a brilliant career, becoming the first player to rush for 1,800 yards and have 500 yards receiving in a single season; he retired after the 2006 season. Ronde, who was drafted in the third round by the Buccaneers, earned a Super Bowl ring in 2003 and became the first NFL cornerback to register twenty interceptions and twenty quarterback sacks in a career. The Barbers were encouraged to enter the publishing field by editor Paula Wiseman, whose son avidly followed their careers. "It just so happens that the idea fell right into line with the initiatives and ideals that are important to my brother and me," Ronde recalled to Maughan.

In their debut work, By My Brother's Side, the Barbers recount a defining moment from their childhood that taught them about love and perseverance. The virtually inseparable twins must spend their first summer apart after Tiki suffers a severe leg injury in a bicycle accident. With Ronde's support and encouragement, Tiki makes a full recovery, joining his brother in time for their team's Pee Wee football league opener in the fall. According to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, the Barbers "give a warm focus to the family foundation they believe is instrumental to their successes and their lives." By My Brother's Side "will inspire those peewee football players out there who are recuperating from their own breaks," observed a critic in Kirkus Reviews.

Game Day focuses on the Barbers' exploits with the Cave Spring Vikings, their Pee Wee league team. Tiki, the squad's star halfback, gets most of the credit for his team's success, which leaves Ronde feeling a bit underappreciated, knowing that his devastating blocks clear the way for his brother's touchdown runs. The boys' coach has noticed Ronde's contributions, however, and devises a trick play that gives Ronde a chance to demonstrate his talents. "What works best here is the feel-good mood," remarked Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper, and a Publishers Weekly reviewer similarly noted that the narrative "is equal parts sunny reminiscence and inspirational game-day pep talk; the text sails along like a skillfully thrown spiral." Mary Hazelton, writing in School Library Journal, described Game Day as "an engaging memoir that touches on themes of cooperation and individual differences."

In Teammates, the brothers develop a novel solution to a vexing problem. After Tiki fumbles the ball during a critical possession, his coach notes the importance of developing good habits during practice. In response, the Barbers start a secret early-morning practice club, "leading to an ending that is believable as well as happy," wrote Booklist contributor Carolyn Phelan. "Tiki and Ronde have a warm, supportive relationship, rare in tales featuring siblings," remarked Rachel G. Payne in School Library Journal.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 41, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 2004.

PERIODICALS

Black Issues Book Review, September-October, 2004, Suzanne Rust, "He Ain't Heavy," p. 60.

Booklist, September 1, 2004, Todd Morning, review of By My Brother's Side, p. 114; September 1, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Game Day, p. 119; September 1, 2006, Carolyn Phelan, review of Teammates, p. 116.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January, 2006, Elizabeth Bush, review of Game Day, p. 218.

Ebony, December, 2005, review of Game Day, p. 30.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2004, review of By My Brother's Side, p. 909; September 15, 2005, review of Game Day, p. 1020.

New York Times, August 12, 1997, Bill Pennington, "The Barber Brothers Stay in Touch as Rookie Rivals With the Giants and Bucs"; November 29, 1997, Bill Pennington, "It's Barber vs. Barber When Giants Play Bucs."

Publishers Weekly, August 30, 2004, Shannon Maughan, "Double Duty," p. 54, and review of By My Brother's Side, p. 55; October 3, 2005, review of Game Day, p. 70.

Sarasota Herald Tribune, October 29, 2006, Tom Balog, "Barbers' Final Meeting?," p. C3.

School Library Journal, November, 2004, Ann M. Holcomb, review of By My Brother's Side, p. 122; January, 2006, Mary Hazelton, review of Game Day, p. 116; November, 2006, Rachel G. Payne, review of Teammates, p. 117.

Sports Illustrated, July 23, 2001, John Ed Bradley, "Play Mates," p. 52.