Players

Pro Career
One of the NFL’s best middle linebackers… Quarterback of the Buccaneers defense who is responsible for making defensive calls… Aggressive and intense competitor with excellent range… A sideline-to-sideline player and sound tackler… For the third consecutive season in 2009, led the team in tackles while establishing a new career-high with 205 tackles… Became the first Buccaneer to surpass the 200-tackle plateau since LB Hardy Nickerson accomplished the feat in 1993… Has seen action in 79 regular season games with 52 starts… Has played in two playoff contests with one start… Career totals include 618 tackles, three sacks, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 19 passes defensed… Registered 30 career special teams tackles and one special teams fumble recovery… Posted 10 tackles and one special teams tackle in two playoff appearances… Originally entered the league as a second-round draft pick (36th overall) of the Buccaneers in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Previous Seasons
2009: Started all 16 games on the year… Became the first Buccaneer to surpass the 200-tackle plateau since LB Hardy Nickerson accomplished the feat in 1993… Led or tied for the team lead in tackles in 14 games… For the third consecutive season, led the team in tackles while establishing a new career-high with 205 tackles… Tied for the team lead with eight tackles in season opener against Dallas (9/13)… Led the team with a career-high 20 tackles at Buffalo (9/20)… Also returned a lateral from S Sabby Piscitelli 21 yards after an interception… Led the team with 19 tackles vs. N.Y. Giants (9/27)… Led the team with 11 tackles and one QBP at Washington (10/4)… Led the team with 14 tackles at Philadelphia (10/11)… Led the team with 14 tackles and three passes defensed vs. Carolina (10/18), while recording his first interception of the season of QB Jake Delhomme… Led the team with 11 tackles and one pass defensed vs. New England (10/25)… Led the team with eight tackles vs. Green Bay (11/8)… Led team with 13 tackles at Miami (11/15)… Led team with 13 tackles vs. New Orleans (11/22) and added one pass defensed against the Saints… Posted 11 tackles, including one TFL, and one forced fumble at Atlanta (11/29)… Tied for the team lead with 10 tackles at Carolina (12/6)… Led the team with 14 tackles vs. N.Y. Jets (12/13)… Led the team with 13 tackles while adding two passes defensed and one QBP at Seattle (12/20)… Notched six tackles, including one TFL, and one pass defensed at New Orleans (12/27)… Matched his career high with 20 tackles in season finale vs. Atlanta (1/3).

2008: Started all 16 games on the season… Led team with 178 tackles… Posted a career-high tying 18 tackles at Kansas City (11/2)… Ranked tied for fourth on the team with two interceptions… Ranked fifth on the team with three sacks… Tied for sixth on the team with seven passes defensed… Registered first career sack vs. Green Bay (9/28)… Tallied 178 tackles, including four TFLs, two interceptions, three sacks, one fumble recovery and seven passes defensed on the season… Led the team with 10 tackles, including one TFL, in season opener at New Orleans (9/7)… Notched eight tackles in contest vs. Atlanta (9/14)… Recorded first interception of the season off QB Kyle Orton at Chicago (9/21)… Led team with 13 tackles and tallied two passes defensed against the Bears… Posted first career sack vs. Green Bay (9/28), dropping QB Aaron Rodgers… Added his second interception of the season against the Packers while finishing the contest with a team-leading nine tackles and one pass defensed… Had eight tackles at Denver (10/5)… Tied for team lead with eight tackles and added one pass defensed vs. Carolina (10/12)… Finished contest against Seattle (10/19) with a team-high tying six tackles, including one TFL, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed… Pass defensed against the Seahawks led to a CB Aqib Talib interception… Led the team with a then season-high 16 tackles at Dallas (10/26)… Added one pass defensed against the Cowboys… Tied his career high with a season-high 18 tackles at Kansas City (11/2)… Added his second sack of the season against the Chiefs, dropping QB Tyler Thigpen on the first play of the game… Had eight tackles and one sack of QB Gus Frerotte vs. Minnesota (11/16)… Finished with eight tackles at Detroit (11/23)… Led team with 13 tackles, including one TFL, and one pass defensed vs. New Orleans (11/30)… Led team with 13 tackles at Carolina (12/8)… Led team with 17 tackles, including one TFL, at Atlanta (12/14)… Led team with 12 tackles vs. San Diego (12/21)… Led team with 12 tackles vs. Oakland (12/28).

2007: Named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September… Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his effort in Week 2 against New Orleans (9/16)… Started 15 contests and inactive for one other (vs. Carolina) on the season… Also started lone playoff contest… Led the team with a career-high 169 tackles… Tied for second on the team with three forced fumbles… Ranked second on the team with three fumble recoveries… Tied for third on the team with two interceptions… Finished season with 169 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and four passes defensed… Finished start at MLB at Seattle (9/9) with a then career-high 12 tackles and one fumble recovery… Established a then career-high in tackles for the second consecutive game vs. New Orleans (9/16), posting 16 tackles… Added a career-high two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery against the Saints… Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his effort against the Saints… Recorded first career interception vs. St. Louis (9/23)… Finished contest against the Rams with 15 tackles and one pass defensed… Tied for the team lead with eight tackles at Carolina (9/30)… Added one forced fumble and one pass defensed against the Panthers… Matched his then career high with 16 tackles at Indianapolis (10/7)… Again established a career-high with 18 tackles vs. Tennessee (10/14)… Totaled six tackles at Detroit (10/21)… Finished game vs. Jacksonville (10/28) with 15 tackles… Had three tackles vs. Arizona (11/4)… Posted 12 tackles, including two TFLs, one interception and one pass defensed at Atlanta (11/18)... Interception came off QB Byron Leftwich in the first quarter… Tallied 14 tackles and one pass defensed vs. Washington (11/25)… Totaled seven tackles at New Orleans (12/2)… Posted 10 tackles at Houston (12/9)… Led the team with nine tackles, including one TFL, vs. Atlanta (12/16)… Led the team with eight tackles and one fumble recovery at San Francisco (12/23)… Finished NFC Wild Card game vs. N.Y. Giants (1/6) with 10 tackles.

2006: Played in all 16 games with five starts (vs. Baltimore, vs. Carolina, at Carolina, vs. Washington and at Dallas)… Ranked 10th on the team with a career-high 59 tackles on the season… Added 12 special teams stops… Made first career start in season opener vs. Baltimore (9/10), replacing the injured Shelton Quarles at MLB… Finished contest against the Ravens with nine tackles… Made second start of the season at MLB vs. Carolina (9/24) as Quarles started at OLB in place of the injured Ryan Nece… Finished with 10 tackles against the Panthers… Totaled two tackles at New Orleans (10/8)… Notched two tackles and one special teams stop vs. Philadelphia (10/22)… Saw action at MLB and on special teams at N.Y. Giants (10/29), totaling one special teams tackle… Totaled six tackles and two special teams tackles vs. New Orleans (11/5)… Started at MLB at Carolina (11/13) because of injury to Quarles… Had 10 tackles, including one TFL, and one special teams tackle at Carolina (11/13)… Notched six tackles vs. Washington (11/19)… Led the team with a career-high 11 tackles at Dallas (11/23)… Totaled one tackle and one special teams stop vs. Atlanta (12/10)… Posted two special teams tackles at Cleveland (12/24)… Tallied two tackles and one special teams stop vs. Seattle (12/31).

2005: One of three Buccaneer rookies (along with G Dan Buenning and TE Alex Smith) to play in all 16 regular season games and playoff contest… Ranked tied for fourth on the team with 18 special teams tackles… Added seven tackles on defense and one fumble recovery on special teams… Saw action in first career game on special teams at Minnesota (9/11)… Totaled one special teams tackle against the Vikings… Led team with two special teams tackles against Buffalo (9/18)… Led team with three special teams tackles at Green Bay (9/25)… Posted two special teams tackles and one special teams fumble recovery at N.Y. Jets (10/9)… Saw first career action on defense against Miami (10/16), recording four tackles at middle linebacker while substituting for the injured Shelton Quarles… Added two special teams tackles against the Dolphins… Had two special teams tackles vs. Washington (11/13)… Substituted at middle linebacker at New Orleans (12/4), posting one tackle… Notched two stops on special teams at Carolina (12/11)… Saw late action at middle linebacker at New England (12/17), recording two tackles… Tied for the team lead with two special teams tackles vs. New Orleans (1/1)… Posted one special teams tackle in NFC Wild Card contest vs. Washington (1/7).

College Career
Honors at Nebraska included: 2004 First-Team All-American selection (The NFL Draft Report), 2004 Third-Team All American (AP), 2004 First-Team All-Big 12, 2002-2004 Academic All-Big 12, 2003 Second-Team All-Big 12 (AP), 2003 Third-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches), 2002-2003 Member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, 2002 All-Big 12 honorable mention (Coaches)… Started 37 of 50 games during his career... Finished his career as the Huskers’ all-time leading tackler with 432 tackles… Also added three forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, one interception and 13 passes defensed… Graduated with a degree in business management.

Personal
Active supporter of the American Heart Association... This past offseason, hosted a golf tournament with the Pewter Report that benefited the American Heart Association… Served as the Buccaneers’ 2008 spokesman for the NFL/American Heart Association’s “What Moves U” initiative, promoting health and fitness to local youth... Joined other NFL players to run football drills and promote healthy living to students at Dr. John Long Middle School for the NFL Play 60/What Moves U Challenge during 2009 Super Bowl week... Filmed a PSA with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department in 2008 encouraging seatbelt safety with teen drivers... Participated in football drills with Special Olympic athletes during 2008 training camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports… Honored staff and veterans hospitalized at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital during the Buccaneers Veterans Day Ice Cream Social in November 2007… Hosted breast cancer patients and survivors at the Bucs October 14, 2007 game through his gameday ticket program, in commemoration of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month… Provides charitable groups with tickets to Bucs home games through Barrett’s Backers, a gameday ticket program that he has sponsored since 2006… Celebrated the start of the 2007 and 2008 seasons at the Official Season Kickoff Party presented by Miller Lite… Spoke to students at Walker Middle School in Odessa about the importance of physical activity and sound nutrition during a Buccaneers and American Heart Association “What Moves U” fitness rally in April 2007… Participated in the 2007 Buccaneers Celebrity Golf Classic, which benefited All Children’s Hospital Foundation… Participated in Q&A with fans at the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Chamber of Commerce annual breakfast and the Tampa Chamber of Commerce luncheon in 2005 and 2008… Helped kids at the North Tampa Bay Boys & Girls Club with homework and ran the children through the Gatorade Jr. Training Camp in 2005… Helped kids carve pumpkins at The Children’s Home Halloween party in 2005 and 2006… Stuffed and distributed food baskets for families who qualified for assistance through the Metropolitan Ministries holiday program in 2005… Attended Lincoln (Nebraska) Southeast High School… Competed as an I-back and linebacker… A four-year letterman who helped the team compile a 48-2 record, and four state playoff appearances… The Knights won Class A state titles in 1997, 1998 and 2000… Two-time All-Nebraska honoree by the Omaha World-Herald and a two-time super-state pick by the Lincoln Journal Star… The World-Herald named him honorary captain of the offense, while the Journal Star named him the offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year and prep athlete of the year… Earned All-American honors as a linebacker from Prep Star and Student Sports… Son of Tom and the late Jamie Ruud… Father, Tom (1972-1974), two uncles, Bob Martin (1973-1975), and John Ruud (1978-1979), great-grandfather, Clarence Swanson (1918-1921) and brother, Bo (2004-2007) all played football for Nebraska… Brother Bo was selected in the sixth round (197th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft by New England… Father played for Bucs’ defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin at Nebraska… Cousin of former Buccaneer safety John Howell… Possesses an eclectic music taste, including the Grateful Dead… An avid golfer… Assisted with the FFA Youth Leadership Conference in 2001 and has been a volunteer speaker during American Education Week… Born Barrett James Ruud on May 20, 1983 in Lincoln, Nebraska.