Make no mistake about it: former Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber wanted to stand out in his 16-year NFL career. Barber made his sentiments known in his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech on August 5, per PFT's Charean Williams.

“My football journey that I've been on for 40 years has reached its end, that there's nowhere else to go. I can stop being an angry worker. I can stop trying to prove everyone wrong. I've come a long way in 26 years. After today, there will be 23 corners in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I'm not like any one of them because I couldn't be. I'm here because I refused to be just a guy. Ordinary was not an option,” Barber told the crowd in Canton, OH on Saturday.

“I learned along the way that the NFL is a special place, man. It doesn't matter where you come from. It doesn't matter where your journey started. Nobody gets to define you but you. It rewards you to dare to be uncommon and choose to be a little bit extraordinary,” Barber added.

Ronde Barber was an uncommon defensive back for the Buccaneers

Prior to breaking into the NFL ranks out of Virginia football in 1997, naysayers thought Barber was an undersized defensive back. They also thought he was too slow to play in an NFL backfield.

Barber, the twin brother of former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber, made them eat their words. The former finished his NFL career with 1,251 tackles, 47 interceptions, 88 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, 15 forced fumbles, and 12 fumble recoveries.

Ronde cemented his legacy with five Pro Bowl and three First-Team All-Pro selections. Barber also entered the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor four years ago.

As the proverbial icing on the cake, Barber earned his gold jacket and bust in Canton, OH this past weekend. He thanked his doubters in his induction speech on Saturday – they lit a fire in him to become uncommon and succeed in the NFL.

Ronde Barber had the last laugh 26 years after his critics tried to sidetrack him. He now joins Buccaneers legends John Lynch, Warren Sapp, and Derrick Brooks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Buccaneers will also honor Barber at halftime of the upcoming Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 25.