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D.A. sits down with Ronde Barber for a deep dive into one of the most iconic eras in NFL history — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers championship run, now chronicled in the powerful 10-part docuseries Raise the Flags.
At the heart of it all is Barber’s legendary pick-six in the 2002 NFC Championship Game — a moment that didn’t just seal a win, but changed the franchise forever.
Ronde takes us behind the scenes of that Super Bowl run, sharing stories fans have never heard before, including:
• Joe Jurevicius dealing with a terrifying childbirth scare during the playoffs
• The unseen impact Jon Gruden had behind the cameras
• The unbreakable brotherhood inside the locker room
• And why the team truly believed it didn’t matter who they faced in the Super Bowl — they were winning
This isn’t revisionist history.
It’s a team that knew.
A powerful, emotional conversation about belief, preparation, and a moment that still echoes through NFL history.
🔥🔥🔥 FRESH FOOTBALL CONTENT EVERY DAY🔥🔥🔥
Welcome to the official channel of Damon Amendolara (D.A.), host on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio 🏈🔥
Here you’ll find:
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0:00
If I'm being honest with you, the way
0:01
that our defense was set up was designed
0:03
to stop an offense just like the the the
0:06
Oakland Raiders at the time. Our thorn
0:08
really uh was Philly. We couldn't get
0:10
past them. We had lost to them two years
0:12
in a row in the playoffs and we knew
0:14
that the road was through them. And once
0:16
we got past them, it didn't matter who
0:18
we played. [music]
0:20
A relax.
0:22
Super Bowl week is here and joining us
0:24
is a pro football hall of famer, a Super
0:27
Bowl champion. One of the most iconic
0:30
plays I think in NFC playoff history and
0:33
a guy that has three AllPros, also an
0:36
all 2000's decade to his name and he's
0:39
making sure if you lose your fantasy
0:42
football league that you have punishment
0:45
at the end of it. Ronda Barber joining
0:48
us. Ronda, how you doing?
0:50
I'm I'm really good. Did you uh It's
0:52
funny you mentioned the NFC Championship
0:53
game. Being out here at the Super Bowl
0:55
reminds me that the only thing I did
0:58
that year was the NFC Championship game.
1:00
I watched the Super Bowl. I didn't make
1:01
a play. I didn't do anything. [laughter]
1:04
Yeah. But you know what? Did you happen
1:06
to see this 10part Buccaneers
1:08
documentary series on Prime?
1:10
Unbelievable. Yeah. Trent Trent Cooper
1:12
did an unbelievable job. It's a great
1:15
calibration, if you will, for from a
1:18
players perspective of everything that
1:20
you don't know about the Tampa Bay
1:21
Buccaneers. Like, there's stuff on there
1:22
I should know that I didn't know. Um,
1:25
and he he covered it so well, man. It
1:27
was it was fun to go down some some
1:29
memory lanes and then see our
1:31
championship and whatnot, too. And then
1:32
obviously the one with Tom Brady that
1:34
everybody's talking about at the end.
1:35
But yeah, it was really well done.
1:37
I've consumed and digested a lot of
1:39
sports documentaries. This was one of
1:41
the best made ever ever seen. And I'm
1:44
citing this NFC Championship game in
1:46
2002 where you guys shut down the vet.
1:49
And there's all these cool behind the
1:51
scenes clips of your coaches saying why
1:54
your interception return, the pick six,
1:57
which iced the game, iced the NFC
1:59
championship game for you guys and
2:00
closed down the vet was a culmination of
2:04
your year and of coaching and of your
2:06
tenacity. And I thought, boy, just this
2:10
right here is such a good synopsis of
2:12
how you built yourself into a Hall of
2:13
Fame player.
2:15
Would you consider that moment
2:18
beyond above and beyond anything else
2:20
that you had done on a football field?
2:22
Yeah, because Yeah, I mean it was for a
2:25
lot of different reasons. If you you
2:27
talk about the the global Bucks fandom
2:29
reasons like putting them on my back and
2:32
the biggest game that we had played
2:34
finally getting us to the Super Bowl,
2:36
there's all those things. But yeah, I
2:37
mean the reality is the year before our
2:40
Super Bowl 2001 season, I led the NFL in
2:43
interceptions. Uh I had 10
2:45
interceptions, first time that had been
2:47
that that had done in a long long time.
2:49
And so that was kind of my coming out
2:50
party. But the next year was when I
2:53
thought I was a better player, but I
2:55
didn't have the same type of numbers.
2:57
Um, but a performance like that in the
2:59
biggest game that I had played to that
3:01
point was really much an exclamation
3:03
point on, you know, how my career had
3:05
gone and really what it became after
3:07
what afterwards, you know, uh, the next
3:10
what god how many years did I play after
3:12
that another 10 years after that game.
3:14
So, um, yeah, it was a it was a good
3:16
jumping off point. I also, like many
3:20
football fans, assume that John Gruden
3:21
came in in 2002
3:24
and jumpstarted the offense and that's
3:27
what the Buccaneers needed. I did not
3:29
realize he challenged you guys as a
3:32
defense. I think that's a narrative
3:34
that's often times lost that he walked
3:36
in and said, "I want to create a war
3:40
between myself. I will be the villain
3:42
for the defense." And he didn't care if
3:43
you guys hated him. and that to have the
3:46
footage of the first play of training
3:49
camp that's supposed to be a run play
3:50
and everybody's under the assumption
3:52
it's a run play and he goes Brad Johnson
3:54
run the boot and we're going to throw
3:56
and we are going to piss these guys off.
3:58
I said wow we didn't know that as an
4:02
outside group.
4:03
How instrumental was it on the inside of
4:06
Gruden challenging the defense for that
4:08
year? Yeah, I think John's biggest thing
4:10
was he came in with an expectation that
4:13
we were going to win that year. We he
4:15
knew we were good, right? Um our offense
4:18
was a little less than stellar compared
4:21
to what was, you know, a top five
4:24
defense perennially uh in all those
4:26
previous years. Um but yeah, he he knew
4:30
that we didn't need to be challenged,
4:32
but he knew that if we he put more onus
4:35
on us, then we would answer the answer
4:37
the bell. Um we we always had this
4:40
saying back then. Uh if you if you score
4:43
17 points, we'll win a football game.
4:44
Like 17 just give us two touchdowns.
4:47
Don't let the other team score, which
4:49
had happened a lot over the years on
4:51
against us. Um uh we'll win just on
4:54
defense. We knew we were that good. We
4:55
knew we were that sound, but John really
4:58
wanted us to be more proactive. He
5:00
wanted us to score. We took the ball
5:02
away a ton. Like I think we had 31
5:04
interceptions that one year. Um and
5:07
without scoring on those plays, um you
5:10
know, he he found a way to challenge us
5:13
and it was it was through that score.
5:14
Derek had I think five interceptions for
5:16
touchdowns that year. Um and uh he's
5:19
defensive player of the year. You know,
5:20
he in his own way and yes, he improved
5:24
the offense. He certainly did that. Brad
5:26
Johnson led the NFC in passing that
5:28
year. Um, you know, Joe Jervicious and
5:30
Keshan Johnson and Keenan Mardell all
5:33
had big years. Um, but it was really him
5:36
trying to get us to be better version of
5:38
ourselves on defense that that pushed us
5:40
over the edge. And that's, you know,
5:41
that's how we won the Super Bowl. That's
5:42
how we won the NC championship game. Um,
5:45
we did just enough, man. It was it was a
5:47
fun ride, dude.
5:49
We on the outside think that because
5:51
Gruden was with the Raiders, you guys
5:53
knew all week we're going to crush these
5:56
Raiders. We're going to crush this team
5:57
of the Super Bowl.
5:58
Did you have that type of confidence on
6:00
the inside?
6:01
Yeah, we knew that. I mean, the to be
6:04
honest with you, the way that our
6:06
defense was set up was designed to stop
6:09
an offense just like the the Oakland
6:11
Raiders at the time. Um, we our thorn
6:16
really uh was Philly. We couldn't get
6:18
past him. We had lost to him two years
6:19
in a row in the playoffs. We had lost to
6:22
them earlier in that year. And Derek has
6:24
this famous, you know, footage capture
6:27
of him losing in Philly early in the
6:29
year saying, "We'll be back. We'll be
6:30
back." And we knew that the road was
6:32
through them. And once we got past them,
6:34
it didn't matter who we played. Uh
6:36
whether it was I don't even remember who
6:38
Oakland played in the in the AFC
6:40
Championship game to be honest with you.
6:41
Um, uh, the fact that John had been
6:43
there the year before, I mean, it
6:45
certainly helped knowing, uh, some of
6:47
their tendencies and, uh, you know, Rich
6:49
Ganon was the MVP, John had coached him.
6:52
We knew exactly what he was thinking
6:53
about doing on a lot of those plays. Um,
6:56
but they weren't going to beat us. Um,
6:58
we we we we knew that we were primed and
7:01
uh, there was that feeling that you're a
7:03
team of destiny, and it's easy to say
7:05
that after the fact, but we had been we
7:07
had that feeling the entire year. Uh,
7:09
and that game was just uh just the
7:11
final, I guess, if you will, cumulation
7:14
of what we we expected of ourselves.
7:17
I want to ask you about today's event in
7:18
just a moment, but I'm having too much
7:19
fun going down memory lane. So, I just
7:21
wanted to ask you one more question.
7:23
Joe Joe Gurvishious
7:25
Joe Jervicious has a traumatic situation
7:27
with his infant the week going into the
7:30
NFC Championship game.
7:32
We knew on the outside as the public
7:34
that something had happened. We didn't
7:35
know internally how traumatic it was and
7:38
whether he was going to play or whatnot.
7:40
There's a moment in this documentary
7:42
where he shows up. He doesn't know if
7:43
he's going to play. He shows up in
7:44
Philadelphia.
7:46
We think of Warren Saps as this big
7:48
brash bravado guy who's kind of like
7:50
crazy.
7:52
Joe breaks down and cries in this dock
7:54
and he says, "The first guy to see me
7:56
was Warren Sap. He kissed me on my
7:59
forehead and he said, "I got you,
8:01
brother."
8:02
and Joe like melted and I thought,
8:05
"Wow, that is not a side we we assigned
8:09
with Warren Sap, that was a really
8:12
unique window into your locker room,
8:16
into that team, and to some of the the
8:18
relationships between you guys."
8:19
Well, if I could say anything about what
8:21
Trent Cooper was able to capture with
8:23
that documentary, it was it was those
8:25
moments, yes. But no matter who watches
8:27
it, whether if you were a Bucks fan or
8:29
not, you were going to feel something.
8:31
That was probably one of the more um
8:33
emotional feelings that we were getting.
8:36
It got me choked up.
8:38
Yeah. I mean, we all knew what Joe was
8:40
going through. Um we left to go to
8:42
Philly knowing that he might not be
8:43
there and Joe hadn't been with us very
8:45
long. He came in that year. Um, but the
8:48
the fact that a locker room can get that
8:51
tight and and and especially when you're
8:53
having success, everybody's rallying for
8:56
each other. And yes, Sap has some
8:58
brashness about him, some some edges, if
9:01
you will.
9:01
Some [clears throat]
9:02
[laughter]
9:04
underneath, but underneath he's still a
9:06
teammate. And, you know, he'd been
9:08
through training camp with us. He, you
9:10
know, with Joe, he'd been, you know,
9:11
through all the ups and downs, the, you
9:13
know, the close games, you know. Um, and
9:16
there's no there's there sports is one
9:19
thing, but nothing separates a group of
9:21
men that are surrounded um with each
9:24
other every single day and you
9:25
understand the trials and tribulations
9:27
that their life is going through. You
9:29
can't help but feel for them and
9:31
consider them family. So Joe is family
9:34
and when he showed up and we weren't
9:35
really sure that he was going to show
9:36
up, but when he showed up, yeah, it was
9:39
it there were there were more than just
9:42
kisses on the forehead. There was tears.
9:44
There was, you know, hugs, there was
9:46
let's go do this. Um, and and then Joe
9:49
had a great game in that and and uh in
9:51
the NFC Championship game and it just it
9:52
it made it all worth it. It really did.
9:55
Story book is Joe Jervis catches a huge
9:57
touchdown pass and that kind of like,
9:59
you know, breaks the game open in some
10:01
ways for you.
10:02
They listening everything. [music]
10:05
What's good everybody? What's up
10:07
everybody? We like to welcome you to the
10:09
Q&A party and be good to one another.
10:12
Get comfortable. You sit [music] down
10:13
and enjoy the show with your lover.
10:15
Feeling good doing well. That's the vibe
10:17
that we bring [music] from your mic to
10:19
your mind. From the main Q and D A Q and
10:23
D A Q and D A [music] relax and press
10:26
play.
10:28
You guys are doing a really fun cool
10:30
event where a loser of the fantasy
10:33
football season has a banana statue in
10:36
his likeness built and unveiled.
10:39
Dentech, who's all about stress relief,
10:42
dental guards at night, if you're
10:44
grinding your teeth at night, is helping
10:46
put this on. You got to tell me about
10:48
this event and you got to tell me about
10:49
this statue.
10:50
Yeah, we have a we have about 50 people
10:52
here and we're having this end of season
10:55
celebration. Uh I guess we can call it a
10:57
celebration for your biggest loser. Um
10:59
but [laughter] but yeah, CJ CJ had a
11:03
nice prepared statement. uh talked about
11:05
the reasons why he stunk at this and the
11:08
reason why he uh uh harbors uh so much
11:11
stress in his life and that he wasn't
11:13
able to focus on his fantasy football.
11:15
[laughter] The reality is every every
11:18
football league including the ultimate
11:21
punishment has has a loser. Uh
11:23
[laughter] he just happened to be um
11:26
it's it's a really good event. We're
11:28
down here at Chase Center and um uh
11:30
what's the name of this restaurant?
11:32
Splash. uh which is a great great venue.
11:35
Um but yeah, we're having a good time
11:37
with him. He's he's self-deprecating
11:39
enough to realize that, you know, he he
11:42
probably shouldn't be last, but he is.
11:44
So, he's got a beautiful statue to stick
11:46
in his buddy's garage. Uh he said he
11:48
lives in an apartment he can't put in
11:49
his own house, so he's going to stick in
11:51
his buddy's garage. [laughter] Pretty
11:52
awesome.
11:53
You know, it's it's a terrible thing to
11:55
lose your fantasy football league, but
11:57
if you have a celebration of the end of
11:59
the Super Bowl with former players such
12:01
as yourself and JC Horn, Rocoan Smith,
12:03
and others, then you know what? It's
12:05
probably the best way to become last
12:07
place in fantasy football.
12:09
I mean, you just hope that he doesn't
12:10
plan to finish last place just so he can
12:12
do [laughter] right.
12:14
Trust me, I play fantasy football. I've
12:16
been grinding all year, too. So,
12:18
[laughter]
12:20
fantastic. Dentech helping put all this
12:22
stuff on and that's a very cool event
12:23
over there for Super Bowl 60. Thanks so
12:26
much for joining us, Ronda. This was
12:28
awesome, man. Have a great day at the
12:29
event. Have a great week at the Super
12:31
Bowl and I appreciate the time today.
12:33
I'll see you again, buddy. Cheers.
12:35
All right, man. Thanks Ronda.
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