2/9/02 - Woe

Ronde Barber to start at cornerback for the NFC in Pro Bowl
Ronde's day in sun arrives

One season after Tiki Barber plays in the Super Bowl, Ronde Barber is the first of the twin brothers to play in the Pro Bowl.

In his efforts to find out as little as possible about his expected son or daughter, Ronde Barber has made one exception.

Actually, Geraldine is in Honolulu, as are Ronde; Claudia; Ronde's twin brother, Tiki; Tiki's wife, Ginny; and Ginny's parents.

"My wife's parents were going to come," said Ronde, who will be in the starting lineup for today's 4:30 p.m. (WSET) kickoff, "but my father-in-law had heart surgery."

As usual, it's been a pretty good year for the Barber brothers, who earlier this year shared the "distinction" of being named professional football's sexiest athlete by People magazine. Then, one season after Tiki played in the Super Bowl, Ronde became the first of the twins to be selected for the Pro Bowl.

"That's part of the cat-and-mouse game we play," said Ronde, whose brother is a running back for the New York Giants. "We're always feeding off each other."

It's the same way in football as it is in family planning. Tiki and Ginny are expecting their first child in July.

"That's during training camp," Geraldine said. "Ronde likes to kid him and ask, 'Can't you count?'"

Ronde can count to nine and he can also count to 10, the number of interceptions he recorded this season in leading the National Football Conference. Until Barber and the Cleveland Browns' Anthony Henry did it this year, no NFL player had intercepted as many as 10 passes in a season since Mark Carrier of the Chicago Bears in 1990.

Barber, a five-year pro from Roanoke, had intercepted a total of six passes in his first four NFL seasons - no more than two in any season.

"They kept coming," said Barber, who received All-America mention at Cave Spring High School and the University of Virginia. "It was like the game was moving in slow motion. I was in a comfort zone all year long.

"You get to a point where you know everything that's going to happen. You've seen every situation. Interceptions can be misleading, but that's the number that speaks for us as cornerbacks.

"I can't say that last year was any worse than this year. I've basically had the same number of passes defensed for the last three or four years, but, all of a sudden, you get 10 interceptions and everything is magnified."

When the votes were compiled for the Pro Bowl, Barber was the leading vote-getter among NFC cornerbacks. Just as meaningful was his selection to the All-Pro squad, which was honored last week in New Orleans prior to the Super Bowl

"I think that's a little more important," said Barber, who turns 27 in April. "Fans, players and coaches vote for the Pro Bowl. With the fans, it's a popularity contest. The All-Pro team is picked by the writers."

Ironically, if Barber makes the Pro Bowl in any season from 2002-2006, he will receive a bonus. A five-year, $18.75-million dollar contract he signed last winter did not call for a Pro Bowl bonus in the first year.

Barber made $550,000 in his option year, 2000, and thought he might receive considerable free-agent interest after leading NFL defensive backs in sacks with 5 1/2 . He re-signed with Tampa Bay after visiting one other team, Cincinnati, and later described the process as "maddening."

"I've had an edge since the beginning," he said. "I wouldn't say no one told me I could do it, but I don't think there was a lot of confidence in what I could do at this level. [The edge] is there and it's always going to be there. That's stuff you don't forget."

Barber is grateful for the support of Tony Dungy, Tampa Bay's head coach during his five seasons. Now, Dungy is gone, having taken the Indianapolis Colts' head coaching job after being fired by the Bucs.

"He gave me my shot," Barber said. "He drafted me; he played me. I'm in the league because of him. He kind of went out on a bad note. They didn't treat him the way he deserved to be treated. That's unfortunate, but that's the way this deal works itself out sometimes."

The Bucs fired Dungy when it looked as if they might lure two-time Super Bowl winner Bill Parcells out of retirement. Parcells subsequently removed his name from consideration.

"It's easy to rush to judgment," Barber said. "You see a guy [Dungy] who's been to the playoffs; then, all of a sudden, they say he can't win in the playoffs and he's not the great coach he was a couple of months ago. He didn't deserve to be pushed out the door."

Barber admits he is "selfish" when he says he would like Tampa Bay to retain defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who has expressed interest in staying in the Tampa area. However, first-year secondary coach Mike Tomlin, a Barber favorite, is likely to move on.

As of Friday afternoon, the Bucs did not have a head coach and the soap opera may not be over before Barber returns from Honolulu. Fortunately, there will be golf and impending fatherhood to occupy his mind.

On one subject, he and his brother do not agree. Tiki and Ginny want to know the sex of their baby as soon as possible.

"I haven't asked and nobody's told me," Ronde said. "I'm not going to find out, either."

Former University of Virginia tailback Antwoine Womack tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in an all-star game last month and will undergo reconstructive surgery next week, one of his agents said yesterday.

Womack, 23, was injured Jan. 26 at the Gridiron Classic in Orlando, Fla. Two days later, the Hampton resident had an MRI, which revealed the torn ACL, said agent Mike Toliver, who's based in Chesapeake.

Womack probably will miss the 2002 season.

"Things were really looking up for him," Toliver said. "He'd had a great week of practice" leading up to the Gridiron Classic.

This injury is the latest setback for Womack, a former prep All-American who twice ran afoul of the law at U.Va. and sat out the 1999 season for personal reasons. The ACC's leading rusher in 2000, he entered last season as the focal point of new Virginia coach Al Groh's offense, only to injure his right ankle in the Aug. 25 opener at Wisconsin.

Womack had surgery Sept. 4 and didn't play again until Nov. 3. He wasn't close to full strength until the Dec. 1 season finale, in which he rushed for 153 yards to help U.Va. beat Penn State 20-14 at Scott Stadium.

The 6-0, 215-pound Womack, who graduated in December, ranks 10th on U.Va.'s career rushing list with 2,207 yards.

When he learned of the severity of his injury, Womack was "pretty devastated," Toliver said. "He's in very high spirits right now, and he's just ready to get the surgery and get the rehab process going."

Womack, who turns 24 next month, could not be reached for comment.

Before his knee injury, Womack's agents, Toliver and Alvin Keels, projected him as a secondor third-round choice in this year's NFL draft.

"Now, he's definitely looking at the later rounds," Toliver said.

Still, Toliver said, "I believe that NFL teams know what Antwoine Womack can do at 100 percent. It's just a matter of him getting back to 100 percent."

LOCAL FLAVOR: The University of Virginia football roster will include six players from the Richmond area in 2002: linebackers R.C. Cosby (linebacker) and Merrill Robertson (L.C. Bird), tight end Patrick Estes (Benedictine), wideout Billy McMullen (Henrico), quarterback Anthony Martinez (Patrick Henry) and running back Jason Snelling (Bird).

The newcomers will be All-Metro selections Martinez and Snelling, who were among the 26 players who signed letters of intent Wednesday with U.Va.

Martinez is known for his size (6-3, 220 pounds) and strong arm - his fastball in baseball has been clocked at 94 mph - but he has two other qualities that especially impress Cavaliers coach Al Groh.

"He's got physical toughness in the pocket, and he's got competitive poise under pressure," Groh said.

With the transfer of quarterback Bryson Spinner, who started six games for Virginia in 2001, Martinez might not redshirt in 2002.

"I think he'll certainly be in the top three," Groh said, along with Matt Schaub and Marques Hagans. "Whether or not we use him would really depend on game situations and what the other two do."

The 6-1, 220-pound Snelling played tailback at Bird, where he ranks No. 2 in career rushing. At U.Va., he's likely to move to fullback.

"I like a lot of things about Jason," Groh said, particularly that "he's really a rugged player. He takes contact well and gives contact well."

Tyree Foreman, a converted tailback, was Virginia's No. 1 fullback as a senior last season. When Foreman was healthy, "I think he showed a lot of diverse skills within our offense," Groh said,"and I'm projecting Jason to be a similar-type player."

SUPER NOVA: Before he embarked on his NFL coaching career, Groh spent untold hours on the road as a college recruiter. His territory included Northern Virginia, and when he took over at his alma mater last winter, Groh made it a priority to raise U.Va.'s profile in that area.

Of the 26 new recruits, five are from Northern Virginia, and a sixth, cornerback Stefan Orange, is from nearby Culpeper. Orange made The Washington Post's All-Metro team. The Cavs had only three Northern Virginia products on their two-deep last season: Spinner, defensive end Ljubomir Stamenich and offensive guard Josh Lawson.

WHIRLWIND COURTSHIP: On Jan. 30, exactly one week before national signing day, Vanderbilt's new coaching staff informed offensive lineman Brett Tobin of Pulaski, Wis., that it was pulling his scholarship offer.

"Which was a huge blow," said Tobin, who'd committed to the Commodores in July. Virginia's coaches heard about Vandy's move, however, and wasted no time.

"They called [Jan. 31] and said they were looking for an offensive lineman," Tobin said.

The next morning, the Cavaliers phoned Tobin at 6 o'clock and invited him to take an official visit that weekend. Five hours later, he was on a plane, headed for Charlottesville. After he returned home, U.Va. offered a scholarship to Tobin, who accepted. "I felt more comfortable than I did at Vanderbilt with the coaching staff," he said, "and I like the school better."

HIGH MARKS: The strongest praise for Virginia's class came from ESPN.com's Tom Lemming, who ranked it fifth nationally. But other recruiting analysts liked it, too. Allen Wallace, who publishes SuperPrep magazine, ranked the class 10th nationally, as did Max Emfinger of USA Today.com. Emfinger called it the "Cavaliers' best class ever."

Lemming held a photo shoot for his magazine, Prep Football Report, at U.Va. in May. He invited the state's top prospects, and those in attendance included several who ultimately signed with Virginia, most notably Parade All-Americans Ahmad Brooks, Kai Parham and Michael Johnson.

For Virginia's staff, the high point of a long recruiting effort might have come Monday. That's when the Cavs got commitments from Brooks, Parham and Johnson.

"There were a lot of guys running up and down the halls when those phone calls were coming in," Groh said. "It kind of looked like Mardi Gras in that corridor."

COMING ATTRACTION: U.Va. basketball recruit J.R. Reynolds put on a show in Richmond last weekend. Reynolds, a 6-3 junior guard from Roanoke Catholic, scored 30 points Saturday in an 89-61 victory over Patrick Henry. A day later, he made five 3-pointers and scored 35 in a 77-74 loss to Benedictine in a matchup of two of the state's elite private-school teams.

For the second consecutive year, University Hall showcased two of the state�s top high school basketball programs.
Two-time Division II state champions Roanoke Catholic faced two-time Division I state champions the Blue Ridge School.
The Celtics outscored Blue Ridge 36-18 in the second and fourth quarters en route to a 66-52 victory Friday night.
�It is very special to play at U-Hall,� Barons coach Bill Ramsey said in spite of his team�s loss. �We really appreciate the opportunity to play here. It means a lot to the team.�
The U-Hall loss was the second in as many years for the Barons who came up a basket short vs. perennial powerhouse Oak Hill Academy last year.
That game featured UVa guard Jermaine Harper (Blue Ridge) against Oak Hill�s 7-footer DeSanga Diop, who opted for the NBA instead of Charlottesville.
In this year�s matchup, at least seven potential Division I players laced up to play in the 9,000 seat stadium that was sparsely scattered with fans.
The group of top prospects were led by Blue Ridge guard Jermone Day, who topped all scorers with 22 in a losing effort. Fellow Barons Minnesota-bound Aliou Kane, Jelani Lawrence and Brandon Freeman all notched 8 points.
UVa signee, junior J.R. Reynolds, played with poise scoring 17, dishing 6, and shooting 7 of 8 from the stripe. While his 6-9 teammate, Tadas Mankevicius worked hard in the post and dropped 15.
�This was a great win,� Roanoke Catholic coach Dick Wall said. �Bill [Blue Ridge coach] has such a good program and to come here and beat them means a whole lot to us.�
Four of the five Celtic starters scored in double figures as they were able to get big shots from different players at crucial junctures.
�We had several different guys hit big shots in the second half,� said Wall, whose team improves to 16-6 on the season. �I think we had five key performances. It was just such a balanced effort.�
In the second quarter, Roanoke Catholic was down five with Blue Ridge on a 6-2 run when Mankevicius scored on a drive down the middle of the lane.
That basket fueled an 11-0 Celtic run in which four different players scored the five baskets.
Despite losing the second, 17-8, the Barons went into the half down only four, 27-31.
Day scored 10 points (3 of 3 from the line, two drives, and a 3-pointer) in the third to keep his squad within five, 42-47.
However, Reynolds converted on 5 of 6 free throws in the closing minutes to seal the win.
Matt Nowlin, Tony Hairston and Phil Wall rounded out the Celtic effort with 14, 11, and nine apiece.
Blue Ridge will face Norfolk Academy today and has a rematch vs. No. 1-ranked Oak Hill on Tuesday.

Virginia goes Division I-A in record numbers