A Ruud awakening

By STEPHEN F. HOLDER, Times Staff Writer
Published September 23, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Getty Images] Named the NFC defensive player of the week after forcing two fumbles and recovering another in last week's win over the Saints, linebacker Barrett Ruud will have the attention of everyone back home today as the Bucs host the St. Louis Rams.

TAMPA

Perhaps no one is more relieved to see Barrett Ruud finally entrenched as a starter than his closest friends back in Lincoln, Neb. ¶ For two years, they have willingly sacrificed Sunday afternoons, leaving the comforts of their living rooms in search of establishments where they could watch Buccaneers games on TV.

It hasn't been easy, though. The Bucs aren't much of a draw in the Great Plains.

"One thing: Nebraska has the worst NFL coverage," said Ruud, Tampa Bay's new middle linebacker who has exploded onto the scene with an NFL-best 24 tackles in two games.

"You could have the Patriots vs. the Chargers playing and they'd show the Chiefs vs. whomever. It's bad."

When watching wasn't possible for his friends, charting the Bucs on the Internet became a frustrating fallback plan.

"They would just ask, 'Okay, are you playing yet or what?'" Ruud recalled. "They would go online and watch my stats, and then I'd come right out of the game. They'd say, 'I'm wasting my time waiting for you to get in.'"

No more. This is Ruud's time. And judging by his play thus far, he has no intentions of wasting any.

Named the NFC defensive player of the week after forcing two fumbles and recovering another in last week's win over the Saints, Ruud will have the attention of everyone back home today as the Bucs host the St. Louis Rams.

His story is one of patience and how it can pay off handsomely - even when the wait seems endless.

There were days when it appeared that Shelton Quarles might never pass the torch. But Quarles has retired and works for the team as an advance scout, and Ruud, 24, can finally call the job his own.

Now in his third season, Ruud did not envision it taking this long.

A second-round choice, Ruud was the first inside linebacker drafted in 2005 (36th overall out of Nebraska). Nine spots later, the Seahawks picked up a heat-seeking missile from USC named Lofa Tatupu. The Raiders drafted San Diego State stud Kirk Morrison in the third round, 78th overall.

Ruud befriended both during the predraft process and figured they'd all grow together. But Tatupu and Morrison immediately became starters. Tatupu has been to two Pro Bowls and started in a Super Bowl. And Ruud? He was down in Tampa playing on special teams.

"That may have been the toughest thing," Ruud admits. "I got to know those guys, and those guys got to play early and played well early, too. You knew you could do those same kinds of things, but you had to wait around a little bit. That was difficult."

True, but staying strong and silent during those difficult days has prepared him for these much brighter ones.

And that was all part of the plan.

Ruud's father, Tom, played for Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin at Nebraska, where Kiffin once held the same post. They have had occasional chats about Ruud in which the coach would reinforce the strategy.

"Monte felt that the best way to learn was to learn from others," Tom Ruud said.

More important, Ruud got on board.

"Barrett was a guy who was at every meeting," Kiffin said. "They got there every morning and met at 6:15, and he sat there, as a backup, listening to (former linebackers coach) Joe Barry for two years. And Derrick Brooks and Shelton really helped him a lot."

Because of the family's ties to Kiffin, the Bucs were popular in the Ruud residence. As a teenager in the '90s, Ruud grew to love watching the defense pillage opponents.

"Hardy Nickerson was his favorite player," Tom Ruud said. "Then he figured out who Derrick Brooks was and, then, Shelton Quarles."

Funny how it was the latter two who became Ruud's mentors in Tampa Bay - particularly Quarles. Tom Ruud calls Quarles "one of the biggest reasons Barrett is so ready for this. When you're trying to take someone's job, it's not really a pleasant situation most of the time. But Shelton was great."

Ruud's journey has followed a similar path to Ronde Barber's career. Barber was inactive for nearly his entire rookie season in 1997 before capitalizing on teammates' injuries on his way to becoming a starting cornerback.

"You'd love to be playing and contributing, but for me, the best way to get better - and I think the same could be said for Barrett - is to sit there and watch the guys who do it great and try to do it better," Barber said.

And one day, it might be Ruud teaching a young player to be great.

"There's going to be a day around here where me and Derrick aren't making all the plays," Barber said. "It'll be guys like Barrett."

[Last modified September 22, 2007, 17:59:48]