The Bucs unsuccessfully tried to recruit defensive back Logan Ryan a couple of years ago. But another recruiting pitch from Tom Brady to his former teammate helped seal the deal this time. Another bonus was being closer to Ryan’s mentor, former Bucs legend Ronde Barber.

“The number one thing about coming here was winning a championship,” Ryan said. “That’s what I’m here to do and help with. Being a teammate of Tom, that’s what he’s about. Playing football at the highest level. Practicing football at the highest level, and obviously the expectation and standard is championship each and every year and each and every day. So I was excited to have that opportunity and that’s what I’m playing for at this point of my career.”

After spending four years with Brady in New England from 2013-16, Ryan signed with Tennessee for three years. Ryan ended Brady’s tenure with the Patriots with a pick-six in a rare home playoff loss at Gillette Stadium.

But instead of joining Brady in Tampa Bay in 2020, Ryan opted for a bigger payday in New York. After two years with the Giants, Ryan was ready to take the Bucs up on their offer.

New Bucs S Logan Ryan – Photo by: USA Today

“[The interest] was pretty mutual a couple of years ago. It didn’t work out at the time – just money,” Ryan said. “But it worked out this time. It didn’t take much of a recruiting pitch from him this time because I knew how much the organization valued me a couple of years ago.”

At his initial press conference in Tampa Bay, Ryan spoke about his affinity for Barber, who has become his mentor.

“Ronde is a mentor of mine,” Ryan said. “He was one of my favorite players growing up and he was a versatile player before his time. He should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Wanted to reach out to him and get to know him because I loved him as a person and how he handled himself in the community, but also his durability.

“I really wanted to know the key to durability. I wanted to know the key to staying on the field. So we had a lot of talks about ‘how do you play 16 years without missing a game?’ A lot of that is good fortune, but there has to be something to it. So I tried to learn his formula a little bit on how to be available to my team each and every day. Going on year 10 I’ve missed very few games in my career.”

Barber didn’t miss a game in his last 15 years with the Bucs. Ryan has only missed five games over the past five seasons while playing both cornerback for the Titans and safety for the Giants. The Bucs will likely have Ryan do both in Todd Bowles’ defense.

Barber excelled as a playmaking cornerback outside and in the slot, racking up 47 interceptions, 28 sacks and forcing 15 fumbles in his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Ryan views himself as a similarly versatile defensive back. The 10-year veteran has notched 18 career interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and 13 sacks.

“I hold myself to a category,” Ryan said. “Very few players in this league have hit certain achievements such as a combination of sacks and interceptions and tackles and games played. I know guys are good at one thing, but I try to expand in every category – and force fumbles. Ronde and Charles Woodson are some of the guys that have done it in each category. Ronde is just the gold standard for me – one of my favorite players growing up. Obviously located in Tampa. I have a house in Tampa, so any time I can bring him on the field, or I can ask him to go to dinner I am just asking him everything I can. He probably gets annoyed with me a little bit. But now I’m a Buc, so maybe he’ll mind it a little more.

“DBs can impact the game in a variety of ways, and Ronde’s a winner. He won a Super Bowl here. He was a key part of it.”

Legendary Bucs CB Ronde Barber – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

When asked what he learned from those talks with Barber, Ryan laughed and talked about staying in great shape.

“The secret sauce, huh?” Ryan said. “Between us, it’s really is conditioning. It’s being in elite condition. I think Ronde’s belief and what I’ve got from him is that if you’re in great shape you have a better chance of not getting injured. Now some bones may break. That’s just the nature of the game. But a lot of the time players get injured or have soft tissue injuries because they’re not in shape or dehydrated. When you get tired out there you put yourself at risk and in bad position to get injured.

“I started some distance running because of Ronde and some other guys like Rod Woodson that kind of spoke about it, who have been great DBs. Getting up in the morning and putting a couple of miles in. I didn’t run a mile since elementary school gym class.

“Now I am able to run two or three miles every couple of times a week with ease. Then when I get into sprinting and cutting I’m in much better shape. I’m in much better position to be much more efficient. I just think that’s a lot different from our typical football training. We do a lot of short bursts with football. I think cross-training and doing different things in the offseason – I’m an avid pickle ball player. It’s a great pickle ball community here in Tampa, and some of the distance running different things I added to add some longevity and not wear out the same muscles that I use all year. … When you are 195 pounds and you are leading your team in tackles you have to do something.”

Ryan didn’t record an interception last year, but he did force two fumbles and sack with the Giants. And he had a career-high 117 tackles despite missing two games with injury. The Bucs can’t wait to see how he produces in red and pewter after waiting two years to land him.

“Better late than never,” Ryan said.