St. Louis Rams defensive back Mark Barron was stellar on Thursday Night Football against his former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The ex-Alabama safety was selected by Tampa Bay in the first-round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He was traded to St. Louis on Oct. 28, 2014, in exchange for a fourth and sixth-round draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Barron still remembers the sting of being shipped away, as he played with a chip on his shoulders against Tampa Bay’s rookie quarterback Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers.
Barron totaled eight tackles at strong safety, with six coming unassisted. He recorded a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and showcased some pass rush moves with a quarterback hurry.
Barron joins former Crimson Tide standouts Ha Ha Clinton Dix (Green Bay) and Landon Collins (New York Giants) as three players who are leading their teams in total tackles.
Barron, 6-foot-2, 213 pounds, anchors the Rams with 105 total tackles. St. Louis’ 31-23 victory over Tampa Bay makes it 5-3 at Edward Jones Dome and 6-8 overall this season.
St. Louis remains on the outside looking in where a playoff spot is concerned; however, it still has two games remaining. Barron and the Rams need to win and get help for others.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ESPN_Future.
