Barron signs a five-year contract

Tampa - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that they have signed 2012 first-round pick S Mark Barron to a five-year contract. The team has now signed their entire draft class.

Barron was selected seventh overall out of the University of Alabama, where he was a two-time team captain and started 39 of the 53 games he played, including every game he played in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

During his collegiate career, Barron recorded 237 tackles, 12 interceptions, 29 passes defensed, 13 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, seven quarterback pressures, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Barron finished his time with the Crimson Tide as a two-time first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-SEC selection and his 12 interceptions ranked tied for the eighth-most in school history. He was also named Alabama Defensive Player of the Week 14 times.

As a senior, Barron helped lead Alabama to a BCS National Championship and their defense to a No. 1 national rank in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and passing defense, just the second team (also 1986 Oklahoma) to ever accomplish that feat.

He finished second on the team with 68 tackles to go with two interceptions, five passes defensed, one sack, five tackles for loss and one fumble recovery. Barron was named a finalist for both the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's best defensive back) and Chuck Bednarik Award (nation's best defensive player).

During his junior campaign, Barron had a team leading 75 tackles, along with three interceptions, six passes defensed, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.

Barron broke out in his sophomore season, recording seven interceptions, tied for the fourth-most in a single season in team history and 18 passes defensed, which ranked sixth nationally and led the SEC.