EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The question had to be asked.

With the Giants facing the Buccaneers this coming Sunday, Giants beat writers were given the opportunity to speak with one Buccaneers player via conference call on Wednesday.

That player was Ronde Barber -- the five-time Pro Bowl defensive back, and twin brother of former Giant Tiki Barber.

Tiki is the Giants' all-time leading rusher. But he retired suddenly at the age of 31 in 2006, off one of his best seasons, and is now unpopular with many Giants fans -- in part because of critical comments he made about Giants quarterback Eli Manning while serving as a member of the media.

Ronde, naturally, was asked about his brother's fractured relationship with the Giants:

"That’s between Tiki and the Giants," Ronde said. "I, fortunately, don’t have anything to do about that. There’s no doubt that he was a great player for them and he’ll always be. Those records will never go away, so it is what it is. He’ll bounce back into there hopefully, hopefully on the good side of that relationship sooner or later."

As for Ronde, he is now in his 16th NFL season -- and was just named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Bucs' 16-10 over the Panthers last weekend, when he recorded both a sack and an interception.

"I’m definitely a football player," Ronde said Wednesday. "I love what I do. I like coming in the building, I like going to work."