Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber Sr. is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 10-year career as a running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. Barber was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft. He retired from the NFL at the end of the 2006 NFL postseason as the Giants' all-time rushing and reception leader. He is the only player in NFL history to have 10,000 rushing yards, 5,000 receiving yards, and 1,000 return yards. Barber was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
After his playing career, Barber became a national media presence, joining NBC's The Today Show as a correspondent in 2007, then Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football. He has published several children's books with identical twin brother Ronde Barber, including By My Brother's Side.
College career
Barber attended the University of Virginia on an academic scholarship to major in commerce. Barber became an accomplished college athlete; he broke the University of Virginia's long jump record on his first jump, and put the University of Virginia's football program back on the map.Barber rushed for almost 1,400 yards in his junior season, helping lead the Cavaliers to a share of the ACC title.
During his senior year, he rushed for over 1,300 yards and was named ACC Player of the Year.
Barber finished his college career with 651 carries for 3,389 yards and 31 touchdowns, and 64 receptions for 602 yards with two touchdowns.
During Barber's time at UVa, he was a member of the IMP Society, one of the university's secret societies.
Professional career
Originally he was considered a third-down, "change of pace" back, but Barber became a standout starting running back and the all-time leader in rushing yards in New York Giants history. In 2005, he was the NFL's top yardage gainer from the line of scrimmage. Barber was voted by his peers to three Pro Bowls. From 2003 to 2006, Barber gained the most yards from scrimmage by any NFL running back in that four-year period.1997–1999
Barber was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft, out of the University of Virginia. He was originally intended to be a third-down running back until Rodney Hampton had disappointing years in 1996 and 1997. Hampton retired after the 1997 season, giving Barber the starting nod. He began his career with a mediocre rookie campaign, in which he started at running back and rushed for 511 yards and three touchdowns. Barber missed four games with a knee injury, but returned to the starting lineup for the final two games of the year. In 1998, he was replaced as a starter and went through a disappointing, injury-riddled year before rebounding in 1999, when he accumulated 1,639 all-purpose yards, utilizing his punt return and receiving skills.2000–2004
Barber and the Giants represented the NFC in Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, but lost the game to the Baltimore Ravens. Established as a starter and playmaker, Barber was rewarded with a six-year contract from the Giants following the 2000 season. Following the signing, he called himself "the happiest man in New York right now."Over the next four years, Barber would become an integral part of the Giants' offense. In the last regular season game of 2002, Tiki exploded for 203 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles, at that time one of the league's best defenses. His performance helped the Giants clinch a playoff berth, but the team fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round. He ended the season with 1,984 yards from scrimmage.
The 2003 NFL season saw the Giants finish 4–12.
During the 2004 NFL season, Barber reached the end zone for a career-high 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,518 yards and notched 578 receiving yards for 2,096 total yards from scrimmage. On January 2, 2005, in the 2004 season finale, at home versus the Dallas Cowboys, Barber broke Rodney Hampton's Giants' all-time rushing record and Joe Morris's single-season rushing record in the same game. Poignantly, Barber broke the record on the final offensive play of the game, when he scored a game-winning touchdown to end an otherwise dismal 6–10 season for the Giants on a high note.
2005 season
The 2005 season was a rebound year for the Giants and for Barber's career year in terms of rushing yards. Led by Eli Manning and Barber, they finished 11-5 and won the NFC East title for the first time since 2000. On December 17, 2005, Barber broke the Giants' single-game rushing record against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 220 yards; he would break his own record the following year. It was his second 200-yard rushing games during the 2005 season, as he ran for 206 yards in week 8. The Giants promptly shut out the Washington Redskins 36-0 two days after Wellington Mara was buried, proper homage to their beloved owner, to whom Tiki himself was especially close.He finished the 2005 regular season with 1,860 rushing yards and 2,390 all-purpose yards with a performance of 203 rushing yards against the Oakland Raiders in the final game of the season. Barber's 95-yard touchdown run set a Giants' team record for longest touchdown run, previously held by Hap Moran for a 91-yard run on November 23, 1930, vs the Green Bay Packers.
His 960 yards from scrimmage in December 2005 was an NFL record until it was broken by Chris Johnson, who had 968 from scrimmage in November 2009.
The Giants were shut out 23–0 to the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Barber's 2,390 total yards for 2005 was second highest in NFL history, at the time, behind Marshall Faulk's 2,429 total yards in 1999. It is also the highest total for a running back 30 years of age or older. He was named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad for the second time in his career, and was voted an All Pro. Barber placed fourth in the voting for the 2005 MVP award. Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander won the Award, followed by Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
He was nominated for the 2005 FedEx Ground Player of the Year Award, along with LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander. Barber also signed a contract extension in September 2005 which extended his contract through 2008 and increased his pay.
2006 season
In the 2006 season, Barber continued his fine play in his final season and final games as an NFL player, a rarity for running backs who often break down late in their careers. His total yardage on the season was higher than any other running back in history in their last season.Barber rushed for 1,662 yards and five touchdowns in his 2006 campaign. During week 14 at Carolina, Barber rushed for 112 yards to help the Giants end a four-game losing skid. Tiki's best game in 2006 was in Week 17 at Washington, where he rushed for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Giants 34–28 victory against the Redskins, a win that gave the Giants a playoff berth. In that game, Tiki set a new team record for rushing yards in a single game by breaking his own record, which he had set the previous year versus Kansas City. His 234 rushing yards are the most ever by a player over 30 years old. He also holds the record for most 200-yard rushing games by a player over 30 years old with four. Only three other players have one.
In his final game with the Giants, a playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Barber rushed for 137 yards on 26 carries. After the game, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins embraced Barber and told him, "You're a warrior." Barber has stated a tackle from Eagles middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter during the 2006 season confirmed his decision to retire.
As a Pro Bowler in his final season, Barber's last official game was the 2007 Pro Bowl on February 10, 2007, in Hawaii.
NFL retirement
In October 2006, Barber revealed his intention to retire at the end of the 2006 NFL season. Barber had previously indicated his desire to retire at some point and pursue a broadcasting career. When questioned why a player at the peak of his game would retire, Barber cited the toll the physical nature of football takes on a person's body and that he "simply couldn't take it anymore." He officially filed his retirement papers with the Players Association on February 12, 2007.During his career with the Giants, the team never won a championship, a top goal of Barber's that he spoke publicly about in 2005. When announcing his retirement, Barber seemed at peace to leave the game without a Super Bowl ring. He said, "I used to think my career was defined by not winning a Super Bowl. But I think looking back on my career, they'll see someone who was a competitor, someone who always played hard and never gave up."
In the very next NFL season following Barber's retirement, the New York Giants went on to defeat the previously undefeated 18–0 New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII in one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Barber was present to cover the event, but was not well received by most of his former teammates and Giants' fans, after his disparaging remarks about his former teammate and Giants quarterback, Eli Manning.
Attempted NFL return
On March 8, 2011, Barber filed paperwork to come out of retirement. Although the New York Giants still retained the rights to Barber, the Giants planned to release him once the NFL and the NFLPA reached a collective bargaining agreement.On April 28, 2011, Barber said that his comeback was "not about the money;" however, the New York Post ran a contradictory news story in 2010, reporting that Barber was seeking to return to the NFL because he was not financially solvent. The story said that he was unable to pay his divorce settlement with his ex-wife.
On July 28, 2011, the Giants officially removed Barber from the retired list, allowing him to sign with any team. On August 2, 2011, Barber began working out with the Miami Dolphins.
On September 5, 2011, Barber's agent, Mark Lepselter, confirmed that no NFL team was interested in signing him.