Tiki Barber

Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (born April 7, 1975 in Roanoke, Virginia) is a news and sports broadcaster, author, and former American football running back for the New York Giants. Barber retired from the NFL at the end of the 2006 NFL season as the franchises' all-time rushing leader. He is beginning a broadcasting career with ABC News and ESPN.

Early Life

Childhood

Tiki and his identical twin brother Ronde Barber were born in Roanoke, Virginia to James and Geraldine Barber. When his mother saw that he was screaming his head off shortly after being born, she named him Attiim Kiambu, or “Fiery-Tempered King”. Tiki and Ronde were raised solely by their mother, who worked multiple jobs and scheduled them so she wouldn't miss any of their games.

Growing up, Tiki's favorite player was Walter Payton, a fellow running back and his favorite team was the Washington Redskins. He attended Cave Spring High School in Roanoke and was valedictorian of his graduating class.

During his high school career, Tiki excelled in both football and track and field, lettering three times in track and winning state indoor and outdoor long jump titles twice, as well as finishing 2nd in the long jump at the 1992 national finals. In addition, he won the state title in both the long jump and triple jump his senior year.

In football, he was named to the all-district team three times, gaining 8 yards on 567 carries and scoring 41 touchdowns. He was named All-Region twice as well as adding two nods as Male Athlete of the Year, and co-captained the team his senior year. He received the Cave Spring Knight award for academic, athletic and extracurricular activity.

College

After graduation from high school, Barber attended the University of Virginia with his brother Ronde and played for the varsity football team, gaining 4,883 all-purpose yards at runningback. His 3,389 rushing yards on 651 attempts places him second only to Thomas Jones' 3,998 yards on 809. His all-purpose yardage also ranked him second all-time after Frank Quayle. He was the first player in school history to rush over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, setting the top two single-season school records in 1995 and 1996 of 1,397 and 1,360 yards respectively. He rushed for 100 yards or more nineteen times during his college career. During his record-setting 1995 season he was named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back. He continued running track in college as well, lettering three times. He tied the school long jump record of 24 feet 6 inches on his first attempt.

In October of 2006, on behalf of their family, Tiki and Ronde Barber made a donation of $1 million (USD) to their alma mater. At the event where the check was presented, the Barber brothers cited their mother's influence, particularly related to academics and civic participation.

Broadcasting Career

Now retired from the NFL, Barber will be to fulfill a long-standing goal of his and begin a full-time broadcasting career; Barber partly retired from football to pursue such a career. Barber signed a four-year $10 million contract with Disney. Barber's exact position has not been defined, but he is expected to contribute to ABC News's Good Morning America and 20/20 programs. He is also expected to contribute to ESPN; Barber is speculated to be a potential replacement for Tony Kornheiser on the top-rated Monday Night Football broadcast[1].

While still an NFL player, Tiki Barber gained broadcasting experience, most recently by co-hosting the top-rated morning news program Fox & Friends on select Tuesday mornings. He also hosted the "Barber Shop" with his brother Ronde on Sirius radio. Barber originally began his broadcasting career on WFAN radio and the WCBS local news in New York.

NFL career

Originally considered a 3rd-down, "change of pace" back, 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. He is a three-time Pro Bowler.

1997-2004

Barber was drafted by the New York Giants in the 2nd 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 an impressive rookie campaign in which he started at running back and ran for more than 500 yards and 3 touchdowns. He 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 year before rebounding in 1999 when he accumulated 1,639 all-purpose yards, utilizing his punt return and receiving skills.

But it was in 2000 when Barber enjoyed his breakout year as a NFL running back. The Giants drafted running back Ron Dayne, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner, with the 11th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, but it was Barber who starred in New York's backfield. The duo would be known as "Thunder and Lightning." Tiki started 12 games, ran for more than 1,000 yards, and notched 2,000 all-purpose yards. The Giants represented the NFC in the Super Bowl but lost 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. He was quoted following the contract saying, "I'm the happiest man in New York right now."

Over the next 4 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 the 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 an abysmal 4-12. Barber had only three touchdowns on the season, but finished with an impressive 1,651 yards from scrimmage.

Barber finished the 2004 season with 15 touchdowns, 1,518 yards rushing and 578 yards receiving for 2,096 total yards from scrimmage. On January 2, 2005, Tiki broke Rodney Hampton's Giants' all-time rushing record and Joe Morris's single-season rushing record in the same game.

However, the team struggled once again and only notched six wins in the 2004 season. As he approached age 30, Barber's goal was not just to run for 1,500+ yards each year but to be part of a team that would win a Super Bowl title. He has impressed this message upon younger players who may not appreciate how rare are the opportunities to win a championship.

2005 season

2005 was a rebound year for the Giants. Led by Eli Manning, they finished 11-5 with the NFC East title, and the offense was once again led by Barber. On December 17, 2005, Barber broke the Giants' single-game rushing record against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 220 yards. It was his second (of three) 200 yard rushing games during the 2005 season, as he ran for 206 yards in week 8, after a bedside promise to ailing owner Wellington Mara that the team would put forward its best effort. The Giants promptly shut out the Washington Redskins 36-0 two days after 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 (second in the league to Shaun Alexander) 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.

After being shutout at home in the first round of the 2005 playoffs by the Carolina Panthers Tiki made a post game comment that he felt the Giants had been outcoached by their former defensive coordinator, and the Panthers' head coach, John Fox. Heavy sports media attention was placed on the comment, which Tiki apologized for shortly afterwards, saying he only meant to convey the Giants' performance was 'unacceptable.' It is believed that Tiki and head coach Tom Coughlin have sorted out their differences.

Barber's 2,390 total yards for 2005 was second highest in history behind Marshall Faulk's 2,429 total yards in 1999. It is also the highest total for a running back over or at the age of 30. 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 (second place) and Tom Brady (third place).

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 extends his contract through 2008. His previous contract was set to expire after 2006.

2006 Season

Barber continued his fine play into his final season in the NFL. He rushed for 1,662 yards and five touchdowns. Tiki's best game in 2006 was at Washington in which he rushed for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Giants 34-28 victory against the Redskins. Barber's performance in what was his final regular season game was crucial to the Giants' playoff hopes. Despite some controversial comments in the media about how he is underutilized at times, he continues to display team dedication as an example for the younger players. During week 14 at Carolina, Barber rushed for 112 yards to help the Giants end a four game losing skid. He also became only the 21st player in NFL history to rush for over 10,000 yards during his career. And Tiki also became the third player in NFL history to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in a NFL career, joining Marshall Faulk and Marcus Allen. Barber once again broke into the record books on December 30th 2006 when he rushed for 234 yards against the Washington Redskins setting a new team record for rushing yards in a single game. His total yardage on the season is also higher than any other running back in history in their last season. And Tiki Barber became the third player in NFL history to have four 2,000 total yard seasons, joining Marshall Faulk and Dante Hall.

In his final game, a Giants playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Barber ran for 137 yards. After the game, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins embraced Barber and told him, "You're a warrior."

Running style

After the 2003 year, in spite of his gaudy rushing numbers, Tiki still had one weakness to overcome: fumbling the football. Barber had six lost fumbles in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons, including three lost fumbles in a single game against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 28, 2002. After changing the way he carried the football from a horizontal to a vertical stance, his fumbles went down dramatically: in 2004, he only had 2 lost fumbles.

Barber also improved his strength training upon Tom Coughlin's arrival as head coach of the Giants in 2004. His added upper-body strength allowed him to break more tackles. Barber also improved his running style. He developed patience as a runner, waiting for blocks to set and holes to emerge before accelerating forward. He also learned to deliver blows to defenders instead of always being the recipient.

Strahan Contract Controversy

In 2002, All-Pro Giants defensive end Michael Strahan was negotiating a new contract, and Tiki Barber publicly criticized Michael Strahan's negotiating stand. He felt Strahan should have agreed to the contract the Giants offered and remarked that Strahan was greedy. The contract impacted the team as Strahan's cap number exceeded $12 million and the new contract would have lowered Strahan's cap number, greatly helping the team get under the 2002 Salary Cap. "I don't know if he realizes how much $17 million is," Barber told the NY Post. "That is absolutely ridiculous, to turn that down. He's already the highest-paid defensive player in the league. He's already making more than most quarterbacks...Michael is not thinking about the team; he's thinking about himself."

Keith Hamilton, a teammate of Strahan and Barber at the time, then responded with comments critical of Barber. Players generally believe that they should not speak about the contracts of other players. Beyond that, some members of the Giants defense harbored resentment of the offense, which was lackluster and unproductive in the 1990s. "The defense has carried the offense, carried the team, since I've been here," Hamilton told The Star-Ledger. "[Barber] hasn't been here long enough or done enough to say anything. For him to shoot his mouth off, acting like he's Mr. New York, yeah, I'm ticked off. Strahan is the single-season sack record-holder. He's the AP Defensive Player of the Year. He's one of the best - if not the best - defensive ends in the game. And you tell me this guy is being greedy? That's a bunch of crap. I've heard enough. Who is Tiki Barber to shoot his mouth off? What has he done? He talks like he's acting in the best interest of the team. Tell him to give his $7 million (signing bonus) back. Since he's so charitable, why doesn't he volunteer his $7 million? He says all the politically correct things. Ask him if he's giving up some of his money."

Despite this incident, Strahan and Barber are currently friendly with each other in public.

Coaching criticism

During the tenure of Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, Barber publicly questioned the team's coaching on two occasions. Following a 23-0 playoff loss to the Carolina Panthers during the 2005 NFL season, Barber said, "I just think they had a good scheme. I think in some ways we were out-coached.". Next, during the 2006 NFL season, Barber criticized the playcalling after a loss to the Jacksonsville Jaguars[2]. Both times Coughlin and Barber met to discuss the comments.

NFL Retirement

In October 2006, Barber revealed his intention to retire at the end of the 2006 NFL season. There had been speculation that Barber might retire to pursue a career in broadcasting, but the news still came as a shock to Giants fans and NFL observers. It is expected that he will pursue a career in broadcasting.

Many fans wondered 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. He also spoke of his keen interest in pursuing broadcasting. Rick Reilly wrote a column in Sports Illustrated, chastising critics of Barber's decision, listing a number of former players who played until they were no longer physically able to and have since endured long-term injuries.

Career highlights

• Led NFL in total yards from scrimmage: 2004, 2005
• 38 games of 100+ yards rushing
• 5 games of 200+ yards rushing
• Pro Bowl: 2005, 2006, 2007
• First player in NFL history with 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in one season
• In 2005, Barber became one of three players in NFL history with at least three 200-yard rushing games in a season (O.J. Simpson had three in 1973 and Earl Campbell ran for at least 200 yards four times in 1980)
• He is one of only five running backs to have over 400 receptions and 10,000 yards rushing. Walter Payton, Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen, and Thurman Thomas are the other four.
• In 2006, Tiki Barber became the third player in NFL history to have four 2,000 total yard seasons, joining Marshall Faulk and Dante Hall.

New York Giants team records

• Longest Touchdown Run: 95 yards, December 31, 2005 vs. the Oakland Raiders
• Most Rushing Touchdowns, Career: 55
• Most Rushing Attempts, Season: 357, 2005 season
• Most Rushing Yards, Single Game: 234 yards, December 30, 2006 vs. the Washington Redskins
• Most Rushing Yards, Season: 1,860 yards, 2005 season
• Most Rushing Yards, Career: 10,449 yards
• Most Receptions, Career: 586
• Most Total Yards, Season: 2,390 yards, 2005 season
• Most 1,000 Yard Seasons: 6
• Most Total Yards, Game: 276 (203 rushing yards, 73 receiving yards), December 28, 2002 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles

Personal

Barber lives in New York City and is married his fellow University of Virginia alumnus, Ginny Cha, on May 15, 1999. They have two sons, A.J. (Atiim Kiambu, Junior) born July 8, 2002 and Chason, born March 18, 2004.

Books authored by Barber

Barber has authored three illustrated children books with Ronde.

• By My Brother's Side (2004)
• Game Day (2005)
• Teammates (2006)

Trivia

• He is the identical twin brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber.
• Tiki and Ronde appeared together in a Visa Check Card commercial on television. The joke was that the blond and befuddled sales clerk was hesitant to accept the card of the one brother, because he might actually be the other brother.
• Tiki also appears in another Visa commercial where he discusses his future while driving through the streets of New York in a Cadillac SUV.

External links

• NFL player profile
• Commentary on Barber being a Fox News co-host
• Tiki Barber Bio at Greater Talent Network (Speakers Bureau)
• Current Stats
• New York Giants team biography