Tiki Barber
Encyclopedia
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber (ˈtiːki) (born April 7, 1975) is an American football
running back
who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants
in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Virginia.
Barber retired from the NFL
at the end of the 2006 NFL postseason as the New York Giants' all-time rushing and reception leader. On February 13, 2007, he was formally introduced as a correspondent for NBC
's The Today Show
and Football Night in America
/Sunday Night Football
. Tiki was also the host of NBC's pre-show for the 66th Golden Globe Awards
with Brooke Burke
and Nancy O'Dell. On September 18, 2007, Barber's book, Tiki: My Life and the Game Beyond was published. The autobiography was co-written by Gil Reavill
. His second book, Tiki Barber's Pure Hard Workout, which was released on November 13, 2008, by Gotham Books, reveals Barber's intensive lifting program. The book is coauthored by his trainer, Joe Carini. He is the twin brother of NFL cornerback Ronde Barber
.
On March 8, 2011, Barber filed papers with the NFL to come out of retirement.
history. In 2005, he was the NFL's top yardage gainer from the line of scrimmage. He was voted by his peers to three Pro Bowls. From 2003-2006, Tiki Barber gained the most yards from scrimmage by any NFL running back in that 4-year period.
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 ran for 511 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, injury-riddled year before rebounding in 1999 when he accumulated 1,639 all-purpose yards, utilizing his punt return and receiving skills.
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 an abysmal 4-12.
During the 2004 NFL season
, Barber reached the endzone 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, Tiki 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 point.
However, the team struggled once again and won only six contests in the 2004 season.
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 (of three) 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 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 a career high for Barber) 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
.
The season ended prematurely, as 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
(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 extended his contract through 2008 and increased his pay.
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 3 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."
As a Pro Bowler in his final season, Barber's last official game was the 2007 Pro Bowl
on on February 10, 2007 in Hawaii.
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." He officially filed his retirement papers with the Players Association on February 12, 2007.
In the very next NFL season
following Barber's retirement, the New York Giants
went on to defeat the previously undefeated New England Patriots
to win Super Bowl XLII
,in one of the greatest upsets in NFL history. Barber was present to cover the event, but was not well received by most of his former teammates and Giants' fans.
On April 28, 2011, Barber was quoted saying that his comeback was "not about the money"; however, the New York Post
ran a contradictory news story in 2010, reporting that Barber is seeking to return to the NFL because he is not financially solvent, and 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 freely sign with any team. On August 2, 2011, Barber took a step closer to coming out of retirement by working out with the Miami Dolphins
.
On September 5, 2011, Barber's agent, Mark Lepselter confirmed that none of the teams within the NFL had shown any interest in signing the running back to a new fifty-three man roster.
After the 2003 year, in spite of his rushing numbers, Tiki had one glaring 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. When Coach Tom Coughlin
arrived he taught Tiki to hold the ball vertically instead of horizontally (a common method adopted in rugby). After changing this his fumbles went down dramatically: in 2004, he only had 2 lost fumbles.
Barber began to focus on strength training and lifting in 2004, upon the suggestion of his new running backs coach, Jerald Ingram. Tiki began to work with a strength coach, Joe Carini, in New Jersey. His added upper-body strength allowed him to break more tackles and become a more powerful runner. Barber also improved in other ways over the course of his career. He improved his 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 being on the receiving end of them. He also benefitted from an improved offensive line and Coughlin's emphasis on the running game.
was negotiating a new contract, and Tiki Barber publicly criticized Michael Strahan's negotiating stance. 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.
became the Giants' head coach, Barber disliked and criticized Coughlin's coaching style. During the coach's tenure, Barber publicly questioned the team's coaching on two occasions. After being shut out 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, the Panthers' head coach John Fox
. Heavy sports media attention was placed on the comment; Tiki apologized for it shortly afterwards, saying he only meant to convey the Giants' performance was 'unacceptable'.
After a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2006 season, Barber criticized the playcalling for abandoning the running game too soon. Both times Coughlin and Barber met to discuss the comments.
On the eve of what would be his last game with the Giants, Barber told ESPN that he is "demeaned and talked down to" by Coughlin.
After retiring, Barber attributed his decision to retire to Coughlin's unrelenting style in practice. "(Coughlin) pushed me in the direction (of television)," said Barber. "I don't know if you realize this, but we were in full pads for 17 weeks, and with the amount of injuries that we had, it just takes a toll on you. You physically don't want to be out there, when your body feels the way you do, in full pads."
's leadership abilities in an interview before the start of the 2007 season. Barber was quoted as saying that Manning's motivational pre-game speeches sounded "almost comical." According to the New York Daily News
, Manning dismissed Barber's critique as irrelevant and questioned the ex-Giant's leadership skills, too. "I'm not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say," Manning said. "I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season, and [how] he's lost the heart [to play]. As a quarterback you're reading that your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it's about the 10th week. I can see that a little bit at times." Manning went on to lead the Giants to a win over the New England Patriots
in Super Bowl XLII
that season.
's Today and analyst for Football Night in America
/Sunday Night Football
on February 13, 2007. This came after a competition for his services was waged between ABC, FOX, NFL, and NBC. As a Today correspondent, Barber anchored lifestyle segments and reports on news stories. He was rumored to be a potential long-term candidate for Matt Lauer
's co-host position when Lauer retires in 2011.
Barber is unusual among retired athletes in his desire to cover hard news and political stories; in 2006 Barber cited a lunch with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
as the highlight of his year.
While still an NFL player, Barber gained broadcasting experience. On television, he co-hosted the morning news program Fox & Friends
on select Tuesday mornings. On radio, he hosted Barber Shop a weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio
with his brother Ronde during the football season. In the offseason, he hosted a political and general interest radio program
; Senator John McCain
was his first interview. Barber originally began his broadcasting career on WFAN radio and the WCBS local news in New York.
In May 2008, Barber filled the spot of Willie Geist
on the MSNBC program Morning Joe
while Geist was on vacation.
In August 2008, Barber helped broadcast the 2008 Summer Olympics
on MSNBC and was a commentator for Yahoo!
sports for the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, the New York Post
reported that NBC has dropped him from his contributor's role on NBC's The Today Show. Barber was quietly let go in May 2010 by the network after his contract was not renewed by NBC earlier that year.
Barber appeared as a studio pundit on the BBC
's Super Bowl XLV
coverage.
.
Barber appeared with his family on NBC's show Celebrity Family Feud
which premiered on June 24, 2008.
Barber appeared as the guest in the "Not My Job" section of the NPR news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
in November 2008. He answered three questions about Mickey Mouse
on the occasion of Mickey's 80th birthday.
Barber was the 'mobile shout out' on an episode of the Discovery Channel
game show Cash Cab. The question was "What is the name of the famous John Steinbeck
novel that followed the travels of Tom Joad
?". Both Barber and the contestant incorrectly answered with Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry
; the correct answer was The Grapes of Wrath
.
In the 2008 series Knight Rider
, Barber played a drill sergeant who was murdered during an underground MMA fight in the episode "Fight Knight". His character was filmed dressing down an unseen private and used by KITT to distract the owner of the illegal club long enough to allow for capture by Michael. He was also spoofed by KITT at the end of the episode.
Barber appears in multiple episodes as himself in the 2009 iteration of The Electric Company
. His "character" is adored by women and adolescents alike and is portrayed as a very likable and forthright role model. One episode even puts him in the role of a judge, trying a case of pet negligence towards his bird.
In the Dave Matthews Band
music video, for their song "Everyday", Barber was featured as one of the people being hugged.
, a cornerback
who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. Until recently, Barber lived in New York City
with his wife, fellow University of Virginia alum Ginny Cha, whom he married on May 15, 1999. On April 5, 2010 it was announced that he and his wife were separating after 11 years of marriage. They have two sons, A.J. (Atiim Kiambu Junior), born July 8, 2002, and Chason, born March 18, 2004 and twin daughters born May 24, 2010. Reports surfaced that Barber had left his pregnant wife for a much younger woman, 23-year-old former NBC intern Traci Lynn Johnson.
In the May 30, 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated, Barber described hiding out with Johnson in his agent Mark Lepselter's attic so that he wouldn't get caught. Barber was quoted as saying that "Lep's Jewish, and it was like a reverse Anne Frank
thing." Barber's comments were quickly condemned by the New York media.
and received the Spirit of Hope Award at the 12th annual "Friends for Life" Fall Gala on Saturday, November 1, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia.
Barber retired from the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
at the end of the 2006 NFL postseason as the New York Giants' all-time rushing and reception leader. On February 13, 2007, he was formally introduced as a correspondent for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
and Football Night in America
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
/Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
. Tiki was also the host of NBC's pre-show for the 66th Golden Globe Awards
66th Golden Globe Awards
The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network...
with Brooke Burke
Brooke Burke
Brooke Burke Charvet , better known by her maiden name, Brooke Burke, is an actress, dancer, model and television personality...
and Nancy O'Dell. On September 18, 2007, Barber's book, Tiki: My Life and the Game Beyond was published. The autobiography was co-written by Gil Reavill
Gil Reavill
Gil Reavill is an American author, journalist and screenwriter whose work has appeared in a variety of media.-Early and personal life:Reavill was born in Wisconsin and educated at University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Colorado...
. His second book, Tiki Barber's Pure Hard Workout, which was released on November 13, 2008, by Gotham Books, reveals Barber's intensive lifting program. The book is coauthored by his trainer, Joe Carini. He is the twin brother of NFL cornerback Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
.
On March 8, 2011, Barber filed papers with the NFL to come out of retirement.
NFL career
Originally considered a third-down, "change of pace" back, Barber became a standout starting running back and the all-time leader in rushing yards in New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
history. In 2005, he was the NFL's top yardage gainer from the line of scrimmage. He was voted by his peers to three Pro Bowls. From 2003-2006, Tiki Barber gained the most yards from scrimmage by any NFL running back in that 4-year period.
1997-1999
Barber was drafted by the New York Giants in the 2nd round of the 1997 NFL Draft1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
out of the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. He was originally intended to be a third-down running back until Rodney Hampton
Rodney Hampton
Rodney Craig Hampton born April 3, 1969 in Houston, Texas, is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 215 lbs. running back from the University of Georgia by way of Kashmere High School in...
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 ran for 511 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, injury-riddled year before rebounding in 1999 when he accumulated 1,639 all-purpose yards, utilizing his punt return and receiving skills.
2000-2004
Tiki Barber and the Giants represented the NFC in Super Bowl XXXVSuper Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
in 2001 but lost the game to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. 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
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the wild-card round. He ended the season with 1,984 yards from scrimmage.
The 2003 NFL season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
saw the Giants finish an abysmal 4-12.
During the 2004 NFL season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, Barber reached the endzone 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, Tiki broke Rodney Hampton
Rodney Hampton
Rodney Craig Hampton born April 3, 1969 in Houston, Texas, is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 215 lbs. running back from the University of Georgia by way of Kashmere High School in...
'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 point.
However, the team struggled once again and won only six contests in the 2004 season.
2005 season
2005 was a rebound year for the Giants and Barber's career year in terms of rushing yards. Led by Eli ManningEli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie 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
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, rushing for 220 yards; he would break his own record the following year. It was his second (of three) 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
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
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
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
and a career high for Barber) and 2,390 all-purpose yards with a performance of 203 rushing yards against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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
Hap Moran
Francis Dale "Hap" Moran was a collegiate and professional American football player. He played mainly at halfback for Carnegie Tech , Grinnell College , the Frankford Yellow Jackets , the Chicago Cardinals , the Pottsville Maroons , and the New York Giants...
for a 91-yard run on November 23, 1930 vs the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
The season ended prematurely, as the Giants were shut out 23-0 to the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
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
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
'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
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
running back Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
won the Award, followed by Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
(second place) and Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
(third place).
He was nominated for the 2005 FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
Ground Player of the Year Award, along with LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
and Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
. 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 3 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
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Barber rushed for 137 yards on 26 carries. After the game, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
embraced Barber and told him, "You're a warrior."
As a Pro Bowler in his final season, Barber's last official game was the 2007 Pro Bowl
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
on 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.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." He officially filed his retirement papers with the Players Association on February 12, 2007.
In the very next NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
following Barber's retirement, the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
went on to defeat the previously undefeated New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
to win Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
,in one of the greatest upsets in NFL history. Barber was present to cover the event, but was not well received by most of his former teammates and Giants' fans.
Return to NFL
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 reach a collective bargaining agreement.On April 28, 2011, Barber was quoted saying that his comeback was "not about the money"; however, the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
ran a contradictory news story in 2010, reporting that Barber is seeking to return to the NFL because he is not financially solvent, and 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 freely sign with any team. On August 2, 2011, Barber took a step closer to coming out of retirement by working out with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On September 5, 2011, Barber's agent, Mark Lepselter confirmed that none of the teams within the NFL had shown any interest in signing the running back to a new fifty-three man roster.
Running style
Starting from his breakout season in 2000, Barber was known for his exceptional cutback running, quick feet, and running vision. He also was an adept receiver out of the backfield with over 450 receiving yards and over 50 receptions every season from 2000 to 2006.After the 2003 year, in spite of his rushing numbers, Tiki had one glaring 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. When Coach Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
arrived he taught Tiki to hold the ball vertically instead of horizontally (a common method adopted in rugby). After changing this his fumbles went down dramatically: in 2004, he only had 2 lost fumbles.
Barber began to focus on strength training and lifting in 2004, upon the suggestion of his new running backs coach, Jerald Ingram. Tiki began to work with a strength coach, Joe Carini, in New Jersey. His added upper-body strength allowed him to break more tackles and become a more powerful runner. Barber also improved in other ways over the course of his career. He improved his 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 being on the receiving end of them. He also benefitted from an improved offensive line and Coughlin's emphasis on the running game.
Career highlights
- In 2006, Barber became only the 21st player in NFL history to rush for over 10,000 yards during his career. 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 FaulkMarshall FaulkMarshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
and Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
.
- Led NFL in total yards from scrimmage: 2004, 2005
- 38 games of 100+ yards rushing
- 5 games of 200+ yards rushing
- Pro BowlPro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
: 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 3 in 1973 and Earl Campbell ran for 200 yards four times in 1980)
- He is one of only 11 running backs to have over 400 receptions and 10,000 yards rushing. Walter PaytonWalter PaytonWalter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
, Marshall FaulkMarshall FaulkMarshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
, Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
, Thurman Thomas, Emmitt SmithEmmitt SmithEmmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
, Curtis MartinCurtis MartinCurtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
, Edgerrin JamesEdgerrin JamesEdgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
, Ricky WattersRicky WattersRichard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
, Warrick DunnWarrick DunnWarrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
, and LaDainian TomlinsonLaDainian TomlinsonLaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
are the other ten. - In 2006, Tiki Barber became the fourth player in NFL history to have four 2,000 total yard seasons, joining Marshall FaulkMarshall FaulkMarshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
, Brian Mitchell and Dante HallDante HallDamieon Dante Hall is a former American football Return specialist, and wide receiver in the National Football League. He is considered one of the greatest return specialists in NFL History...
. - In 2006, Tiki Barber became the third player in NFL history to have at least 2,100 rushing attempts and 575 receptions in a career, joining Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
and Marshall FaulkMarshall FaulkMarshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
. - Tiki Barber is the third player in NFL history to be the career leader in both rushing yards and receptions with their respective NFL Franchises, joining Chicago Bears Walter PaytonWalter PaytonWalter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers James WilderJames WilderJames Curtis Wilder is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions.-High school career:...
. - Tiki Barber is the fourth running back in NFL history to lead their respective NFL franchises in career receptions, joining Walter PaytonWalter PaytonWalter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
(Chicago Bears), James WilderJames WilderJames Curtis Wilder is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions.-High school career:...
( Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Larry CentersLarry CentersLarry Eugene Centers is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for 14 seasons, mostly for his first team, the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals...
(Arizona Cardinals). - Tiki Barber led the Giants in rushing in every game from the beginning of the 2002 season through the end of the 2006 season, an NFL record 80 consecutive games.
New York Giants team records
- Longest Touchdown Run: 95 yards, December 31, 2005 vs. the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
- Most Rushing Touchdowns, Career: 55
- Most Rushing Attempts, Season: 357, 2005 season
- Most Rushing Attempts, Career: 2,217
- Most 100 Yard Games, Season: 9, 2004 season
- Most 200 Yard Games, Season: 3, 2005 season
- Most Rushing Yards, Single Game: 234 yards, December 30, 2006 vs. the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
- Most Rushing Yards, Season: 1,860 yards, 2005 season
- Most Rushing Yards, Career: 10,449 yards
- Most Total Yards, Season: 2,390 yards, 2005 season
- Most 1,000 Yard Seasons: 6
- Yards Per Carry, Career: 4.7
- Most Total Yards, Game: 276 (203 rushing yards, 73 receiving yards), December 28, 2002 vs. the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
- Most Total Yards (Rushing, Receiving, Returns and Fumble Yardage), Career: 17,359
- Most Yards From Scrimmage (Rushing and Receiving), Career: 15,632
- Highest Average 100+ yards from scrimmage per game, Career (min: 150 games): 101.5
- Most Fumble Recoveries, Game: 3, October 29, 2000 vs. the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Strahan contract controversy
In 2002, All-Pro Giants defensive end Michael StrahanMichael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan is a former National Football League defensive end who played his entire career for the New York Giants; a career where he set the record for the most sacks in a single season and won a Super Bowl in his final year. He is currently a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, and...
was negotiating a new contract, and Tiki Barber publicly criticized Michael Strahan's negotiating stance. 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. "
Coaching criticism
Although Barber's statistics improved greatly after Tom CoughlinTom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
became the Giants' head coach, Barber disliked and criticized Coughlin's coaching style. During the coach's tenure, Barber publicly questioned the team's coaching on two occasions. After being shut out at home in the first round of the 2005 playoffs by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, Tiki made a post-game comment that he felt the Giants had been outcoached by their former defensive coordinator, the Panthers' head coach John Fox
John Fox (NFL)
John Fox is an American football coach who is currently head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League....
. Heavy sports media attention was placed on the comment; Tiki apologized for it shortly afterwards, saying he only meant to convey the Giants' performance was 'unacceptable'.
After a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2006 season, Barber criticized the playcalling for abandoning the running game too soon. Both times Coughlin and Barber met to discuss the comments.
On the eve of what would be his last game with the Giants, Barber told ESPN that he is "demeaned and talked down to" by Coughlin.
After retiring, Barber attributed his decision to retire to Coughlin's unrelenting style in practice. "(Coughlin) pushed me in the direction (of television)," said Barber. "I don't know if you realize this, but we were in full pads for 17 weeks, and with the amount of injuries that we had, it just takes a toll on you. You physically don't want to be out there, when your body feels the way you do, in full pads."
Feud with Eli Manning
Just after his retirement, Barber questioned Giants quarterback and ex-teammate Eli ManningEli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
's leadership abilities in an interview before the start of the 2007 season. Barber was quoted as saying that Manning's motivational pre-game speeches sounded "almost comical." According to the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, Manning dismissed Barber's critique as irrelevant and questioned the ex-Giant's leadership skills, too. "I'm not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say," Manning said. "I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season, and [how] he's lost the heart [to play]. As a quarterback you're reading that your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it's about the 10th week. I can see that a little bit at times." Manning went on to lead the Giants to a win over the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
that season.
Broadcasting
After retiring from the NFL, Barber began a second career as a television broadcaster. Barber immediately landed a role with NBC in which he contributed to the Today program, covered sports for NBC Sports, and hosted entertainment events for NBC Universal. Barber was introduced as a correspondent for NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today and analyst for Football Night in America
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
/Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
on February 13, 2007. This came after a competition for his services was waged between ABC, FOX, NFL, and NBC. As a Today correspondent, Barber anchored lifestyle segments and reports on news stories. He was rumored to be a potential long-term candidate for Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
's co-host position when Lauer retires in 2011.
Barber is unusual among retired athletes in his desire to cover hard news and political stories; in 2006 Barber cited a lunch with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
as the highlight of his year.
While still an NFL player, Barber gained broadcasting experience. On television, he co-hosted the morning news program Fox & Friends
Fox & Friends
Fox & Friends is an American morning television show on the Fox News Channel.-History:The show begins at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time with the latest Fox News Live headlines and analyzes the news of the morning...
on select Tuesday mornings. On radio, he hosted Barber Shop a weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
with his brother Ronde during the football season. In the offseason, he hosted a political and general interest radio program
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
; Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
was his first interview. Barber originally began his broadcasting career on WFAN radio and the WCBS local news in New York.
In May 2008, Barber filled the spot of Willie Geist
Willie Geist
William "Willie" Geist is host of MSNBC's Way Too Early with Willie Geist, a co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe and contributor to several NBC News programs. Geist also hosts a satirical video blog on MSNBC.com called Zeitgeist...
on the MSNBC program Morning Joe
Morning Joe
Morning Joe is a weekday morning talk show on MSNBC, with Joe Scarborough discussing the news of the day in a panel format with co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. It was created as the replacement for Imus in the Morning, which was canceled in April 2007 after simulcasting on MSNBC since 1996...
while Geist was on vacation.
In August 2008, Barber helped broadcast the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
on MSNBC and was a commentator for Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
sports for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
reported that NBC has dropped him from his contributor's role on NBC's The Today Show. Barber was quietly let go in May 2010 by the network after his contract was not renewed by NBC earlier that year.
Barber appeared as a studio pundit on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
coverage.
Miscellaneous TV appearances
Barber is a frequent judge on the Food Network show Iron Chef AmericaIron Chef America
Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
.
Barber appeared with his family on NBC's show Celebrity Family Feud
Celebrity Family Feud
Celebrity Family Feud is a spin-off game show created by NBC, and hosted by television weather anchor Al Roker. The announcer was Burton Richardson. Celebrity Family Feud pitted two families against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey-type question posed to 100...
which premiered on June 24, 2008.
Barber appeared as the guest in the "Not My Job" section of the NPR news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
in November 2008. He answered three questions about Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
on the occasion of Mickey's 80th birthday.
Barber was the 'mobile shout out' on an episode of the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
game show Cash Cab. The question was "What is the name of the famous John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
novel that followed the travels of Tom Joad
Tom Joad
Tom Joad is a fictional character from John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath portrayed by Henry Fonda in John Ford's film adaption.-Role in the novel:...
?". Both Barber and the contestant incorrectly answered with Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
by Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry
Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...
; the correct answer was The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962....
.
In the 2008 series Knight Rider
Knight Rider (2008 TV series)
Knight Rider was a 2008 series that follows the 1982 TV series of the same title and the 2008 television movie. The series stars Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur, the estranged son of Michael Knight. The series also stars Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman, Traceur's former girlfriend and love interest....
, Barber played a drill sergeant who was murdered during an underground MMA fight in the episode "Fight Knight". His character was filmed dressing down an unseen private and used by KITT to distract the owner of the illegal club long enough to allow for capture by Michael. He was also spoofed by KITT at the end of the episode.
Barber appears in multiple episodes as himself in the 2009 iteration of The Electric Company
The Electric Company (2009 TV series)
The Electric Company is an American children's educational series for young children aged 4–8 on PBS, derived from the 1971 series. The series premiered as a four-episode mini-marathon on PBS on January 19, 2009, then became a weekly series with an episode shown each Friday. On September 7, 2009,...
. His "character" is adored by women and adolescents alike and is portrayed as a very likable and forthright role model. One episode even puts him in the role of a judge, trying a case of pet negligence towards his bird.
In the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
music video, for their song "Everyday", Barber was featured as one of the people being hugged.
Business activities
Barber is pursuing business and investment opportunities, reportedly inking a contract to serve as a partner and investor in O Beverages LLC, the maker of fruit-infused bottled water as well as opening a high-tech cycling gym in NYC.Personal
He is the identical twin brother of Ronde BarberRonde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, a cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. Until recently, Barber lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his wife, fellow University of Virginia alum Ginny Cha, whom he married on May 15, 1999. On April 5, 2010 it was announced that he and his wife were separating after 11 years of marriage. They have two sons, A.J. (Atiim Kiambu Junior), born July 8, 2002, and Chason, born March 18, 2004 and twin daughters born May 24, 2010. Reports surfaced that Barber had left his pregnant wife for a much younger woman, 23-year-old former NBC intern Traci Lynn Johnson.
In the May 30, 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated, Barber described hiding out with Johnson in his agent Mark Lepselter's attic so that he wouldn't get caught. Barber was quoted as saying that "Lep's Jewish, and it was like a reverse Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
thing." Barber's comments were quickly condemned by the New York media.
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
Barber is a supporter of the Multiple Myeloma Research FoundationMultiple Myeloma Research Foundation
The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable blood cancer, which afflicts over fifty thousand Americans alone...
and received the Spirit of Hope Award at the 12th annual "Friends for Life" Fall Gala on Saturday, November 1, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich.
Books authored by the Barber twins
Barber has authored eight illustrated children's books with his brother Ronde.- By My Brother's Side (2004)
- Game Day (2005)
- Teammates (2006)
- Kickoff! (2007)
- Go Long! (2008)
- Wild Card (2009)
- Red Zone (2010)
- Goal Line (2011)