Tiki Barber Atiim Kiambu Hakeem - Ah " Tiki " Barber ( ; born April 7 , 1975 ) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League ( NFL ) . 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 identical twin brother of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Ronde Barber . On March 8 , 2011 , Barber filed papers with the NFL to come out of retirement . However , he has not been signed by any NFL team . 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 Giants 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 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 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 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 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 . 2005 season . 2005 was a rebound year for the Giants and 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 ( 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 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 ( 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 . His 960 yards from scrimmage in December 2005 was an NFL record until it was broken by Chris Johnson , who had 968 in November 2009 . 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 . 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 , 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 . 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 . Around this same period , Barber was featured in an early 2007 online advertising campaign by the Wall Street Journal that featured celebrity readers . 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 NFL 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 . 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 " 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 . Player Profile . 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 head 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 . 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 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 . " < nowiki > [ Barber ] < / nowiki > 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 . Although Barber ' s statistics improved greatly after Tom Coughlin 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 . " Feud with Eli Manning . Just after his retirement , Barber questioned Giants quarterback and ex - teammate Eli 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 " , 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 and a second victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI . Post - football career . 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 " " program , covered sports for NBC Sports , and hosted entertainment events for NBC Universal . Barber was introduced as a correspondent for NBC ' s " " 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 on Today . However , Lauer renewed his contract with NBC in 2012 and is still its host . 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 ; 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 on the BBC ' s Super Bowl XLV coverage . Currently , Barber is a morning host for CBS Sports Radio with Dana Jacobson and Brian Tierney . 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 . Barber is co - chairman and co - founder of the website http : / / www . thuzio . com , which provides an online marketplace for athletes to be booked for local speaking , appearances , coaching and personal events . Personal . He is the identical twin brother of Ronde Barber , a cornerback who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Barber formerly lived in New York City with his wife , fellow University of Virginia alum ( and college sweetheart ) 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 . In 2010 , it became public that Barber in 2009 left his pregnant wife for 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 . In July 2012 , Barber and Johnson married . Books authored by the Barber twins . Barber has authored eight illustrated children ' s books with his brother Ronde .