Plenty of time has passed since Tiki Barber decided to hang up the cleats and shockingly retired early.
The former New York Giants running back was in the prime of his career when he decided to walk away from football and unfortunately for Barber, it was just a year too early. The Giants, of course, moved on without their all-time leading rusher and went on to win the Super Bowl the following year upsetting the undefeated New England Patriots.
This week, Bleacher Report compiled a list of players in the NFL who retired too early and naturally, Barber made the list.
Although Barber played at a high level on the other side of 30, he experienced a moment that steered him toward retirement in his final campaign.
“To put it into clarity,” he said on the Talk of Fame Network, “my first game against Philadelphia [in] my last season we played at Philly. It was at the new ‘Linc’ (Lincoln Financial Field), I got the crap beat out of me by Jeremiah Trotter, and I walked out that game saying, ‘I’m done.'”
Barber also said he had “many more interests” outside of football.
Barber retired at age 31 and seemed to have a lot more football left in him at the time of the decision. In each of the final three years of Barber’s career, he had over 1,500 yards rushing and 50 receptions, earning him three Pro Bowl selections.
Needless to say, Barber was in his prime and an elite player in his time.
Of all the NFL players to total 9,000 rushing yards in the 2000s so far, only one was not a first- or second-round draft pick.
It was Frank Gore. He's No. 1 on the list. pic.twitter.com/psdbqPA66A
— Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) December 23, 2019
Others on the list included Andrew Luck (29), Barry Sanders (31), Calvin Johnson (30) and Luke Kuechly (28).
Barber has gone on to big things in the broadcasting department following his playing career. And although the term stands true — once a Giant, always a Giants — many fans have not forgiven Barber for his sudden retirement and subsequent comments on Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin.
Barber was indicted into the Giants’ “Ring of Honor” in 2010.
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