2. Tiki Barber – RB, Virginia Cavalier (1997, #36)
Games: 154
Approximate Value: 118 (5th in team history)
Average Approximate Value Per Season: 12
The Giants selected Virgina Cavaliers running back Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah Barber 36th overall in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft, two picks after linebacker (and teammate) Jamie Sharper went to the Ravens, a handful of picks before Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer went to the Cardinals and Washington running back Corey Dillon went to the Bengals.
The 3-time Pro Bowler (2004 – 2006) and 1-time First-Team All-Pro (2005) played in 154 games – starting 109 – over his 10-year career with the G-Men. In that span, he ran for 10,449 yards (most in franchise history) and 55 rushing touchdowns (second in franchise history behind Brandon Jacobs) in addition to 5,183 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.
His 68 total touchdowns are 2nd in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Frank Gifford. Barber led the league in total yards from scrimmage in back-to-back years – 2004 and 2005 – with 2,096 and 2,390 respectively.
His approximate value of 21 in 2005 was also tops in the NFL. Tiki holds down five of the top 10 rushing seasons in Giants history while his 15 total touchdowns in 2004 are third most ever for a Giant. In terms of approximate value for the Giants, Barber is 5th since 1960.
Tiki was named to Pro Football Reference’s 2nd team All-2000s Team and earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors six times. His thirteen rushing touchdowns in 2004 were 4th best in the league. Barber holds a bevy of franchise records.
Yards per Rushing Attempts:
2000 – 4.7 (5th in NFL)
2001 – 5.2 (2nd in NFL)
2002 – 4.6 (9th in NFL)
2004 – 4.7 (7th in NFL)
2005 – 5.2 (3rd in NFL)
2006 – 5.1 (5th in NFL)
Career – 4.7 (17th in NFL)
Yards From Scrimmage:
2000 – 1,725 (8th in NFL)
2002 – 1,984 (4th in NFL/65th all-time)
2004 – 2,096 (1st in NFL/44th all-time)
2005 – 2,390 (1st in NFL/3rd all-time)
2006 – 2,127 (5th in NFL/38)
Career – 15,632 (12th in NFL)
Say what you will about Tiki – and just about every single Giants fan has – but the guy could play. Sure, he wasn’t liked in the clubhouse, had a legitimate fumbling problem that Tom Coughlin fixed (which Barber somehow flubbed appreciating), prematurely retired / abandoned the team before a Super Bowl season, and threw Eli Manning under the bus, but would you give up all the moments he gave us?
Without Barber, the Giants would’ve continued cycling between bust draft picks and mediocre free agents. You could say that because of Barber, the Giants realized what was needed both in the clubhouse and on the field to make a serious postseason run. You could even go so far as stating that Tiki Barber’s comments emboldened and impassioned Eli throughout that 2007 season and beyond. Of course, Tiki would love to take credit for causing those effects and that’s why he still gets booed whenever his name is announced or his highlights come on the jumbotron at the stadium. Even when he was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010, the boo-birds squawked.
Next: MIND THE GAP