Tiki Barber retired from the NFL on top of his game. He was still among the best running backs in football and could have made a legitimate hall of fame run if he continued playing. And now he wants to make a come back after four tumultuous years outside of football.
“After seeing my brother still have fun at our age, it reignited the fire,” Barber told FoxSports.com. “I’m really looking forward to the challenge of seeing if I can get back to the level of where I was.”
Barber will not be a free agent coming out of retirement because he still had two-years left on his contract after retiring from the Giants. The Giants, however, said in a statement that they wish Barber luck in his return to football, but they plan on releasing him as soon as they can.
Barber isn’t a favorite in the organization and amongst fans. He openly criticized Head Coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning after he left the Giants.
He was welcomed back last season for the Giants Ring of Honor ceremony but was booed loudly by fans.
Former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who played with Barber said of his former teammate on ESPN’s NFL Live on Tuesday: “Tiki Barber the person, the leader, the person in that locker room? He’s not going to do anything for your team.”
Half way through the 2006-2007 season Barber announced he was going to retire to pursue his career outside of the NFL. He was hired by NBC and was featured on Sunday’s “Football Night in America,” and the “Today” show.
The former star running back didn’t have much success although networks were after him like he was the next big thing. Barber didn’t have the post-football career that he imagined and is reportedly struggling financially.
Reports have surfaced that Barber is broke and that’s why he wants back in. Last summer the New York Post reported that Barber claimed he was broke and couldn’t afford to make divorce settlement demanded by his ex-wife who filed for divorce after reports came out that Barber had a relationship with a 23-year-old intern.
