Age: 29
8th
season in pro football & with Giants
College: Virginia
Height: 5’10” Weight: 200
Prelude:
Barber was
chosen by the Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft with the
expectation that he would be a third-down back and kick returner in the mold of
former star RB Dave Meggett, and while he started a few games, that was largely
the role he filled for his first three seasons. From 1997 to ’99, he rushed for
935 yards while catching 142 passes for 1256 yards (8.8 avg.) that included a
high of 66 for 609 yards in 1999. Adding in kick returns, Barber gained 1639
all-purpose yards. He became part of an effective tandem with rookie Ron Dayne
in 2000, and while Dayne wore down as the season progressed, Barber rushed for
1006 yards on 213 carries (4.7 avg.) and caught 70 passes for 719 yards (10.3
avg.). He co-led the team in ’01 with 72 pass receptions, for 577 yards, and
had 865 rushing yards. The biggest concern was a tendency to fumble, but he was
a surprisingly effective inside runner as well as a breakaway threat on the
outside and skillful receiver. Barber shouldered more of the load in 2002 and
’03, gaining 1984 yards from scrimmage in ’02 (1387 rushing, 597 receiving) and
1677 in 2003 (1216 rushing, 461 receiving).
2004 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 322
[8]
Most
attempts, game – 24 (for 101 yds.) at Minnesota 10/31, (for 95 yds.) vs. Dallas
1/2
Yards – 1518
[5]
Most yards,
game – 182 yards (on 23 carries) at Green Bay 10/3
Average gain
– 4.7 [8]
TDs – 13 [4,
tied with Willis McGahee, Domanick Davis & Jerome Bettis]
100-yard
rushing games – 9
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 52
Most
receptions, game – 7 (for 102 yds.) vs. Detroit 10/24
Yards – 578
Most yards,
game – 102 (on 7 catches) vs. Detroit 10/24
Average gain
– 11.1
TDs – 2
100-yard
receiving games – 1
All-Purpose
yards – 2096 [2, 1st in NFC]
Scoring
TDs – 15 [4,
tied with Marvin Harrison & Priest Holmes]
Points – 90
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Giants went 6-10
to finish second in the NFC East.
Aftermath:
Barber led
the NFL in all-purpose yards at age 30 in 2005 with 2390 and missed the league
rushing title by twenty yards with 1860 on 357 carries (5.2 avg.). He received
consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors. Barber followed up in
2006 with 1662 rushing yards and 58 catches for 465 yards to end up going over
2000 yards from scrimmage for the third straight year with 2127 and was named to
a third consecutive Pro Bowl. He chose to retire to the broadcast booth having
rushed for a franchise-record 10,449 yards on 2217 carries (4.7 avg.) and
gained another 5183 yards on 586 pass receptions (8.8 avg.). Barber also
returned 122 punts for a 9.7-yard average and averaged 20.1 yards on 27 kickoff
returns. He scored a total of 68 touchdowns. His twin brother Ronde had a 16-year
career as a cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
