Not long after Lawrence Taylor retired following the 1993 season, after playing 13 years with the Giants, he briefly and not very seriously entertained the thought of making a comeback into the NFL. The idea never went anywhere.
When Taylor heard that Tiki Barber, who turns 36 next month, is attempting a comeback after last playing in 2006, LT was excited.
“Great move, as soon as I heard it I said, ‘That’s a great move,’ ” Taylor said. “When I thought about it 20 years ago I had let myself go, but I’ve seen Tiki a bunch of times over the years and he’s really taken care of himself. He’s got to prove himself, but I know he’ll work his butt off to do it.”
Barber’s rights will be released by the Giants when there’s a new collective bargaining agreement. In the meantime, he is engaging in daily workouts, attempting to get into playing shape and shake off the rust, trying to come out of retirement.
Barber hasn’t played in four full NFL seasons and faces steep odds that he can once again make a roster and become a productive running back.
LT thinks Barber can do it.
“I’d rather have a Tiki Barber than some unknown third-rounder,” Taylor said. “He’s going to be fine. He should go play for another 2-4 years if he thinks he can do it. What did he play, nine years [Barber played 10]? He left clean, he’ll be fine.”