Last week, New York Giants running back Tiki Barber announced this would probably be his last season at the age of 31. One of the more underrated rushers of the last five years, Barber looks to walk away from the game after only 10 seasons. Usually this would be a shock, but the past has shown running backs love to retire at the top of their games.
Barber need only look to stars like Gale Sayers, Terrell Davis, Bo Jackson and Jamal Anderson to see why retiring sooner rather than later is a good idea. All four had terrific careers cut far too short by numerous injuries, although they will live on in video game stardom (Bo knows 99-yard touchdowns taking up entire quarters in Tecmo Bowl).
Take Anderson, for example. The ""Dirty Bird"" went to the Pro Bowl in 1998 and led the Falcons to the most boring Super Bowl ever. The next year, it only took him two games to tear his ACL. Then after a decent comeback season in 2000, he tore his ACL again in 2001 and never played another game. The guy could have been a star; he had 1,846 yards in 1998, but those NFL-record 410 carries certainly took their toll.
Barber would be smart to follow in the footsteps of another player that retired at the age of 31: some no-talent guy by the name of Barry Sanders. Sanders was easily the best running back I have ever seen, nobody else even comes close. And while I'm bitter that I don't get to see any more highlight reels and that a Dallas Cowboy is instead the all-time leading rusher, Sanders probably made the right move.
He was stuck in a go-nowhere franchise that was only mediocre because Sanders could take any handoff to the house. I would have no trouble suddenly retiring on a team where the best quarterbacks during my 10 years with the team were Scott Mitchell and Rodney Peete. If they had only gone out and got a good quarterback, a team stocked with underrated players like Chris Spielman, Robert Porcher and Herman Moore could have actually done something. As a result, Sanders decided to hang up his cleats.
Jim Brown, Robert Smith, the list of fantastic running backs to quit in their prime goes on and on. While their reasons may differ, as Smith retired to do medical research and public service while Brown retired to be an actor and star in such critical blockbusters as Mars Attacks!, both weren't even still playing in the NFL when they hit 31. And both are still in good shape; they can walk without limping and Brown is still in great shape at the age of 70. Cardinals' rusher Edgerrin James may not even make it out of next week with the beatings he is taking, let alone make it to the age of 70.
While sportswriters everywhere are baffled as to why Tiki would walk away at the top of his game, I completely understand. He has said that he is excited for his life post-football, and if he walks away now, he might actually still be able to walk in 20 years.
To start an Edgerrin James retirement fund, e-mail Zach at zlkukkonen@dailycardinal.com.
