Giants Running Back Moves on

ByABC News
January 8, 2007, 3:05 PM

Jan. 8, 2007— -- Geraldine Barber could always spot him. It didn't matter the level of football. Pee Wee, high school, or college. She was always able to find where her son Tiki was on the field. He usually had a trail of people following him.

That's why it's no wonder her eyes immediately locked onto the retiring New York Giants tailback as the final seconds ticked away in the Giants painful 23-20 wild-card loss to the NFC East rival Eagles on Sunday.

Geraldine knew where Tiki was. She just had to follow the long line of people chasing after him as his brilliant 10-year career came to a close.

"I used to think my career was defined by not winning a Super Bowl. But I think looking back on my career, they'll see someone who was a competitor, someone who always played hard and never gave up."

"It's kind of bittersweet, because it wasn't supposed to end this way for him," said Geraldine, tightly clutching the left arm of her son Ronde, Tiki's twin brother and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back, as they left their luxury suite to join Tiki outside the Giants locker room. "I wasn't too emotional at the end, because I realize he's ready to begin another stage of his life. It was actually more emotional for me when he and Ronde left for college. I was left with an empty house. My two sons were gone.

"But I could tell where he was on the field. I was always able to do that. I just had to follow all of the cameramen following him. He's been doing this a long time. He's 31 and he's been playing football for 25 years. But I'm very happy for him. It's time to turn the page, turn to the next chapter, like any good book."

Ronde was stoic. It was a particularly biting way for his twin brother to end his career. He wanted to jump on the field and help prolong Tiki's career. It was driving him crazy, as the Eagles ate up chunks of yards in working their way toward the final outcome.

One very strong bond in their lives was broken.