Westbrook/Tiki parallels...

[TempleOwl]

Tiki says


Not that i recommend looking at the Gnats as a best practice but I thought this was interesting...

Mods: I thought the topic was different than the other threads we have gong.  Forgive me if I've farged up!

[MURP]

cut & paste so you dont have to register:

Tiny Tiki still durable goods

And like Westbrook, had to show it

By PAUL DOMOWITCH

pdomo@aol.com

ALBANY, N.Y. - Not so long ago, people were asking the same kinds of questions about New York Giants running back Tiki Barber that they're asking about the Eagles' Brian Westbrook.

Questions like:

Is he really big enough to be an every-down NFL back?

Can he take a week-in-and-week-out, 25-touch-a-game pounding without needing a morphine drip afterward?

Does an undersized back with run-and-catch versatility really belong in the same tax bracket as a 330-carry-a-year Ram-truck bruiser?

Taken by the Giants in the second round of the 1997 draft, the 5-8 ¾ and then 200-pound Barber was regarded, much like Westbrook was when he was drafted by the Eagles in '02, as a can-do-everything-but-probably-not-too-much-of-anything running back.

He earned his keep his first three seasons in East Rutherford mainly as a third-down back and return man. Caught 142 passes in those three seasons, but averaged just 10.5 touches and 5.7 carries per game.

"When I first got to the Giants, coach [Jim] Fassel said, 'I expect you to be exhausted every game because you're going to be doing so much; run a little bit, catch a lot of passes, be a returner for us,' " Barber said. "But then it kind of evolved. Defenses evolved and offenses started to change. You had to find more dynamic ways to use your running backs. And it fit in perfectly with my abilities."

Over the last 5 years, Barber, to whom Eagles coach Andy Reid frequently has compared Westbrook, has evolved from a situation back to a multidimensional workhorse. He's collected 8,924 rushing and receiving yards since 2000, averaging 5.5 yards per touch over that period.

He's averaged 21.7 touches per game in the last 5 years and has averaged 300-plus carries a season over the last 3 years. And, oh, yeah, he's missed just two games in the last seven seasons (hamstring injury in '01).

"There comes a point where you've just got to do it," Barber said. "With me, it was, 'No, he can't carry the ball 20 times.' But you know what? We didn't have a choice. They had to give it to me. And I was able to handle it.

"And I adjusted my body to be able to do it and still be able to do the things I've done in the past. The same thing will happen with Brian. He's still young. He's still got a lot of football ahead of him."

Westbrook still is 8 days shy of his 26th birthday, with a lot of tread left on his NFL tires. Barber turned 30 in April, but doesn't look or play like a guy who has accumulated nearly 1,700 touches in the last five seasons.

"[My age] is what everyone talks about," Barber said. "But it's just a number, right? I feel your worth in this league is measured more on how healthy you are and how effective you are, not so much how old you are."

Barber has worked hard to help his body withstand the unnatural beating it takes during an NFL season. He has dramatically altered his training regimen as he's gotten older, increasing his weight from a career-low 190 pounds three summers ago to his current 212-pound fighting weight.

"The key to staying young is to work harder and find ways to keep your muscles and your joints healthy," Barber said. "My regimen has changed significantly in the last 5 years. I've done some boxing and different kinds of alternative training. I've gotten into powerlifting. Just to keep my body from getting bored with what you regularly do."

Barber hired Joe Carini, a six-time New Jersey's "Strongest Man" winner, to train him. Carini has helped him add weight without subtracting speed.

"He's a little bit of a character, a little bit of a maniac," Barber said of Carini. "But he's done a great job for me. Not only with my strength, but my mentality.

"He has a philosophy of heavy loading. We all do a lot of reps and go for the beach workout. He's [more] interested in how effectively I can load on a lot of weight and move it. Which is kind of paramount to what I do here as a football player. It's explosive. One hit. He's kind of developed me for that."

Barber reported to the Giants' training camp this summer heavier than he's been in his career. But every ounce of the added weight is muscle that Barber feels will help his late-season productivity and extend his career.

"Early in my career, I thought it was important to be fast and agile," he said. "But after a couple of years of getting 300 carries and taking a pounding, I realized that durability is more important as far as being able to be consistent for 16 games.

"Your body doesn't recover as quickly [as you get older]. You take that one shot in the ribs. When you were younger, it would feel better 2 days later. Now, 5 days later, you kind of feel a little bit better, but not really. So, you've got to load all the muscle, all the protective layers you can to keep you healthy."

Barber is coming off the best season of his career. His 2,096 rushing and receiving yards last year were the most in the NFL. He finished second in the NFC in rushing with a franchise-record 1,513 yards on a career-high 322 carries. His 374 touches were the sixth most in the league.

Barber got his big payday 4 years ago when he signed a 6-year, $25 million contract extension with the Giants that included a $7 million signing bonus. But he got that deal only after proving to the team that he could take a 20-touch-a-game licking and keep on ticking. Notched the first of four 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2000. Amassed 1,725 rushing and receiving yards that year and averaged 20.2 touches per game. Westbrook averaged 19.4 last year.

While Reid indicated earlier this year that he likely will increase Westbrook's workload this season, it probably won't get anywhere close to the 365 touches Barber has averaged the last three seasons. Reid would rather keep Westbrook fresh and maximize his unique skills as a receiver than risk running him into the ground or getting him hurt. Trouble is, that's also why the team is reluctant to overpay him.

"Brian is in a predicament," Barber said. "Mainly because of the older mentality of how a player's worth to a team is determined. A running back isn't going to get that big contract unless he carries the ball 30 times a game and scores 15 goal-line touchdowns.

"But the league has changed. The value of my position, his position, has changed. Guys who can do a lot more different things are more valuable because it keeps defenses off-guard. It keeps them guessing what's coming at them. You put a 6-3, 250-pound running back in on third-and-1, you know what's coming. But if you have a little guy in there, anything can happen."

[MURP]

that explains the picture of him squating the big weights. 

[Don Ho]

that explains the picture of him squating the big weights. 

hate to say it but Tiki is going to have a monster year.  Guy gets stronger every year and now that he has finally cured his fumblidis - oh,oh.

Westy looks a little thicker this preseason.  Good to see.

[rjs246]

How about if hold off comparing Westbrook to Tiki until Westbrook breaks the 1200-yard rushing barrier. OR, even better, let's wait until he breaks 900 yards. How about that?

[TempleOwl]

How about if hold off comparing Westbrook to Tiki until Westbrook breaks the 1200-yard rushing barrier. OR, even better, let's wait until he breaks 900 yards. How about that?

let's give him enough carries to do that.  I think that was the point...

[rjs246]

I know, but my point is still the same. All this talk of Westbrook being like Tiki or like Priest or like this or like that. What he is, right now, is a cool weapon to have on passing downs and a running back who hasn't proven that he can pick up two yards on third and two when it matters.

Tiki is a top 5 back in the league (IMO) when you factor in his receiving prowess. Westbrook ain't.

[SunMo]

I know, but my point is still the same. All this talk of Westbrook being like Tiki or like Priest or like this or like that. What he is, right now, is a cool weapon to have on passing downs and a running back who hasn't proven that he can pick up two yards on third and two when it matters.

Tiki is a top 5 back in the league (IMO) when you factor in his receiving prowess. Westbrook ain't.

oh, oh, don't forget Marshall Faulk, he's my comparison 

[Feva]

I know, but my point is still the same. All this talk of Westbrook being like Tiki or like Priest or like this or like that. What he is, right now, is a cool weapon to have on passing downs and a running back who hasn't proven that he can pick up two yards on third and two when it matters.

Tiki is a top 5 back in the league (IMO) when you factor in his receiving prowess. Westbrook ain't.

That Westbrook kid has Barry Sanders written all over him.