Tiki Barber: Why the Former Giants Running Back Won't Be Employed

I have discussed this before, but there are a litany of reasons Tiki Barber has not been given a shot by an NFL team during his attempted comeback.

Now, Barber's former teammate Michael Strahan is confirming what most thought: Barber might still be able to play but his personality is keeping him out of the NFL.

Strahan, a man that never shies from stating his opinion, told ESPN Radio that NFL teams were in all likelihood uninterested in Barber because of this reason.

"

"I feel like everything else scared everyone away. It wasn't even about football. I don't feel like football was the reason that no one brought him in, because that's the easy part for him. I think it was the reputation things that probably scared more teams away."

"

Strahan added that he has no problems with Barber, but thinks his reputation scared off potential suitors. He continued:

"

"Did everything in our locker room work out great with him? Not all the time, but everything didn't work out great with everybody. Did he get along with everybody? He probably didn't get along—got along with less guys...because he wasn't reaching out to a lot of the younger players."

"

Strahan's words carry a lot of weight in NFL circles and those comments are pretty damning. While he was diplomatic about his answers, Barber's former teammate didn't hide the fact that the guy simply wasn't well-liked.

These two men were teammates for Barber's entire 10-year career, and the fact that Strahan was willing to talk openly and—to a degree—negatively about his long-time teammate speaks volumes.

The Miami Dolphins brought Barber in for a workout in early August, but ended up letting him walk away without even discussing a contract. While he was a productive back on the field, his attitude in the locker room and his actions during his post-football career are clearly keeping him from catching on with an NFL team.

Barber may still have something in the tank at 36 years of age and maybe he will eventually get a shot to contribute to an NFL roster. However, as it stands, teams appear to be completely turned off by him and what he would bring to a locker room.