Tiki Barber of the New York Giants, left, greets his brother Ronde Barber of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Oct. 29, 2006.
In the notoriously competitive world of sports, competition can be dog-eat-dog. And while football player twins Tiki and Ronde Barber are notoriously competitive against other teams, with each other they’re inseparable — and, indeed, rather complementary. The two were born seven minutes apart and five weeks early, and they’ve lived a determined, inseparable existence ever since. Both tore up the field at the University of Virginia, and with Tiki at running back and Ronde at cornerback, the Cavaliers headed to four consecutive bowl appearances while the twins were in school there.
It was a natural progression to both enter into the NFL Draft in 1997, but the competition was fierce, with Tiki besting Ronde by one round. Tiki went to the New York Giants in round 2, while Ronde found his way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in round 3. But each went on to out-accolade the other: Ronde notched 5 Pro Bowl appearances to Tiki’s 3. Tiki helped the Giants clinch the NFC title in 2000 — and Ronde found himself sporting a Super Bowl ring after the 2002 season.
But in recent years, their paths have diverged somewhat. Tiki retired from football after 2006 for a career as a commentator. Though he attempted a comeback in the 2011 season, listing himself as a free agent, he was not signed. Ronde, for his part, has showed stunning longevity as a cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since the twins were initially drafted into the NFL, now 16 seasons ago. Only this year did Ronde switch his position to free safety, but as far as staying power goes, these twins have it.