Tiki Barber: Jason Garrett Brings Calm to Giants Offense

Former Giants running back and franchise rushing leader Tiki Barber, played with scores of teammates throughout his 10-year career.

But one former teammate Barber definitely remembers is a quarterback by the name of Jason Garrett, the backup to starter Kerry Collins who, after his playing career ended, got into coaching.

Garrett spent the bulk of his NFL coaching tenure in Dallas as the Cowboys head coach, but is now with the Giants as their new offensive coordinator, a role in which Barber thinks Garrett will excel.

"There's a calm with Jason," Barber said in a telephone interview. "If you've watched him as a coach, you can clearly see that he's not overly emotional or demonstrative."

That calmness about Garrett, who signed with the Giants after seven years with Dallas, would eventually go on to serve him well as a coach.

Barber first got an up-close glimpse of Garrett's coaching potential when the former Giants backup played a key role in helping Collins throughout their time as teammates. In particular, Garrett did what he could to help support Collins during the Giants' 2000 Super Bowl season.

"The pressure wasn't on Jason like that when I was with him because he was the backup. But I did see him impart some knowledge," Barber said.

"[Collins] took some great leaps and became a Super Bowl quarterback for us ... a lot of it was because of Jason."

Garrett's success in helping Collins proved to be a glimpse of what was yet to come.

As the Dallas offensive coordinator and later head coach, Garrett helped turn an undrafted Tony Romo into a four-time Pro-Bowl quarterback.

When the team moved on from Romo, Garrett helped mold current Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott, a fourth-round draft pick, into the 2016 NFL Pepsi Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Now Garrett, the Giants offensive coordinator who will be assisted by quarterbacks coach Jerry Schlupinski, is hoping to work similar results with Giants second-year quarterback Daniel Jones.

Garrett will also be tasked with designing plays to optimize the talent of running back Saquon Barkley.

As a former running back himself, Barber, whose numerous business interests include Thuzio, an online marketplace assisting corporations with booking current and former athletes for speaking engagements, knows all too well the importance of having an offensive coordinator who is creative enough to help optimize one's skills.

In his final three seasons (2004-06), Barber rushed for a combined 5,040 yards and 27 touchdowns in his last three seasons in an offense coordinated by John Hufnagel, head coach Tom Coughlin's original offensive coordinator.

Barber also knows the importance of having a good offensive line to open holes and believes that for Barkley, having those new offensive line additions will deliver significant dividends.

"I've really loved this offseason for the New York Giants," Barber said. "What I'm looking for going into this year is some more continuity with that offensive line. That's the goal this season with Saquon--they have to develop some consistency in what they do and do it well."

In the end, it all comes down to what Garrett designs and calls, and Barber is confident that his old teammate will hit the ground running.

And what about Garrett's upcoming return to Dallas to face his old team on October 11?

Certainly, that is going to be a big storyline in the media, but Barber is believes that Garrett will do everything he can to not become part of that week's story.

"Knowing Jason's personality, I would say it's just another game," Barber said. "I don't see him being that type of guy."