The Third Barber

Seahawks running back and NFL MVP-candidate Shaun Alexander has made a name for himself in recent seasons, but throughout his career he has often been confused with the Giants' Pro Bowl running back Tiki Barber and, by extension, Tiki's twin brother, Ronde, a cornerback for the Bucs.

"First of all, we sound alike," says Alexander of Tiki. "I remember being in a meeting and hearing someone on TV. I thought, Gosh, I don't remember saying that. And I look up, and it's Tiki. It was eerie."

Tiki Barber agrees that he and Alexander sound similar on air and says Alexander is "like the third brother. At the Pro Bowl he came up to me and said, 'What's up, kinfolk?'"

Some fans mistook Alexander for Tiki during Seattle's trip to New York in 2002, and that has also happened closer to home. "Once I went to a Sonics game with my wife, Valerie, and a guy walked up and said, "Hey, it's weird for me to ask you this, but what are you doing here?'" Alexander recalls. "I said we come to a game every year. And he said, 'Wow, wait till I tell everybody Tiki Barber was at the game!' I said, 'Sir, I'm actually Shaun Alexander, and I play with the Seahawks.' And he said, 'Yeah, you kinda look like Shaun Alexander.'"

TWO PHOTOS

LARRY MAURER/WIREIMAGE.COM (2, BARBER & ALEXANDER)