ANCHORING THE GIANTS

Tiki Barber has a funny feeling people are starting to recognize him.

The eye contact, the raised eyebrows, the smile, the turn to a friend and quick whispers, and the compliments all have increased since the NFL season began two weeks ago.

And why not? The New York Giants’ halfback has come a long way from two years ago, when he primarily played on third downs and had trouble catching the ball.

Now he’s a budding early morning TV sportscaster. Oh, yeah--he also leads the league in rushing.

With all his sudden success, Barber is getting more attention.

“Half the time they don’t even think it’s me,” Barber says almost laughing. “Nah ... too little.”

Barber, who isn’t particularly big at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, has helped the Giants to their first 2-0 start since 1994.

The four-year veteran, who everyone figured would back up Heisman Trophy winner and first-round draft pick Ron Dayne, has rushed for 240 yards on 24 carries.

“Call it pride. Call it determination not to fail,” Barber said. “I love playing this game. There is nothing I want to do more than be out here. On the path I was on, I wasn’t going to be there. I wasn’t going to be able to do that. I met a crossroads, and I made the right turn.”

For Barber that meant working harder, joining in extra workouts and film study.

Last season, his rushing improved from 166 yards to 258, and receptions jumped from 42 for 348 yards, to 66 for 609 yards.

Still, Barber wasn’t happy. He didn’t feel he had the speed he had in college at Virginia, and memories of some poor plays bugged him.

Already serving as the morning sports anchor at the New York City affiliate of CBS-TV, a job that had him getting up at 3:30 a.m., and then working out for five hours daily at Giants Stadium, Barber also reserved Fridays for “The Hill.” Greg Comella, the Giants fullback, found it near Ramapo College, about 35 minutes north of the stadium.

The run is only about two or so miles, but most of it is at a 45-degree incline -- or worse.

“After about 20 steps you’re gasping,” Barber said. “You’re jogging the whole way but it just kills you because it’s always constant, and there are rocks and you have to watch your footing. At the very end, it’s a straight incline, and you almost have to use your hands to reach the top.”

Not only is the run exhausting, Comella acts like a Marine drill instructor the entire way.

The results have been magical for Barber, who opened the season with a career-best 144 yards rushing against Arizona. His day included a 78-yard TD run that was the fourth-longest in Giants history and a 10-yarder that went sideline to sideline.

Last weekend against Philadelphia, Barber broke the game open late in the second quarter with a 31-yard touchdown run. The play was a draw to the right. The Eagles blitzed and stuffed the hole. Barber improvised and cut back left, just as he had done the week before on his 10-yard score against the Cardinals.

“This game is about confidence, about believing in what you can do, about going out there executing and knowing that you are going to make a play,” Barber said. “I am playing that way now.”

Barber, whose twin brother Ronde plays for Tampa Bay, also has benefited from a revamped offensive line, which has played well so far with the additions of free agents Lomas Brown, Glenn Parker and Dusty Zeigler.

“Not only does he have ability, instincts and quickness, Tiki does a wonderful job of setting up blocks and reading blocks,” Brown said.

“There is a lot more to come.”

It’s doubtful that Barber can keep averaging 10 yards per carry (the single-season record is 8.44, set by Chicago’s Beattie Feathers in 1934), but coach Jim Fassel said opponents haven’t been able to key on Barber because the rest of the offense is clicking.

Quarterback Kerry Collins has hit 70 percent of his passes. Ike Hilliard and Amani Toomer have 11 receptions apiece, and Dayne is doing the grunt work inside, carrying 44 times for 128 yards.

All that sets up Barber’s counters and misdirections that seem to surprise defenses and get him into the open field.

That’s when the fun begins.

“I’m not thinking -- I’m just running,” Barber said. “When that happens and you have a little bit of speed, and I think I do, you can make some big plays happen. That’s what I want to do. I just want to help this team win, and make big plays. That’s me.”