Fans have confused Alexander, the NFL MVP, with the Barber twins ever since his rookie year with the Seattle Seahawks in 2000. Alexander admits the trio does look somewhat alike, but says there’s a clear distinction.

“We have a lot in common and we do definitely resemble each other and definitely do all sound a little alike, but I’m definitely the tallest, better looking of the three,” Alexander said. “It’s a curse that I have on my triplet brothers.”

Ronde Barber, a cornerback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, argued only one of the claims is accurate: Alexander is taller.

Alexander is listed at 5-foot-11, 225 pounds. Ronde and Tiki, a running back for the New York Giants, are an inch shorter and more than 20 pounds lighter.

“Shaun was telling us he was in a mall in Seattle and somebody said, ‘Hey, Tiki, What’s up?’ ” Ronde said. “He said, ‘No, I’m not Tiki.’ And the guy said, ‘OK, Ronde, have a good day.’ ”

Alexander also has been called Tiki while taking in a Seattle SuperSonics game at KeyArena.

Seahawks All-Pro quarterback Matt Hasselbeck admits the resemblance is startling.

“They’re triplets. Shaun’s got a brother, too, and they’re like quadruplets – long lost brothers,” Hasselbeck said.

But with the NFL’s top two rushers in the backfield, it doesn’t really matter who he hands the ball off to in today’s game. Not that he pays attention.

“I don’t know who I’m handing off to anyway. I’m just glad Tiki wears 21 and Shaun wears 37,” he said.

To make things even more confusing, Alexander’s real brother, Durran, has been hanging around this week. They all shared a good laugh when the Alexanders and the Barbers took photos together before practice Friday.

“We look a lot alike,” Tiki said. “I think we have the same personalities. We smile a lot and don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

The star running backs first spoke several years ago. That’s when Alexander told Tiki that “everywhere I go, everyone thinks I’m you.”

They have been friends ever since.

Alexander, however, has been making a name for himself. He led the league with a team-record 1,880 yards rushing and a league-record 28 touchdowns to earn his third invitation to Hawaii.

Tiki wasn’t too far behind. He finished with a career-best 1,860 rushing yards. He also had 70 catches for 719 yards.

Besides being able to bill food, drinks and spa treatments to each other’s rooms at the Ihilani Resort, there are other advantages to looking alike. Carolina coach John Fox, who is heading the NFC squad, now has the option to use stunt doubles in the Pro Bowl, like Ronde at running back or Alexander at cornerback.

Tiki is playing in his second Pro Bowl; Ronde his third. They both made it last year, becoming teammates for the first time since 1997 when they played their final season at Virginia.

They were the first twins and the seventh set of brothers selected to the Pro Bowl. They are the third set of siblings to play in the same all-star game, joining Bruce and Clay Matthews (1989-90) and Shannon and Sterling Sharpe (1993-95).

For the record, no triplets have ever played in the same Pro Bowl.

Last year, the Barbers’ striking similarity confused a young autograph seeker who hit up Tiki twice, until his mother pointed out Ronde.

Tiki concedes Alexander does have an edge over him in certain areas.

“Taller. Bigger. Rushed for more yards. I’ll give him that,” he said. “But not better looking. I’m better looking.”