Tony Barker
Encyclopedia
Anthony Ray Barker is a former American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
. He played college football
at Rice University
.
in 1984. While at Northwest, he excelled in football, basketball, and shot put in track. However, he gave up basketball and track after his junior year. In High School he played Offensive Tackle and Defensive End
. His senior year he was voted to the 1986 High School All-American football team, as an honorable mention player.
Barker was voted to the Wichita Eagle's all-time Wichita High School Football team as a 1st team offensive tackle. Also on that team was former Detroit Lions
Defensive end Lawrence Pete
(who went to South
), Linebackers Mark
(Seattle Seahawks
/Indianapolis Colts
) and Mike Bell
(Kansas City Chiefs
) (Both went to Bishop Carroll
), Pro-Football Hall of fame running back Barry Sanders
(North
), and current Oakland Raiders
Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley
, who is (like Barker) a Northwest
alumni.
at the University of Kansas
, despite offers from high profile programs such as Oklahoma
, Kansas State
, and Nebraska
. He was recruited as a defensive end, but while watching film, the defensive coordinator discovered his speed and decided to switch him to Linebacker.
After the 1988 season, head coach Bob Valesente
left and Glen Mason
took over. He then transferred to Rice
after his sophomore season. By NCAA regulations he had to be redshirted
his junior year. He missed the final game of his senior season due to a concussion. Despite the injury, he still drew attention from NFL scouts, following a stellar senior season, in which he was named to the 1991 All-Southwest Conference team.
and Oakland Raiders
expressed interest in Barker. Ultimately he was drafted by the Washington Redskins
in 10th round (280th overall pick) in the 1992 NFL draft
. He signed a 1-year contract worth $110,000, the league minimum at the time, a common occurrence for late-round picks. As a rookie, he mainly played on special teams, but had two starts at outside linebacker against the Kansas City Chiefs
and the Seattle Seahawks
. After the season, Barker's contract expired and Joe Gibbs
retired. Following Gibb's retirement, Richie Petitbon
took over, and chose not to renew Barker's contract. Barker was, however, reunited with his coach at Kansas, Bob Valesente
, when the Green Bay Packers
signed him during their 1994 training camp, but he was released 2 days before the first pre-season game (Valesente was a linebackers coach with Green Bay that season). Barker decided not continue his career, despite several offers from minor league teams and the Scottish Claymores
of NFL Europa (then, NFL Europe).
. He works at Wells-Fargo as a Home Mortgage Consultant. He married his wife, Laura, in March 2005. He has 2 children, Meranda and Chanler, from a previous marriage. He also has 2 step-children, Chelsea and Macey, from his wife's previous marriage.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
.
High school career
Barker began attending Wichita Northwest High School in Wichita, KansasWichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
in 1984. While at Northwest, he excelled in football, basketball, and shot put in track. However, he gave up basketball and track after his junior year. In High School he played Offensive Tackle and Defensive End
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
. His senior year he was voted to the 1986 High School All-American football team, as an honorable mention player.
Barker was voted to the Wichita Eagle's all-time Wichita High School Football team as a 1st team offensive tackle. Also on that team was former Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
Defensive end Lawrence Pete
Lawrence Pete
Lawrence Pete is a former American football nose tackle. He played five in the NFL for the Detroit Lions who selected him with the 115th pick in the 1989 NFL Draft...
(who went to South
Wichita South High School
Wichita South High School, known locally as South, is a fully accredited high school, serving students in grades 9-12, located in Wichita, Kansas, USA. It is also known as Wichita High School South. The school colors are blue and red and the enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year is 1,657...
), Linebackers Mark
Mark Bell (American football)
Mark E. Bell is a former American football defensive end and tight end who played six seasons in the National Football League. His twin brother Mike Bell, also played in the NFL and at Colorado State. His son, Blake Bell, is currently a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma Sooners.-...
(Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
/Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
) and Mike Bell
Mike Bell (defensive lineman)
Mike J. Bell is a former American football defensive end who played twelve seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League. His twin brother Mark Bell, also played in the NFL and at Colorado State, where he was a consensus All-American in 1978.- External links :*...
(Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
) (Both went to Bishop Carroll
Bishop Carroll Catholic High School
Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, sometimes called Carroll or BC, is a private high school located in Wichita, Kansas. Along with Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, it is one of two Catholic high schools in the city. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita. Bishop Carroll graduates...
), Pro-Football Hall of fame running back Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
(North
Wichita North High School
Wichita North High School, known locally as North, is a fully accredited high school located in Wichita, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. Wichita North was founded in 1929 on the site where the United States government sent Company 'A' of the 10th Division to the forks of the Arkansas...
), and current Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley
Kamerion Wimbley
-Cleveland Browns:On July 22, 2006, he signed a six-year deal with the Browns and includes $9.3 million in guaranteed money and $23.7 million total. After being converted to outside linebacker from his college position of defensive end, he played the entire season as the starting linebacker playing...
, who is (like Barker) a Northwest
Wichita Northwest High School
Wichita Northwest High School, known locally as Northwest, is a fully accredited public high school located in Wichita, Kansas, USA that serves over 1500 students in grades 9-12.-History:The school opened in 1978...
alumni.
College career
Barker decided to play college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, despite offers from high profile programs such as Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, and Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. He was recruited as a defensive end, but while watching film, the defensive coordinator discovered his speed and decided to switch him to Linebacker.
After the 1988 season, head coach Bob Valesente
Bob Valesente
Bob Valesente is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Ithaca College and spent more than 35 years as a football coach...
left and Glen Mason
Glen Mason
Glen O. Mason is an American football coach. Mason previously served as the head football coach at Kent State University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Minnesota, compiling a career college football record of 123–121–1.-Playing career:Mason played college football at...
took over. He then transferred to Rice
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
after his sophomore season. By NCAA regulations he had to be redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his junior year. He missed the final game of his senior season due to a concussion. Despite the injury, he still drew attention from NFL scouts, following a stellar senior season, in which he was named to the 1991 All-Southwest Conference team.
College honors
His honors at Rice include:- 5th All-Time for single season tackles-127 (1991)
- 8th Most interceptions in a season-5 (1991)
- All Southwest Conference team (1991)
- 2 time Lettermen (1990,1991)
College statistics
| Year | Team | Tckls | Sacks | Ints | FF | FR | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Kansas | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | Kansas | 70 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | Rice | DNP-Red Shirted | |||||
| 1990 | Rice | 44 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | Rice | 127 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 252 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | |
Professional career
After the NFL combine, the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
expressed interest in Barker. Ultimately he was drafted by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in 10th round (280th overall pick) in the 1992 NFL draft
1992 NFL Draft
The 1992 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1992. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft...
. He signed a 1-year contract worth $110,000, the league minimum at the time, a common occurrence for late-round picks. As a rookie, he mainly played on special teams, but had two starts at outside linebacker against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. After the season, Barker's contract expired and Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
retired. Following Gibb's retirement, Richie Petitbon
Richie Petitbon
Richard Alvin Petitbon is a former American football safety and head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League...
took over, and chose not to renew Barker's contract. Barker was, however, reunited with his coach at Kansas, Bob Valesente
Bob Valesente
Bob Valesente is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Ithaca College and spent more than 35 years as a football coach...
, when the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
signed him during their 1994 training camp, but he was released 2 days before the first pre-season game (Valesente was a linebackers coach with Green Bay that season). Barker decided not continue his career, despite several offers from minor league teams and the Scottish Claymores
Scottish Claymores
The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
of NFL Europa (then, NFL Europe).
Today
Barker currently resides in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He works at Wells-Fargo as a Home Mortgage Consultant. He married his wife, Laura, in March 2005. He has 2 children, Meranda and Chanler, from a previous marriage. He also has 2 step-children, Chelsea and Macey, from his wife's previous marriage.
Sources
- http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BARKETON01
- Interview with parents Max and Pat Barker, June 2006.
- http://www.nfl.com
- http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/rice/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/1990stats.pdf (college stats)
- http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/rice/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/1991stats.pdf (college stats)