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Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Winfield, West Virginia, U.S. | June 19, 1967||||||
Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 172 lb (78 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Winfield (Winfield, West Virginia) | ||||||
College: | Marshall | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1989 / round: 4 / pick: 112 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Michael Dale Barber, Jr. (born June 19, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Marshall University. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. [1] Selected in the fourth round (pick 112) of the 1989 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, he played four seasons in the NFL. He was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. [2]
A multi-sport athlete at Winfield High School in West Virginia, Barber played football, basketball, and track. Barber was a quarterback, free safety, kicker, punter, and kick returner. He earned 1st Team All-State honors as a defensive back in both his junior and senior seasons. He accepted a scholarship to play football at Marshall University as a wide receiver.
Barber holds two Marshall University all-time records: career receiving yards (4,262) and games with 100 or more receiving yards (21). He ranks second in single-season receiving yards (1,757) and single-season receptions (106).
Barber was the 1988 I-AA National Player of the Year, selected by the American Football Coaches Association. [3]
Barber was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. [4] He was named Marshall's Athlete of the Decade (1980s) by the Herald Dispatch [5] and was inducted into Marshall's Hall of Fame in 1994. [6] He averaged 17.1 yards per catch over his career. In 1987, he was the NCAA statistical leader with 106 receptions, 1,757 yards, and 11 touchdowns. In both 1987 and 1988, he was a consensus I-AA 1st Team All-American. He caught at least three passes in 39 consecutive games. He threw four touchdown passes at MU on backward lateral plays.
Barber was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL draft. [7] This was Marshall's highest-round draft pick until Randy Moss was taken in the first round in 1998. He was one of only five rookies to make the roster and backed up all-pro receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor.
Prior to the 1990 season, Barber signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he worked as the 3rd receiver, often working out of the slot position. He started two games at wide receiver, backup punt returner, and special teams. [8]
Barber began the 1992 season on injured reserve with a separated shoulder and was released mid-season by the Bengals. Two days later he was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played in one game, catching one pass for 37 yards and injuring his shoulder again.
Barber retired from football prior to the 1993 season.
Barber resides in Hurricane, West Virginia, with his wife Amy. They have four children, Brett, Abby, Chloe, and Audrey. He is a Regional Manager for Brechbuhler Scales, Inc. Barber and his wife are assistant coaches for the Hurricane High School girls' soccer team, the West Virginia AAA 2018 state champions.
Lance Dwight Alworth, nicknamed "Bambi", is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Often considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, he played for 11 seasons, from 1962 through 1972, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He was the first player inducted whose playing career was principally in the AFL. Alworth is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. His teammates called him Bambi because he had a baby face and could run like a deer.
William Arthur Johnson, better known as Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 through 1988. He was selected to both 75th Anniversary and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Johnson was one of the first players to display elaborate celebrations in the end zone.
John Gregory Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and kick returner with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Pennsauken High School and was one of six NFL players to come from PHS during the 1980s. Taylor attended Delaware State College and was a member of their football team, the Hornets. He was a member of the 49ers teams that won Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX. His younger brother is former safety Keith Taylor.
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is an American football coach and former player who is a skill development and kick and punt returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and return specialist for 15 seasons in the NFL, spending his entire career with the Patriots. Brown played college football at Marshall University and was selected by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft. During his New England tenure, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2001 and was a member of the franchise's first three Super Bowl-winning teams. In 2020, Brown rejoined the Patriots as an offensive assistant. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Brown also was inducted to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2012.
Richard James Watters is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). Watters played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he played wide receiver on the school's 1988 national champion team. He also won Super Bowl XXIX as a member of the 1994 49ers over the San Diego Chargers. Watters was known throughout his playing career for his outstanding receiving skills and his unique high-step running style, which earned him the nickname Ricky "Running" Watters, from ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman.
Desmond Kevin Howard is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was a two-time All-American, including a unanimous All-American selection in 1991, winning the Heisman Trophy. He was selected fourth overall in the 1992 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. Howard spent most of his career on special teams as a return specialist and holds the NFL single season record for punt return yardage. With the Green Bay Packers, Howard was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXI after setting an NFL record for punt return yards and returning a kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown, the longest return in Super Bowl history at the time. To date, he is the only special teams player to receive the award. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Rasheed Malik Marshall is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 5th round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football for West Virginia University.
Drew Pearson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. He was elected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Gary C. Clark is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins (1985–92), Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1993–94), and Miami Dolphins (1995).
Michael McColly "Butch" Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the UC Riverside Highlanders and was selected in the third round of the 1976 NFL draft.
Ulmo Shannon "Sonny" Randle Jr. was an American sportscaster and football player and coach. He played wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Cardinals/St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Randle played college football at the University of Virginia.
Wesley Sandy Chandler is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and ranked twelfth in NFL history in receiving yards and thirteenth in receptions when he retired. Chandler is a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Kelvin Brian Martin is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XXVII with the Cowboys against the Buffalo Bills, giving him his only Super Bowl title. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles before playing ten seasons in the NFL from 1987 to 1996 for the Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Philadelphia Eagles.
Ahmad Bradshaw is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd. Bradshaw was selected in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL draft by the New York Giants. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning Super Bowls XLII and XLVI as a member of the Giants, defeating the New England Patriots each time. He was the leading rusher in each game, becoming one of eight running backs in NFL history to be the leading rusher in two Super Bowls.
Kevin Ray Williams, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning first-team All-American honors in 1991.
The Marshall Thundering Herd football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Marshall University. The team represents the university as a member of the Sun Belt Conference East Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level.
Stedman D. Bailey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, earning first-team All-American honors in 2012. Bailey was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He retired in 2015 following life-threatening injuries he sustained from being shot in the head.
Aaron Jameer Dobson is an American football coach and former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft and played college football at Marshall. He has served as the wide receivers coach at Marshall.
Steven L. Bird is an American football special teams coordinator for South Carolina State. He played college football for Eastern Kentucky where he was named to the First-Team All-OVC and won two Division I-AA national championship games in 1979 and 1982. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1983 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He also played for the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals and the Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).