https://dailybruin.com/2014/05/08/uclas-anthony-barr-
drafted-by-minnesota-vikings-as-no-9-pick
This article was researched and compiled
Jersey Numbers: 55, 42, 51, 54
Position: Linebacker
Personal Information:
Born: March 18th,
1992
Birthplace: South Bend, Indiana
Height: 6 ft. 5 in.
Weight: 257 lbs.
Career Information:
High
School: Loyola (Los Angeles, California)
College: UCLA (2010 – 2013)
NFL draft: 2014: 1st round, 9th
overall pick
Career
History:
Minnesota
Vikings (2014 – 2021)
Dallas
Cowboys (2022)
Minnesota
Vikings (2023)
Awards and Highlights:
Career NFL statistics as of 2023:· 4x Pro Bowl (2015 – 2018)
· Lott Trophy (2013)
· Consensus All – American (2013)
· 2x First – Team All – Pac 12 (2012, 2013)
· Total tackles: 554
· Sacks: 18.5
· Forced Fumbles: 8
· Fumble Recoveries: 10
· Interceptions: 5
· Pass Deflections: 32
· Defensive Touchdowns: 1
Anthony
Barr was born in South Bend, Indiana, but raised in Los Angeles, where he
attended Loyola High School in the Pico – Union neighborhood. He was a letterman in football and track, and
was an All – State selection at running back for the Loyola Cubs football team
after rushing for 1,890 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior(1). However, he missed virtually all of his
senior season after breaking his ankle in September, and was also unable to
participate in the 2010 U.S. Army All – American Bowl, to which he was invited.(2)
Barr also
lettered four seasons in track and field.
At the 2009 CIF Southern Prelims, he earned 11th – place
finishes in both the 100 – meter and 200 – meter dashes(3). He took silver in the 200 – meter dash at the
2009 Mission League Championships, recording a personal – best time of 21.86
seconds.(4)
Regarded
as a four – star recruit by Rivals.com, Barr was listed as the number 8
prospect and the number 5 athlete out of the state of California(5). According to Scout.com, he was ranked as the
number 100 national prospect and the number 10 outside linebacker. He was also rated as the number 1 athlete by
MaxPreps. With scholarship offers from
dozens of schools, Barr narrowed his decision down to Notre Dame and UCLA,
before choosing the Bruins on January 21st, 2010.(6)
College
Career:
Barr was
an offensive player his first two years at the University of California, Los
Angeles, playing running back, wide receiver and tight end. On October 21st, 2010, against the
Oregon Ducks, Barr made his first start, and made one catch for 17 yards. In 2011, he caught an 11 – yard touchdown
pass against the Houston Cougars. Although
he started 12 games on offense in both years,(7) he ran the ball 15
times for 54 yards(8). Barr
struggled at being a running back, which almost caused him to quit football(9). However, prior to his junior season in 2012,
he switched to linebacker.(10)
During
Barr’s first year as a linebacker, he recorded 13.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for
loss and 83 tackles. His 13.5 sacks were
the second – highest total in the nation (behind only Georgia’s Jarvis Jones)(11). He was named a first – team All – Pac – 12
Conference and was selected to the CBSSports.com College Football All – America
second – team(12)(13). In
week 11, Barr was named Pac – 12 Defensive Player of the Week after his
performance against the Washington State Cougars(14). At the team’s annual awards banquet, Barr was
named the Most Valuable Player on defense (Henry R. “Red” Sanders Award)(15). In a November 2012 game against the USC
Trojans, Barr sacked quarterback Matt Barkley, who suffered a season – ending
shoulder injury.(16)
In six
games, Barr made more than 7 tackles, including nine against Stanford, eight in
the Pac – 12 Football Championship game, and nine in the Holiday Bowl against
Baylor(7). Despite being
touted as a potential first – round draft choice in the 2013 NFL draft, Barr
decided to return to UCLA for his senior season(17). On July 8th, 2013, Barr was ranked
37th as a possibility for the Maxwell Award and 3rd as a
candidate for the Chuck Bednarik Award(18)(19). On July 15th, 2013, Barr was named
as a candidate for the Butkus Award and the Lombardi Award(20)(21). He was also named to the 2013 preseason All –
American team.(22)
Barr was
named Pac – 12 Defensive Player of the Week after week 2 of the 2013 season,
with a 41 – 21 win over Nebraska on September 14th, 2013(23). He was also the Walter Camp Football
Foundation player of the week on defense.
For the 2013 regular season, Barr had 62 tackles, 20 for a loss (ranked
9th) and has forced five fumbles (fifth best) and recovered four
(second in the nation)(24).
He led the team with 10 sacks for 66 yards and was rewarded with the
Lott IMPACT Award(25). Barr
is in sixth place on the all – time school list for tackles for loss (41.5) and
is tied for sixth on the school’s all – time list for sacks (23.5). On December 11th, 2013, Barr was
named a first – team All – American by the USA Today,(26)
becoming the first UCLA player since Kai Forbath to do so.(27)
College Statistics
Professional Career:
Pre –
draft:
Barr was
listed as one of the top linebacker prospects for the 2014 NFL draft(28)(29). After the college season concluded, he was
projected as the number 3 selection in the 2014 NFL draft by Sports
Illustrated(29). At the
2014 NFL Combine, Barr ran the 40 – yard dash in 4.66 seconds, sixth – best
among linebackers, and tied for 14th in the vertical jump (34.5
inches). His 15 reps on the bench press
were also dead last among those who participated, according to NFL.com combine
tracker. At the UCLA Pro Day on March 11th,
he ran an electric 4.41 in the 40 – yard dash, did 19 repetitions on the bench
press and had a 10 – foot – 5 inch broad jump.
Pre – draft
measurables:
Barr was
selected in the first round, ninth overall by the Minnesota Vikings,(33)
making him the highest selected defensive player out of UCLA since Eric Turner,
second overall in 1991. He is the first
UCLA player to be a top – 10 selection since Jonathan Ogden, who was selected
sixth overall in 1996. He also surpassed
Jamir Miller, as the highest Bruins linebacker ever selected.(34)
Nate Cohn
of The New York Times in 2022
listed Barr and Ryan Mathews as the only two of 19 top NFL draft picks since
2005 whose careers justified being chosen much earlier than their ESPN draft
ranking.(35)
Minnesota Vikings (first stint):
Photo Credit:
https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/
id/16711/anthony-barr)
2014 season
Barr signed a four – year, $12.7 million dollar contract with the
Vikings. He received a $7.6 million
dollar signing bonus and the team could exercise a fifth – year option(36). Barr played in and started 12 games for the
Vikings and was awarded National Football Conference (NFC) defensive player of
the week for week 8(37).
Barr’s 2014 season was cut short due to an injury and he was put on
injured reserve(38). He ended
his rookie season with 70 combined tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles,
three fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) and three pass
deflections. He was a top contender for
defensive rookie of the year and one of three Viking defenders named to the Pro
Football Focus All – NFC North Team.(39)
2015 season
In the first game of the season, Barr played all 73 defensive snaps
against the San Francisco 49ers and recorded a career – high 12 tackles. He was credited with nine solo stops(40). In a week 4 loss to the eventual Super Bowl
50 champions Denver Broncos, Barr recorded his first career interception off a
pass thrown by Peyton Manning(41).
Barr broke his left hand in week 9 (November 8th), but in
week 12 he had a career – high eight tackles (seven solo), one sack, and forced
two fumbles(42). For the season,
he totaled 68 tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, eight quarterback
hurries, one interception, seven passes defended, and three forced
fumbles. On January 25th,
2016, Barr was named to his first Pro Bowl.(43)
2016 season
Barr struggled during his 2016 season, as he only had 37 solo tackles
and two sacks(44). Despite a
poor season in which coach Zimmer stated that Barr had a “tendency to coast,”(45)
Barr was named to his second straight Pro Bowl.(46)
2017 season
On May 1st, 2017, the Vikings exercised the fifth – year
option on Barr’s contract. Barr had 75
tackles, 33 solo tackles, 52 assisted tackles, and one sack. On December 19th, 2017, Barr was
named to his third straight Pro Bowl.(47)
On October 15th, 2017, during the Vikings 23 – 10 victory
over the Green Bay Packers, Barr recorded a hit that knocked Aaron Rodgers out
of the game, injuring his collarbone(48). In an interview with Conan O’Brien, Rodgers
claimed that Barr gave him “the finger” and told him to “suck it”(49). Packers head coach Mike McCarthy called
Barr’s hit “illegal”(50). In
numerous tweets, Barr stated that Rodgers started trash – talking him, as well
as stating that Rodgers “needs to get over it”(51). Barr stated that he isn’t a “dirty player”,
as well as insisting that he didn’t intend to injure Rodgers(52). On December 22nd, 2019, the
Minneapolis Star Tribune received criticism from Packers fans after the
newspaper included a photograph of Barr’s hit on Rodgers in a column as one of
the best Minnesota sports moments of the decade.(53)
In the Vikings’ divisional round win over the New Orleans Saints, Barr
intercepted a Drew Brees pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage by
teammate Everson Griffen.
2018 season
Barr was named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl. He finished the 2018 regular season with 55
tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games. On October 2nd, 2018, Barr was
fined $30,080 for a face mask penalty along with horse collar penalties during
a week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills(54). On October 21st, 2018, Barr
suffered a hamstring injury against the New York Jets, ending a streak where he
started in 44 games(55). Barr
went on to miss three games,(56) but returned on November 25th
against the Packers.(57)
2019 season
On March 11th, 2019, it was reported that Barr would be
signing a multi – year deal with the Jets(58). However, Barr changed his mind and re –
signed with the Vikings on March 13th, 2019, on a five – year, $67.5
million dollar contract with $33 million dollars guaranteed(59). In week 5, Barr recorded his first
interception since 2015 when he intercepted Daniel Jones in a win over the New
York Giants(60). On October
26th, 2019, Barr received a fine for a hit on Matthew Stafford
during a week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions(61). On December 2nd, 2019, Barr
recorded a season – high 11 tackles against the Seattle Seahawks(62). Throughout the year, Barr had 79 tackles, 54
solo tackles, 25 assisted tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1 interception.
In the divisional round of the playoffs against the 49ers, Barr forced
a fumble on running back Matt Breida and recovered the ball, but the Vikings
lost 27 – 10.(63)
2020 season
Barr was placed on the reserve / COVID – 19 list by the Vikings on July
30th, 2020,(64) and activated from the list four days
later(65). He was placed on
injured reserve on September 21st, 2020, after suffering a torn
pectoral muscle in week 2(66).
He missed the last 14 games of the season.
2021 season
In March, the team reworked his contract and Barr was allowed to become
a free agent at the end of the season.
In August, he underwent a surgery procedure for an injury he suffered in
his right knee during training camp. He
missed the first four games of the season, while recovering from the knee
injury.
In the ninth game against the Los Angeles Chargers, he was declared
inactive. In the eleventh game against
the 49ers, he suffered a right hamstring injury. He missed the following game against the
Detroit Lions. He finished with 11
starts, 72 tackles, 3 interceptions (career – high), 2.5 sacks, and 3 tackles
for loss.
Dallas Cowboys
On August 3rd. 2022, Barr signed as a free agent with the
Dallas Cowboys(67). He was
acquired to provide depth at the linebacker corps. In the eighth game against the Chicago Bears,
he suffered a hamstring strain injury late in the second quarter, which also
forced him to miss the following three games against the Packers, Vikings and
Giants. He appeared in 14 games with 10
starts, collecting 61 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries and one pass defended(68). He wasn’t re – signed after the season.
Minnesota Vikings (second stint)
Photo Credit:
https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/vikings/
2019/01/27/anthony-barr-on-returning-to-vikings-i-
want-to-be-back/80722867007/)
On November 14th, 2023, Barr re – signed with the Vikings to their practice squad(69)(70). He was signed to the active roster on December 29th.(71)
After not playing in 2024, Barr announced his retirement from
professional football on August 4th, 2025.(72)
NFL Career Statistics
Personal Life
Barr’s father, Tony Brooks, and uncles, Reggie Brooks and Cedric
Figaro, all played in the NFL. All of
them also played at Notre Dame(73).
Shortly after his birth in South Bend, Barr and his mother moved to the
suburbs of Los Angeles where he was raised by his mother and maternal
grandparents.(8)
In 2016, Anthony Barr established “Raise the Barr”, a nonprofit
initiative to assist single – parent undergraduate students in Minnesota and
California complete their post – secondary education by providing comprehensive
resources to both parents and children.
It raised over $250,000 to single parents and provided them with college
and emergency grants(8). On
June 27th, 2018, it launched new emergency grant funding at Loyola
High School, raising $50,000 in assistance, ticket sales, and auctioning.(74)
For more statistics about Anthony Barr, click here: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BarrAn00.htm
References
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