Ex-Dallas Cowboys RB Marion Barber III dead at 38
Ex-Dallas Cowboys RB Marion Barber III dead at 38 ByDean Straka 91 minutes ago 0 Comments Edit Slot to 247Sports Home Slot to 247Sports Newsletter Slot to 247Sports Links
Ex-Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber III was found dead in the Dallas-area Wednesday, the team announced. He was 38 years old.
‘We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III,’ a statement from the Cowboys read. ‘Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down. He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion’s family and friends during this difficult time.’
According to multiple reports, Frisco Police discovered Barber, 38, dead in his apartment. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Police were reportedly on a welfare call, but did not provide other information. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram was first to report Barber’s death.
Barber was in the NFL from 2005-11, spending his first six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys after the franchise drafted him as a fourth-round pick out of Minnesota in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was later with the Chicago Bears during the 2011 campaign.
Barber ended his NFL career rushing for 4,780 yards and 53 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2007 after rushing for a career-high 975 yards for the Cowboys that fall. Barber had 10 rushing touchdowns that fall, eclipsed only by his 14 rushing touchdowns a year prior.
At Minnesota, Barber finished his time as Golden Gopher rushing for 3,276 yards. His 4,495 all-purpose yards with the program ranked second all time. Minnesota boasted a fearsome running back duo during Barber’s sophomore season, accompanied by Laurence Maroney. The two each rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons at Minnesota, becoming the first pair of NCAA Division I teammates to achieve that feat.
Barber’s years after football saw the late former NFL running back encounter several hurdles, both personally and legally. Barber was detained by Mansfield (Texas) Police in 2014 before being transported to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.
In 2019, Barber was arrested on misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief. That arrested stemmed from 2018 incident where he was alleged to have damaged two cars in Frisco while on a run.
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Barber played at Minneapolis Wayzata High School before joining the Gophers as part of the program’s 2001 signing class. Barber’s father, Marion Barber Jr., also played in the NFL, suiting up for the New York Jets from 1982-88.
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