Anthony Barr: From UCLA Bruin to NFL Linebacker

Anthony Barr, born on March 18, 1992, is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL was marked by a transition from offense to defense during his college career at UCLA, where he ultimately earned All-American honors.

Early Life and High School Career

Barr was born in South Bend, Indiana, but he was raised in Los Angeles, where he attended Loyola High School in the Pico-Union neighborhood. He lettered four seasons in track and field.

Recruiting

Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Barr was listed as the No. 8 prospect and the No. 5 athlete out of the state of California. According to Scout.com, he was ranked as the No. 100 national prospect and the No. 10 outside linebacker. He was also rated as the No. 1 athlete by MaxPreps.

College Career at UCLA (2010-2013)

Barr played college football for the UCLA Bruins from 2010 to 2013, and his career there was defined by a significant position change.

From Offense to Defense

Barr was initially an offensive player for his first two years at UCLA, playing running back, wide receiver, and tight end. He struggled as a running back, and switched to linebacker during his junior year.

Offensive Statistics

On October 21, 2010, against the Oregon Ducks, Barr made his first start, and he made 1 catch for 17 yards. In 2011, he caught an 11-yard touchdown pass against the Houston Cougars.

Transition to Linebacker

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). He was named a first-team All-Pac-12 Conference and was selected to the CBSSports.com College Football All-America second-team. In Week 11, Barr was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Washington State Cougars. At the team's annual awards banquet, Barr was named the Most Valuable Player on defense (Henry R.

2013 Season

Barr was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after week 2 of the 2013 season, a 41-21 win over Nebraska on September 14, 2013. 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). He led the team with 10 sacks for 66 yards and was rewarded with the Lott IMPACT Award. 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).

Accolades

Barr earned consensus All-American honors in 2013.

NFL Draft and Early Career (2014-2018)

Barr was listed as one of the top linebacker prospects for the 2014 NFL draft. After the college season concluded, he was projected as the No. 3 selection in the 2014 NFL draft by Sports Illustrated. 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 (34.5 inches). His 15 reps on the bench press were also dead last among those who participated, according to NFL.com's combine tracker.

Minnesota Vikings (2014-2021)

Barr was selected in the first round, ninth overall by the Minnesota Vikings, 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. Barr signed a four-year, $12.7 million contract with the Vikings. He received a $7.6 million signing bonus and the team could exercise a fifth-year option.

2014 Season: Rookie Year

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. Barr's 2014 season was cut short due to an injury and he was put on injured reserve. 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. Barr was a candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year before missing the final two games with a knee injury. He proved a disruptive force in the passing game. Barr will be used as a linebacker in early downs and as a defensive end on passing downs to maximize him as a speed edge rusher. Barr is a former edge rusher who Vikings coach Mike Zimmer took on as a conversion project to 4-3 outside linebacker with the ninth overall pick in 2014.

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. In a Week 4 loss against the eventual Super Bowl 50 champions Denver Broncos, Barr recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by Peyton Manning.

2016 Season

Barr broke his left hand in Week 9 (November 8), but in Week 12 he had a career-high eight tackles (seven solo), one sack, and forced two fumbles. For the season, he totaled 68 tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, one interception, seven passes defensed, and three forced fumbles.

2017 Season

On May 1, 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. Barr was named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl.

Read also: Davis's College Career

2018 Season

He finished the 2018 regular season with 55 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games.

Contract Negotiations and Free Agency

In March, the team reworked his contract and Barr was allowed to become a free agent at the end of the season. Barr allegedly agreed to a five-year, $67.5 million deal with the Jets during the offseason's legal tampering period, but ultimately reneged on the offer, choosing to return to the Vikings for what is expected to be a similar contract with more guaranteed money.

Later Years with the Vikings

When he last logged the vast majority of defensive snaps for the Vikings in 2019, he had 79 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four pass defenses and one interception in 14 games. Barr almost departed for the Jets last offseason before ultimately returning to the Vikings on a five-year, $67.5 million deal, and he set a career high with 79 tackles (54 solo) in 14 games. The 28-year-old also tallied 1.5 sacks, one interception and one forced fumble, but there's nothing in his stats that puts him on the map as an IDP option.

Dallas Cowboys (2022)

On August 3, 2022, Barr signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. He was acquired to provide depth at the linebacking 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.

Injuries

In August, he underwent a surgery procedure for an injury he suffered in his right knee during training camp. 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.

Player Profile and Style

Barr ran a 4.66 40-yard dash at the combine, which is a strong time for a 6-5, 255 player. He has plenty of on-paper upside to develop, given that he has just two years of defensive experience at UCLA -- he was mostly a failed tight end experiment before that -- and he proved to be a natural edge rusher by piling up 23 sacks and 41 tackles for loss in his first 27 games at the position. That type of contract would seem to suggest Barr will be a focal point of the team's defense moving forward, but it's worth pointing out the 27-year-old has never recorded more than 75 tackles or four sacks in any of his five professional seasons. The pass-rushing potential Barr displayed as a rookie hasn't been realized, and the 2014 first-rounder has lost a lot of his IDP luster after finishing that inaugural year on pace to notch 90 tackles and six sacks. However, he's proved to be an elite run-stopping linebacker and is a big reason why the Vikings allowed just 83.6 rushing yards per game in 2017. Moreover, he hasn't missed a game in two seasons and has consistently hovered around 70 tackles each year he's played. The 2014 first-rounder took a step back during his third year in the league last season, notching a career low in solo tackles with just 37, 18 fewer than he racked up as a rookie. Barr also posted career lows in sacks (two) and forced fumbles (one).

Personal Life and Philanthropy

Barr's father, Tony Brooks, and uncles, Reggie Brooks and Cedric Figaro, all played in the NFL. 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.

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