June 10, 2004

Marion Barber the 3rd, Being 1st

By Jason Herron

Invariably, before the college football season begins, some attention is given to the so-called glamour position players who are expected to emerge and garner the most national media attention.  The best example of this would be the pursuit of the Heisman Trophy by the best quarterbacks, running backs and the occasional wide receiver or defensive back.

So who will emerge as the best running back in college football in 2004?

There are a few more familiar names that might be more than just regional favorites and the preferred answer among many fans of the college game.  “Cadillac” Williams from Auburn or Cedric Benson from Texas are the most obvious choices, but perhaps a more unique player like Kansas State’s Darren Sproles with his 5’ 7” frame inspires support for the underdog.

A less obvious, but no less impressive player to consider is Marion Barber III.  It wouldn’t be a tremendous surprise if you had never seen or heard of him.  He doesn’t play in the SEC or Big 12 as just another cog in the machines that are the Miami Hurricanes or Oklahoma Sooners.  While he does play in the Big Ten, he’s not just another worker in the factories of the Wolverines, Spartans or Buckeyes.

Marion Barber plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers — essentially a perennial mediocre team in the Big Ten conference and certainly a media market that would be considered less than major.  However, despite those circumstances, his play on the field could be the only factor in why you would know who he is after this season.

Barber finished 4th in the Big Ten in rushing in 2003 with 1,196 yards and set a school record with 17 touchdowns.  Those totals at face value are more than respectable by any running back on any level.  Barber’s numbers and his potential in 2004 take on another dimension if one considers that he split carries with two other running backs, each of whom had more than one hundred carries, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Laurence Maroney, who finished just behind Barber in the conference.

Not unlike many of his peers heading into a college football program with exceptional athletic talent as a former high school star, Barber didn’t know what position he would be playing because of his success in high school as a two-way player.  As a senior he led his high school alma mater, Wayzata High School (MN), with 10 interceptions as a defensive back and was a consensus all-state selection.  He also rushed for 1,778 yards and 18 TDs as a running back.  However, once he got into the backfield at Minnesota, he knew he had found his place.

In his freshman season at Minnesota, Barber rushed for 742 yards on just 118 carries (6.3 YPC) and 7 TDs.  He also had the team’s longest kick return for 77 yards.  While that was a solid start to his collegiate career, he was forced to red shirt in his sophomore year because of a hamstring injury.  Clearly 2003 eliminated any doubt or need to worry, because he came back big by tying the school’s single season record of 7 one hundred rushing yard games.  Not surprisingly, Barber was a first team All-Big Ten selection.  He also became only the 10th player in school history to surpass 2,000 yards for a career, and yet, he’s not even close to being done.

Expectations for this season are big as he has already been named to the College Football News 2004 Heisman Trophy watch list.  So the media has Barber on their radar, now if he stays healthy and produces to the level he’s capable of, then attending the presentation of the Heisman Trophy is a reasonable possibility, and then Marion Barber III will be seen and heard by more fans than any Gopher since Caddyshack.