| No. 30, 36, 37 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Fullback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1980-02-28)February 28, 1980 (age 45) Toms River, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Toms River North | ||||||||||||
| College | Hampton | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2002: undrafted | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Darian Durrell Barnes (born February 28, 1980) is an American former professionalfootball player who was afullback in theNational Football League (NFL) for theTampa Bay Buccaneers,Dallas Cowboys,Miami Dolphins,New York Jets,Buffalo Bills,Detroit Lions andNew Orleans Saints. He playedcollege football for theHampton Pirates.
Barnes attendedToms River High School North. As a senior, he only played in 8 games, registering 148 carries for 1,163 yards and 15touchdowns. He received second-team All-state byThe Star-Ledger and first-team all-county honors at the end of the season.
Barnes accepted a football scholarship fromRutgers University. He did not play in any game as a freshman. He tallied 20 carries for 50 yards as a sophomore. He sat out his junior season until transferring toHampton University.
As a senior, he appeared in 10 games, posting 27 carries for 93 yards, onetouchdown and one reception for 7 yards.
Barnes was signed as anundrafted free agent by theNew York Giants after the2002 NFL draft on July 25.[1] He was waived on September 1.[2]
On September 2,2002, he was claimed off waivers by theTampa Bay Buccaneers. He appeared in six games and was declared inactive in ten contests, playing mainly onspecial teams (three tackles) and being a part of theSuper Bowl XXXVII winning team.[3]
In2003, he appeared in 14 games, before being placed on theinjured reserve list on December 16, with a sprained left AC joint. He finished with 7special teams tackles.
On April 25,2004, he was traded along with a seventh round pick (#216-Patrick Crayton) to theDallas Cowboys in exchange for a seventh round draft choice (#206-Mark Jones).
In2004, he was acquired to complementRichie Anderson and be the team's blocking fullback for rookie running backJulius Jones. During the season, he recorded 10 receptions for 59 yards, including his only career touchdown, a 5-yard reception, against theChicago Bears. On August 24,2005, he was waived injured (sprained ankle) and replaced with second-year playerLousaka Polite.[4]
On October 24,2005, he signed as afree agent with theMiami Dolphins to be the team's blocking fullback for running backsRonnie Brown andRicky Williams. In2006, he appeared in 16 games (6 starts), making 3 receptions for 22 yards.
On March 8,2007, he was signed by theNew York Jets to be thefullback forThomas Jones, who was also his teammate with theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[5] He appeared in 5 games (3 starts) and was declared inactive in 4 contests. He was released on November 29.[6]
On January 17,2008, theBuffalo Bills signed him as the first move for bothTurk Schonert as offensive coordinator andRuss Brandon as Vice President. This marked the return of the fullback to the Bills' offensive system. He was released four games into the season on September 30, after suffering a sprained right foot against theOakland Raiders on September 21. The Bills signedfullbackCorey McIntyre to take his place on the roster.[7]
On October 28,2008, Barnes was signed by theDetroit Lions to replace injured rookie fullbackJerome Felton.[8] On November 11, he was released after the team re-signedrunning backAveion Cason.[9]
On November 18,2008, he was signed by theNew Orleans Saints to replace injured fullbackMike Karney, reuniting withSean Payton who was his offensive coordinator with the Cowboys.[10] He was waived on December 21. He was re-signed to a future contract following the end of the season. He was released on July 23,2009.
Barnes created a comic book called "National Triumph League" along with a partner, which sees professional athletes blessed with superhuman talent.[11][12] Barnes and his wife, Rebecca, have four daughters, Damara, Darren, Daylin and Draya.
In 2013, Barnes returned to his alma mater Toms River North as an assistant coach. In 2014, he was named the interim head coach atColts Neck High School.[13] In January 2015, he was promoted to head coach permanently. He resigned after the 2017 season, finishing with an 8-22 record.[14]
In June 2020, he competed on the 20th season of the Food Network showWorst Cooks in America.