Eric Barton
Encyclopedia
Eric Barton is a former American football
linebacker
who played for twelve seasons in the National Football League
. He played college football
at Maryland
before he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
. He played for the Raiders from 1999–2003, the New York Jets
from 2004–2008, and the Cleveland Browns
from 2009–2010.
in Alexandria, Virginia.
where he majored in Criminology
and criminal justice. Barton Earned All-American honors from the National Recruiting Advisor and an All-Atlantic Coast recognition from Blue Chip Illustrated Magazine and was rated 10th-best football player in Virginia by Super Prep Magazine as a senior at Edison High School
in Alexandria, Virginia
. He recorded more than 100 tackles as a sophomore
, junior
and senior
at Maryland, which helped land him fourth on the career tackles list. He also led the ACC
in solo tackles as junior and senior. He was an All-ACC first-team selection as senior and led conference in total tackles (159) and average tackles per game (14.5).
in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft
.
He saw action in all of his 16 games in the 1999 NFL season
, making three starts and finishing with 29 tackles and two sacks. He recorded a sack in the first play of his first NFL start and finished with, a team-high, eight tackles in Week 15 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. He started and tallied 13 tackles at LB in Super Bowl XXXVII
in a loss to the Buccaneers. He led the team for the ninth time on the season with a nine-tackle performance vs. the Kansas City Chiefs
in the season finale.
as an unrestricted free agent in 2004. He registered nine or more tackles seven times in the 2004 NFL season
, including a AFC Wild Card victory over the San Diego Chargers
. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors as a result of nine tackles, one sack, one INT, two PD, one FF and one FR in Week 15 win vs. the Seattle Seahawks
and led the defense with a career-high 16 tackles, including 12 solo and one for loss, in a defeat against the Buffalo Bills
. He was placed on the Injured Reserve
, for the first time in his career after suffering an ankle injury. He also became the first Jet Defender since 2000 to record a sack and interception on the same drive against the Washington Redskins
. He has played in 120 career Regular Season games with 85 starts and has recorded 680 tackles, 18.5 sacks, four INTs, 18 pass deflected, six forced fumbles and four fumble recovery in his career. So far he has posted four seasons with 100 or more total tackles.
as an unrestricted free agent on March 13, 2009 and played 2 years with them. Up to the 2010 NFL season, after 12 years of play, he is the only player still active in the NFL among those drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
. On February 9, 2011, Barton was released by the Browns.
, a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders
, and his birth mother, Chris Curry, for the first time October 30, 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who played for twelve seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
before he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. He played for the Raiders from 1999–2003, the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 2004–2008, and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 2009–2010.
Early years
Barton went to Edison High SchoolThomas A. Edison High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
Thomas A. Edison High School is a high school in Rose Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools.In the 1990s, the school's debate and forensics teams gained widespread recognition. The Policy Debate Team won the Harvard Tournament , the Glenbrooks , and two...
in Alexandria, Virginia.
College career
Barton attended the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
where he majored in Criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
and criminal justice. Barton Earned All-American honors from the National Recruiting Advisor and an All-Atlantic Coast recognition from Blue Chip Illustrated Magazine and was rated 10th-best football player in Virginia by Super Prep Magazine as a senior at Edison High School
Thomas A. Edison High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
Thomas A. Edison High School is a high school in Rose Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools.In the 1990s, the school's debate and forensics teams gained widespread recognition. The Policy Debate Team won the Harvard Tournament , the Glenbrooks , and two...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. He recorded more than 100 tackles as a sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
, junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
and senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
at Maryland, which helped land him fourth on the career tackles list. He also led the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
in solo tackles as junior and senior. He was an All-ACC first-team selection as senior and led conference in total tackles (159) and average tackles per game (14.5).
Oakland Raiders
Barton was selected by the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
.
He saw action in all of his 16 games in the 1999 NFL season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, making three starts and finishing with 29 tackles and two sacks. He recorded a sack in the first play of his first NFL start and finished with, a team-high, eight tackles in Week 15 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. He started and tallied 13 tackles at LB in Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
in a loss to the Buccaneers. He led the team for the ninth time on the season with a nine-tackle performance vs. the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the season finale.
New York Jets
Barton signed with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an unrestricted free agent in 2004. He registered nine or more tackles seven times in the 2004 NFL season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, including a AFC Wild Card victory over the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors as a result of nine tackles, one sack, one INT, two PD, one FF and one FR in Week 15 win vs. the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and led the defense with a career-high 16 tackles, including 12 solo and one for loss, in a defeat against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was placed on the Injured Reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
, for the first time in his career after suffering an ankle injury. He also became the first Jet Defender since 2000 to record a sack and interception on the same drive against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He has played in 120 career Regular Season games with 85 starts and has recorded 680 tackles, 18.5 sacks, four INTs, 18 pass deflected, six forced fumbles and four fumble recovery in his career. So far he has posted four seasons with 100 or more total tackles.
Cleveland Browns
Barton signed with the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an unrestricted free agent on March 13, 2009 and played 2 years with them. Up to the 2010 NFL season, after 12 years of play, he is the only player still active in the NFL among those drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. On February 9, 2011, Barton was released by the Browns.
Personal
Barton was adopted and met his brother, Aaron CurryAaron Curry (American football)
-Seattle Seahawks:On August 8, 2009, Curry signed a six-year, $60 million contract including $34 million guaranteed, the most money ever guaranteed to a non-quarterback rookie in NFL history....
, a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and his birth mother, Chris Curry, for the first time October 30, 2010.