Marion Barber III, Former NFL, Gopher Running Back, Found Dead In Texas Apartment

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Former Gopher and NFL running back Marion Barber III was found dead Wednesday in his Texas apartment.

CBS DFW reports that the 38-year-old, who grew up in the Twin Cities, was found unresponsive in his apartment in Frisco, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. Local police said that officers were initially called to his home on a welfare check.

Barber's cause of death remains unknown, although investigators said that they did not expect foul play.

Barber played seven years in the NFL, mostly for the Dallas Cowboys (2005-2011). He played his final season (2012) with the Chicago Bears. Following retirement, he struggled with mental health and legal issues.

The son of an NFL running back, Barber grew up in Plymouth, where he was a standout athlete at Wayzata High School. Like his father, Marion Barber Jr., he went on to play college football for the University of Minnesota, scoring 35 rushing touchdowns, one more than his father's record and the second-most in school history.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Barber in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Over the course of his NFL career, he rushed for 4,780 yards and scored 53 touchdowns.

In a statement on Barber's death, the Cowboys described the former running back as as "old-school, hard-nosed football player" who always ran to win at every down.

"He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates," the statement said. "Our hearts go out to Marion's family and friends during this difficult time."