Marion Barber III, late Gopher football star, memorialized at campus ceremony
MINNEAPOLIS -- Family and friends, including former coaches and teammates, gathered Wednesday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to say goodbye to Marion Barber III.
Barber was found dead in his Texas apartment earlier this month. He was 38 years old. Details about his death have been few.
Wednesday's ceremony was all about the impact Barber had on the lives of people who knew him best. There were memories of a dynamic player and teammate
"We were playing Alabama in a bowl game. Very first play from scrimmage coming off our own goal line, Marion carries the ball and he fumbles it, and they recover," said former Gopher football coach Glen Mason. "And I'm standing on the sideline, I'm not real happy, you know. And her comes Marion, and he takes his helmet off and he gives me that big smile and he says, 'Don't worry, Coach, I got this.' What are you gonna say to that? He ends up MVP of the game."
Barber was also remembered as someone who understood what he meant to others.
"After games, he would take pictures with kids. Adults? Not so much. [He] had a smooth, respectful way to keep it moving to adults who wanted pictures. It was a joy to see that," said Dominique Barber, Marion's younger brother.
But mostly, they remembered and celebrated a man who meant so much to them.
"You would always let me tag along with you, even if you didn't want me to. You always had your arm around me to make sure I was doing OK, felt included," Dominique said.
Barber grew up in Minnesota and played football for Wayzata High School. He starred for the Gophers, then the Dallas Cowboys, going on to become one of the best running backs in team history.
