Barkevious Levon Mingo (; born October 4, 1990) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
outside linebacker who is a free agent. He played
college football at
Louisiana State
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisian ...
(LSU) and was drafted by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
sixth overall in the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall ...
. He won
Super Bowl LI
Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New ...
with the
New England Patriots.
Early years
Mingo was born in
Belle Glade, Florida
Belle Glade is a city in south-central Florida and it is the far western part of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 17,467.
Bel ...
. He attended
West Monroe High School
West Monroe High School is a high school in West Monroe, Louisiana, United States. It is administered by the Ouachita Parish School Board. WMHS is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school's mascot is The R ...
in
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the Ouachita River, across from the neighboring city of Monroe. The two cities are often referred to as the Twin Cities of northeast Louisiana. Its population ...
, where he was a ''letterman'' in football and track. He played
football for the West Monroe Rebels team under head coach
Don Shows. As a junior, he tallied 55 tackles to go with six sacks and 12 tackles for loss, leading this to be named All-State in Class 5A. As a senior in 2008, he was a 5A first-team All-state selection, after recording 59 tackles to go with seven tackles for loss and four sacks in helping lead West Monroe High School to the state championship game. He also added four forced fumbles and recovered seven fumbles. He played in the 2009
U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Also a standout
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
athlete, Mingo was a state qualifier as a
sprinter. At the 2008 Region I-5A Meet, he took gold in the
400-meter dash
The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is on ...
, with a PR of 48.92, and ran the lead leg on the West Monroe
4 × 200m and
4 × 400m squads, helping them capture the state title in both events. At the 2009 LHSAA Outdoor State T&F Championships, he took 5th in the
200-meter dash
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...
, recording a career-best time of 21.85 seconds, and finished 6th in the 400-meter dash, with a time of 49.54 seconds.
According to ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
'' and ''
Scout.com
Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
'', Mingo was four-star college recruiting prospect.
He was rated as the No. 6 strong side linebacker by Scout.com and the No. 9 by Rivals.com. He was a member of the Rivals 250 and Scout 300. He was rated as the No. 5 best athlete among linebackers by Rivals.com. He was rated as the No. 3 player in the state of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
by SuperPrep and the No. 8 by Rivals.com.
College career
Mingo attended
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
, and played for coach
Les Miles
Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...
's
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football program, also known as the Fighting Tigers, represents Louisiana State University in college football. The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
Th ...
team from 2009 to 2012. He was
redshirted
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
in
2009. As a redshirt freshman in
2010, he started one of the 13 games he played in, recording 35 tackles and 3.5
sacks. As a sophomore in
2011, Mingo was a Second-team All-
SEC selection after recording 47 tackles and 8 sacks. In 2011, he contributed to LSU's successful SEC Championship season. As a junior in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
, he played in all 13 games with 10 starts, and earned Second-team All-SEC honors after recording 38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 quarterback sacks, and a team-high 12 quarterback hurries.
On January 7, 2013, Mingo announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2013 NFL Draft. He was one of 10 LSU Tiger underclassmen to declare for the draft that year.
College statistics
Professional career
Cleveland Browns
Mingo was drafted by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
in the first round with the sixth overall pick in the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall ...
. He was the third defensive end to be selected in the draft, after
Dion Jordan and
Ezekiel Ansah
Ezekiel Nana "Ziggy" Ansah (born May 29, 1989) is a Ghanaian professional American football defensive end who is a free agent. Born in Accra, Ghana, he moved to the United States to attend Brigham Young University, where he played college footbal ...
.
2013
On July 21, 2013, the Cleveland Browns signed Mingo to a four-year,
$16.34 million
contract
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...
that included a
signing bonus of $10.26 million.
Mingo was immediately moved to outside linebacker by defensive coordinator
Ray Horton
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
and competed against
Jabaal Sheard for a starting role throughout training camp. On August 15, 2013, Mingo suffered a bruised lung during the Browns’ 24-6 win against the
Detroit Lions during their second preseason game. Mingo was hospitalized and missed the last two games of the preseason. Head coach
Rob Chudzinski
Robert Matthew Chudzinski (born May 12, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the special assistant to the head coach of the Boston College Eagles. Chudzinski was the offensive coordinator for several National Football League (N ...
named Mingo a backup outside linebacker, behind Jabaal Sheard and
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South African Republic, South Africa, and President of the So ...
, to begin the regular season.
On September 15, 2013, Mingo made his professional regular season debut after missing the season-opener due to a bruised lung and recorded two solo tackles, one pass deflection, and made his first career sack during their 14-6 loss at the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
in Week 2. Mingo made his first career sack on Ravens’ quarterback
Joe Flacco for a nine-yard loss during the first quarter. On September 29, 2013, Mingo earned his first career start in place of Jabaal Sheard who was inactive due to a knee injury. In Week 13, he collected a season-high five combined tackles during a 32-28 loss against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
. On December 30, 2013, the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
fired head coach Rob Chudzinski after they finished the season with a 4-12 record. He finished his rookie season in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
with 42 combined tackles (39 solo), a career-high five sacks, and four pass deflections in 15 games and three starts.
2014
Mingo entered training camp as a backup outside linebacker in his first season under defensive coordinator
Jim O’Neil. Head coach
Mike Pettine
Michael Mark Pettine (born September 25, 1966) is an American football coach who currently is an assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015, an ...
named Mingo and Paul Kruger the starting outside linebackers to begin the regular season. They started alongside inside linebackers
Craig Robertson and
Karlos Dansby
Karlos Montez Dansby (born November 3, 1981) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football for Auburn University and received All-American recognition. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round ...
.
Mingo was inactive for the Browns’ Week 2 victory against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
due to a shoulder injury. Mingo’s shoulder injury was discovered to be a torn labrum, but he opted to wear a harness and play through the injury. On December 14, 2014, Mingo collected a season-high eight combined tackles during a 30-0 loss against the
Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15. He finished the season with 42 combined tackles (26 solo), three pass deflections, and two sacks in 15 games and 11 starts.
2015
Mingo entered training camp slated as the starting strongside linebacker after Jabaal Sheard departed during free agency. On August 6, 2015, Mingo underwent
arthroscopic surgery
Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the ...
on a torn meniscus and was expected to miss 2–4 weeks. Head coach Mike Pettine retained Mingo and Paul Kruger as the starting outside linebackers to begin the regular season. Mingo was demoted to being a backup outside linebacker after
Armonty Bryant
Armonty Charles Bryant (born May 20, 1990) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Division II East Central Tigers of Ad ...
was given his starting role. In Week 3, he collected a season-high four combined tackles during a 27-20 loss against the
Oakland Raiders. On October 18, 2015, Mingo made one tackle, broke up one pass deflection, and made his first career interception during a 26-23 loss against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
in Week 6. Mingo intercepted a pass by Broncos’ quarterback
Peyton Manning, that was initially intended for wide receiver
Demaryius Thomas, and returned it for a seven-yard return in overtime. He finished the
2015 NFL season
The 2015 NFL season was the 96th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL), and the 50th in the Super Bowl era. To celebrate the 50th season of the Super Bowl, a gold-plated NFL logo and other various gold-themed promotions ...
with 24 combined tackles (15 solo), four pass deflections, and one interception in 16 games and two starts.
2016
On January 4, 2016, the Cleveland Browns fired head coach
Mike Pettine
Michael Mark Pettine (born September 25, 1966) is an American football coach who currently is an assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015, an ...
and general manager
Ray Farmer after they finished the season with a 3-13 record. On May 2, 2016, the Cleveland Browns decided not to pick up his fifth year option. Defensive coordinator
Ray Horton
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
retained the 3-4 base defense and held a competition to name starting outside linebackers between Mingo, Paul Kruger.
Nate Orchard,
Joe Schobert
Joseph Robert Schobert (born November 6, 1993) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Schobert played college football at Wisconsin where he won t ...
, and
Emmanuel Ogbah.
New England Patriots
On August 25, 2016, the Cleveland Browns traded Mingo to the
New England Patriots for a fifth-round pick (175th overall) in the
2017 NFL Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia ...
. Head coach
Bill Belichick
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
named Mingo the fourth outside linebacker on the Patriots’ depth chart to start the regular season. He was listed behind
Jamie Collins,
Jonathan Freeny
Jonathan Freeny (born June 15, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Rutgers. He has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Rush, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, ...
, and
Shea McClellin.
In Week 6, Mingo collected a season-high two solo tackles during a 35-17 victory against the
Cincinnati Bengals. Mingo was limited to 11 combined tackles (nine solo) in his only season with the Patriots, but appeared in all 16 games with zero starts.
The
New England Patriots finished first in the
AFC East with a 14–2 record and earned a first round bye. On January 14, 2017, Mingo appeared in his first career playoff game as the Patriots defeated the
Houston Texans 34–16 in the AFC Divisional Round. The following week, they defeated the
Pittsburgh Steelers 36–17 in the AFC Championship Game. On February 5, 2017, Mingo appeared in
Super Bowl LI
Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New ...
and recorded two solo tackles as the Patriots defeated the
Atlanta Falcons 34–28. Mingo appeared exclusively on special teams during the game and recorded both his tackles while covering punt returns.
Indianapolis Colts
On March 9, 2017, the
Indianapolis Colts signed Mingo to a one-year, $2 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $500,000.
Mingo reunited with teammate Jabaal Sheard for the third time. They were teammates on the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
Mingo competed against
John Simon and Jabaal Sheard to be the starting strongside linebacker. Head coach
Chuck Pagano named Mingo the backup strongside linebacker, behind John Simon, to begin the regular season. In Week 16, he collected a season-high eight solo tackles and made one sack during a 23-16 loss at the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
. On December 31, 2017, the Indianapolis Colts fired head coach Chuck Pagano after finishing the season with a 4-12 record. Mingo finished his lone season with the Indianapolis Colts with 47 combined tackles (35 solo), two pass deflections, and two sacks in 16 games and six starts.
Seattle Seahawks
On March 16, 2018, the
Seattle Seahawks signed Mingo to a two-year, $6.80 million contract that includes $3.20 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2.20 million.
Throughout training camp, Mingo competed against
D. J. Alexander to be a starting outside linebacker. Head coach
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC from ...
named Mingo and
K. J. Wright the starting outside linebackers to begin the regular season. They started alongside middle linebacker
Bobby Wagner. In Week 6, Mingo collected a season-high seven solo tackles during a 27-3 victory at the
Oakland Raiders. He finished the season with a career-high 48 combined tackles (37 solo), two forced fumbles, a pass deflection, and one sack in 16 games and 14 starts.
Houston Texans
On August 31, 2019, the Seahawks traded Mingo along with outside linebacker
Jacob Martin and a
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
third-round pick to the
Houston Texans in exchange for
Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Davarus Clowney ( ; born February 14, 1993) is an American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina, where he won the Ted Hendricks Award, and w ...
.
Chicago Bears
On April 3, 2020, the
Chicago Bears signed Mingo to a one-year, $1.187 million contract. In a week 9 loss to the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
, Mingo was credited with the first rushing attempt of his career, gaining 11 yards and a first down after taking a hand-off on a fake punt.
Atlanta Falcons
On March 25, 2021, Mingo signed a one-year contract with the
Atlanta Falcons. His contract was terminated on July 10, following his arrest.
NFL statistics
Regular season
Post season
Personal life
Mingo is the son of Hugh Mingo and Barbara Johnson. His unusual first name was created by his mother, adding the first three letters of her first name to a name she liked, Kevious.
On July 7, 2021, Mingo was arrested in
Arlington,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, on a second-degree felony charge of indecency and sexual contact with a minor. He was later released the following day on $25,000 bond.
The arrest was related to an incident alleged to have occurred in July 2019 involving the teenage friend of a family member. The charges were dismissed on December 17, 2021.
References
External links
Atlanta Falcons bioLouisiana State Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mingo, Barkevious
1990 births
Living people
People from Belle Glade, Florida
People from West Monroe, Louisiana
Sportspeople from the Miami metropolitan area
Players of American football from Florida
Players of American football from Louisiana
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
West Monroe High School alumni
LSU Tigers football players
Cleveland Browns players
New England Patriots players
Indianapolis Colts players
Seattle Seahawks players
Houston Texans players
Chicago Bears players
Atlanta Falcons players
People charged with sex crimes