Freddie Lee Barnes (born December 6, 1986) is a former
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 ...
wide receiver. He was signed by the
Chicago Bears of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2010. He played
college football at
Bowling Green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
.
During
2009, including the
Humanitarian Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, previously the Humanitarian Bowl (1997–2003, 2007–2010) and the MPC Computers Bowl (2004–2006), is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 1997 at Albertson ...
, Barnes accumulated an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record 155 receptions for 1,770 yards, 19 receiving touchdowns, as well as two rushing touchdowns. The 155-reception total not only surpassed the
Division I record, but also an NCAA All-division record. He also broke
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...
' single-season
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
yardage record. In addition, he established several
Bowling Green Falcons football
The Bowling Green Falcons football program is the intercollegiate football team of Bowling Green State University. The team is a member of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level; BGSU footba ...
records during the season. During his senior season, in established numerous receiving records, was named a
2009 College Football All-American and was one of three 2009
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
finalists. Previously, he had been a multisport athlete at
Homewood-Flossmoor High School
Homewood-Flossmoor High School (H-F) is a comprehensive public high school in Flossmoor, Illinois. The district encompasses nearly 11.5 square miles drawing students from Homewood, Flossmoor, Chicago Heights, Glenwood, Hazel Crest, and Olympia ...
.
Early years
Barnes attended
Homewood-Flossmoor High School
Homewood-Flossmoor High School (H-F) is a comprehensive public high school in Flossmoor, Illinois. The district encompasses nearly 11.5 square miles drawing students from Homewood, Flossmoor, Chicago Heights, Glenwood, Hazel Crest, and Olympia ...
in
Flossmoor, Illinois
Flossmoor () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,704 at the 2020 census. Flossmoor is approximately 25 miles south of the Chicago Loop.
Geography
Flossmoor is located at (41.541684, -87.684970).
According ...
, where he earned three letters for the Vikings playing
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
. He served as team captain and was named team MVP, as well as All-Area and All-Conference in 2004. Barnes also lettered in basketball, where he was a teammate of
Julian Wright.
Considered only a two-star recruit by
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 ...
, Barnes was not ranked among the nation's elite quarterback prospects in 2005. He chose Bowling Green over
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...
and
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.
College career
Barnes' freshman season he caught 20 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for 405 yards and 9 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he caught 82 passes for 962 yards and 9 touchdowns, and was selected for All-
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
third-team honors.
He caught 41 passes for 364 yards, but no touchdowns as a Junior in 2008.
[Player profile](_blank)
ESPN
During his senior year in 2009 he accumulated 16 touchdown catches and a league leading 138 receptions. He is third in reception yards with 1,551, and among his season's highlights was a school-record 22-catch effort (one short of an NCAA single-game record) for 278 yards, including three touchdowns, in a 36-35 victory over
Kent State. Barnes was four receptions away from matching the NCAA single-season record as Bowling Green awaited its bowl game against the
Idaho Vandals
The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of Idaho, located in Moscow. The Vandals compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
The football team was an independent for th ...
.
In his final game at Bowling Green against the Idaho Vandals in the
Humanitarian Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, previously the Humanitarian Bowl (1997–2003, 2007–2010) and the MPC Computers Bowl (2004–2006), is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 1997 at Albertson ...
, Barnes had 17 receptions for 219 yards and 3 touchdowns including a go-ahead score with 32 seconds left in the game. It turned out to be enough time for the Vandals to answer on their final drive, and they converted a
two-point conversion
In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...
for the win. Barnes established both new
Football Bowl Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
and All Division single-season reception records by surpassing
Manny Hazard
Manny Hazard (born 1969) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played collegiately at the University of Houston and in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts.
Hazard, who played with Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Andre War ...
and Nick Smart, respectively. On the season, Barnes' 1770 yards surpassed
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...
MAC single-season total.
Barnes also surpassed several school records such as single-season
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
receptions and career receptions.
[ Barnes' yardage total and yards per game were second to ]Danario Alexander
Danario Alexander (born August 7, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Missouri Tigers football, Missouri.
Early years
Alexander earned honorable mention All-State and First-team All-District honors as ...
among FBS receivers for 2009.
Barnes was chosen as one of three finalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
. Notre Dame's Golden Tate won the award. Barnes was also discussed as a dark horse candidate for the 2009 Heisman Trophy, despite being on a BCS non-AQ conference team and not being a quarterback, based on thirty more catches than any other receiver and being close to the top in touchdowns. Barnes was named to the All-Mid-American Conference first-team on December 2, 2009, and on December 12, he was named a 2009 All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.
College awards and honors
* 2009 All-American (''FWAA'')
*2009 Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
finalist
;National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
record
*Single-season receptions (155, 2009–) (both Division I and All Divisions)
;Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
record
*Single-season receiving yards (1770, 2009–)
;Bowling Green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
record
*Career receptions (298, 2009–)
*Single-season touchdown receptions (19, 2009–)
*Single-game receptions (22, 2009–)
*Single-game receiving yards (278, 2009–)
Professional career
2010 NFL Draft
Wes Bunting of ''National Football Post'' opined that Barnes may lack the speed to be an elite NFL receiver, but stated that "he certainly has the talent to fill out an NFL receiving corps." At the 2010 East-West Shrine Game practice, Barnes "impressed scouts with the ability to consistently separate from defensive backs and find the openings in the coverage," according to ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
's'' Tony Pauline.
Chicago Bears
Barnes signed as an undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the Chicago Bears on April 24, 2010. He was waived on September 3, and was re-signed to the team's practice squad on November 2.
Chicago Rush
Barnes was also a member of the Arena Football Team Chicago Rush, having signed a contract on October 8, 2010. He was on a league exemption during his stint with the Chicago Bears after being signed to the practice squad on November 2, 2010. He then returned to the Rush on December 15, 2010 after being released by the Bears.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Barnes was signed to the practice roster of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
on August 9, 2011. He appeared in one regular season game in 2011, but was released on January 31, 2012.
Personal life
His hometown is Chicago Heights
Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,480 at the 2020 census. In earlier years, Chicago Heights was nicknamed "The Crossroads of the Nation". Currently, it is nicknamed "The Heights".
Geograp ...
, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. His mother, Clarissa Charles, who had him at age 14, dropped out of high school, but later earned her high school equivalency degree, then her college degree.
See also
* List of NCAA major college football yearly receiving leaders
The list of college football yearly receiving leaders identifies the major college receiving leaders for each season from 1937 to the present. It includes yearly leaders in three statistical categories: (1) receptions, (2) receiving yardage; (3) y ...
References
External links
Official biography at Bowling Green
Barnes
at ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc.
History
Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
Barnes
at NCAA.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Freddie
1986 births
Living people
Players of Canadian football from Chicago
Players of American football from Chicago
American football wide receivers
Canadian football wide receivers
American players of Canadian football
Bowling Green Falcons football players
Chicago Bears players
Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Chicago Rush players
Homewood-Flossmoor High School alumni