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Kevan Courtney Barlow (born January 7, 1980) 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 with ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
. During his career, he played for the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
,
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
and
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
.Pro Football Reference – Kevan Barlow
/ref>


Early life

Barlow played his high school football at Peabody High School in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. As his team’s star player, he led them to the City League Championship three consecutive times. During his high school career, Barlow was a two-time All-City selection, a
Pittsburgh Post Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
City League Player of the Year, and also a member of the Post Gazette Fabulous 22. Barlow was selected to play in the prestigious
Big 33 Football Classic The Big 33 Football Classic is an all-star American football game featuring the top high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." Contests currently pit ...
all-star game. He was compared to NFL hall of famer
Curtis Martin Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He spent his first three seasons with the New England Patrio ...
during his high school career. After his senior season, he committed to playing for the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
. Barlow was inducted into the Pittsburgh City League High School Hall of Fame in 2017.


College career

Barlow attended the University of Pittsburgh where he played before entering the
NFL draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. During his college career, he rushed 486 times for 2,324 yards (4.78 yards per rush) and 20 touchdowns.Total Football Stats – Kevan Barlow
/ref> In Barlow's junior year, he was named to the All Big East team. He scored the final touchdown at
Pitt Stadium Pitt Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1925, it served primarily as the home of the univer ...
at 7:06 PM, just minutes before a record crowd of 60,190 people rushed the field and tore down the goal posts. In November 2000, Barlow played in the final college game at
Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Built ...
, gaining 274 rushing yards and scoring four touchdowns against the
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
on November 24, 2000. During this game, Barlow gained the most rushing yards against the Mountaineers breaking
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
's
Larry Csonka Larry Richard Csonka (; born December 25, 1946) is a former professional American football fullback who played for the Miami Dolphins for the majority of his career, along with the New York Giants for three years, and a short stint with the Mem ...
’s record of 216 yards in a game against West Virginia in 1965. When he left school, he was ranked 11th on the school's career scoring list with 144 points and a total of three 200 yard games. In 2010, Barlow was ranked top 10 in the Big East in multiple categories including rushing attempts (4th with 197), rushing yards (3rd with 1,053), rushing yards per attempt (7th with 5.3), rushing touchdowns (7th with 8), plays from scrimmage (3rd with 210), yards from scrimmage (4th with 1,187), touchdowns from scrimmage (8th with 9), and overall touchdowns (9th with 9). Barlow was named in the list of the greatest running backs in the University of Pittsburgh's history. He was also listed by
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
sports analyst
Mel Kiper Jr. Mel Kiper Jr. (; born July 25, 1960) is an analyst covering American football for ESPN. He has appeared on ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks. Career Kiper said th ...
as one of the top running backs available for the
National Football League Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. He finished 7th on Pittsburgh's list for career rushing yards with 2,234.


Professional career

Barlow was drafted in the 3rd round (80th overall) of the
2001 NFL Draft The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...
by the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and signed a $3.8 million contract over 3 years. Denver Head Coach
Mike Shanahan Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is a former American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led ...
congratulated the 49ers for picking "the best back in the draft." He played a total of seven seasons in the NFL including five with San Francisco.


San Francisco 49ers

Barlow started his first professional game in the NFL on December 7, 2003, against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, after the 49er's starting running back
Garrison Hearst Gerard Garrison Hearst (born January 4, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Georgia, and was r ...
was injured during the third quarter of a game against 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 its ...
the week prior. The 49ers won the game 50–14 with Barlow rushing for 154 yards and a touchdown. Although he only started nine games, he finished the 2003 season leading the 49ers in rushing with 1,024 yards. He also rushed for 6 touchdowns and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Barlow and Hearst combined to run for 1,792 yards during this year. In 2002, after the 49ers training camp, Barlow played in an exhibition game against the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in
Osaka, Japan is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third most populous city in Ja ...
as part of the
American Bowl The American Bowl was a series of National Football League pre-season exhibition games that were held at sites outside the United States between 1986 and 2005. The league started the ''American Bowl'' series in 1986 primarily to promote American ...
series. After a breakout
2003 season 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
in which Barlow had a 5.1 yard per carry average and 1024 yards, he became a restricted free agent. The 49ers gave him the starting job by releasing
Garrison Hearst Gerard Garrison Hearst (born January 4, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Georgia, and was r ...
and signing him to a long-term deal for five years $28 million. The terms included $20 million, of an $8 million signing bonus fully guaranteed. Barlow suffered a knee injury that spanned for multiple games, crippling his play. The 2005 season seemed to mark a rebound in his running game. His play was severely affected when he received another knee injury, cutting his season short. He had 420 yards on 102 carries for a 4.0 average through 7 games before being sidelined due to injury. Barlow appeared in 72 games for the 49ers. He rushed for 3,614 yards and 24 touchdowns on 891 carries. He also added 1,143 yards on 137 catches.


New York Jets

Looking to replace
Curtis Martin Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He spent his first three seasons with the New England Patrio ...
, after he suffered a serious knee injury, the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
acquired Barlow from the 49ers on August 20, 2006, in exchange for their fourth round draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was given an honorable mention by
Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...
as one of the best trades in the New York Jets' history. As part of the deal, the Jets assumed the remainder of his contract which had three seasons remaining at base salaries of $2.5 million (2006), $3.25 million (2007) and $4 million (2008). Barlow appeared in twelve games for the Jets but only started three. He rushed for 370 yards and scored 6 touchdowns. Due to another knee injury, he was placed on injury reserve and was subsequently released on February 21, 2007.


Pittsburgh Steelers

After the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
were unable to draft a running back during the 2007 NFL Draft, Barlow met with the team on May 4, 2007, eventually signing a one-year contract with them on May 10, 2007. Barlow signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on May 10, 2007. He was expected to share running-back duties with starter
Willie Parker William Everett Parker Jr. (born November 11, 1980) is an American former football running back who played for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for North Carolina, he ...
. Barlow was released on August 27, 2007 due to a career-ending knee injury.


Philanthropy

While a member of the 49ers, Barlow would make routine visits to
San Quentin State Prison San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County. Opened in July 1852, San Quentin is the ...
to visit inmates and give them encouragement for post-prison life. Barlow also spent time reading to kids at different schools in the San Francisco area and also visited kids at
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital is a children's hospital system in San Francisco, California, subordinate to the University of California, San Francisco. It has four campuses: the Parnassus Campus, the Mount Zion Campus, and the Mission Bay Campu ...
. Barlow has been a long-time advocate for children's cancer charities. He has rallied with former
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
mayor, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor
Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...
at charity events to combat
breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
. In 2012, Barlow released a statement in support of new cancer treatments including a finding that
folic acid Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...
playing a significant role in reducing the rates of two childhood cancers. Barlow is also an outspoken supporter of the
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
. He is involved in the YMCA's day summer camp program and other programs for kids offered by the YMCA.


Career statistics


NFL career


References


External links

*
Kevan Barlow
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: ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barlow, Kevan 1979 births African-American players of American football American football running backs Players of American football from Pittsburgh Living people Pittsburgh Panthers football players University of Pittsburgh alumni San Francisco 49ers players New York Jets players Pittsburgh Steelers players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople