Billy Ray Barnes
Encyclopedia
William Ray Barnes is a former professional American football
player and coach.
, football and basketball
) and led his 1953 football team to an undefeated season.
.
Barnes made the freshman team in 1953 and the varsity team the following year. As a junior in 1955, he led the team in rushing, punt returns, kickoff returns, pass interceptions and pass receptions, setting the ACC
record in pass receptions (31) and yards out of the backfield (349). After the 1955 football season ended, he joined the baseball team at third base
where he hit .319, led the league in stolen bases (17) and helped Wake Forest win the 1955 National Baseball Championship
.
In 1956, Barnes became the first player in the ACC to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season when he rushed for 1,010 yards. He was the second leading rusher in the nation, an All-America
n and 1956 ACC Player of the Year. In 2009, he was enducted into the ACC Football Championship Game Legends Class.
in the second round of the 1957 NFL Draft
by the Philadelphia Eagles
. He made the Pro Bowl
his first three years in the league (1957 - 1959) and was a key member of the backfield during the Eagles' 1960 NFL Championship team. During the title game against the Green Bay Packers
, Barnes ran the ball 13 times for 42 yards. He had a nine-yard run and key 13-yard pass reception on the game-winning drive, and blocked Packer defensive end
Bill Quinlan
that helped Ted Dean
to score the winning touchdown
.
Following the 1961 season, Barnes was traded to the Washington Redskins
for center
Jim Schrader
. He had two good seasons with the Redskins, leading the team in rushing in 1962. Barnes was cut by the Redskins before the start of the 1963 season because of an injury he sustained during the pre-season.
In 1965, Barnes returned to the Eagles as a free agent
, but was traded to the Minnesota Vikings
for a draft choice before the season began. Barnes retired following the 1966 season, and became head coach of the Continental Football League
's Charleston Rockets in 1968. He eventually became an assistant coach in the NFL, and served as Norm Van Brocklin
's backfield coach for the Atlanta Falcons
.
Barnes was inducted into the Wake Forest University Hall of Fame in 1975 and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach.
Early life
Barnes' sports career began at Landis High School were he was a three sport star (baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
) and led his 1953 football team to an undefeated season.
College career
In the fall of 1953, Barnes enrolled at Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
.
Barnes made the freshman team in 1953 and the varsity team the following year. As a junior in 1955, he led the team in rushing, punt returns, kickoff returns, pass interceptions and pass receptions, setting the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
record in pass receptions (31) and yards out of the backfield (349). After the 1955 football season ended, he joined the baseball team at third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
where he hit .319, led the league in stolen bases (17) and helped Wake Forest win the 1955 National Baseball Championship
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
.
In 1956, Barnes became the first player in the ACC to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season when he rushed for 1,010 yards. He was the second leading rusher in the nation, an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and 1956 ACC Player of the Year. In 2009, he was enducted into the ACC Football Championship Game Legends Class.
Professional career
Barnes was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the second round of the 1957 NFL Draft
1957 NFL Draft
The 1957 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1956.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He made the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
his first three years in the league (1957 - 1959) and was a key member of the backfield during the Eagles' 1960 NFL Championship team. During the title game against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Barnes ran the ball 13 times for 42 yards. He had a nine-yard run and key 13-yard pass reception on the game-winning drive, and blocked Packer defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Bill Quinlan
Bill Quinlan
William David Quinlan is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and the Washington Redskins. He also played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
that helped Ted Dean
Ted Dean
Theodore Curtis Dean is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings...
to score the winning touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian 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.-Description:...
.
Following the 1961 season, Barnes was traded to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
for center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
Jim Schrader
Jim Schrader
James Lee Schrader was an American football center and tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1954 to 1964....
. He had two good seasons with the Redskins, leading the team in rushing in 1962. Barnes was cut by the Redskins before the start of the 1963 season because of an injury he sustained during the pre-season.
In 1965, Barnes returned to the Eagles as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, but was traded to the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
for a draft choice before the season began. Barnes retired following the 1966 season, and became head coach of the Continental Football League
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
's Charleston Rockets in 1968. He eventually became an assistant coach in the NFL, and served as Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
's backfield coach for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Barnes was inducted into the Wake Forest University Hall of Fame in 1975 and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.