Jay Barker

Jay Barker (born July 20, 1972) is a retired professional American football quarterback. He is currently a Birmingham radio personality.

Jay Barker
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1972-07-20) July 20, 1972
Birmingham, Alabama
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Trussville (AL) Hewitt-Trussville
College:Alabama
NFL Draft:1995 / Round: 5 / Pick: 160
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

Football career

Barker attended Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama, where his football career began. He graduated in 1990.

Barker played college football at the University of Alabama, under head coach Gene Stallings. In the final game of the 1992 season, Barker led the Crimson Tide to a national championship by defeating the #1 Miami Hurricanes, 34–13, in the 1993 Sugar Bowl. In the 1994 season, Barker won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.[1] Barker led the Crimson Tide to a 35–2–1 record as their starting quarterback; the official NCAA record book reflects a 27–11 mark due to later forfeiture of games during the 1993 season.

Barker was drafted in the 1995 NFL Draft in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers, but did not make the team. Subsequently, Barker was on the roster of the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers, but never played in a regular season game.

In 1998, the Toronto Argonauts signed Barker, bringing him to the Canadian Football League.

After three seasons with the Argonauts, Barker left to join the Birmingham Thunderbolts in the XFL.[2] A fan favorite of the Bolts' (generally small) crowds, Barker was the team's second-string quarterback and played several games in the middle of the season before suffering a career-ending concussion late. In contrast to his college career, his time in the XFL saw him oversee the beginning of a seven-game losing streak.

Radio career

Barker is currently an analyst for ESPN Radio, and formerly an on-air personality for WJOX in Birmingham. Both he and Al Del Greco, a former Auburn placekicker, hosted the Opening Drive program on WJOX, along with Tony Kurre until 2018.

Personal life

From 1995 to 2007 he was married to Amy DiGiovanna. The couple has four children: Andrew (born 1999), Braxton (born 2000), and twins Sarah Ashlee and Harrison (born September 10, 2001).[3][4]

In 2008, Barker married American country musician Sara Evans.[5] With his four children and Evans' three children, her son Avery Jack (born August 21, 1999) and daughters Olivia Margaret (born January 22, 2003)[6] and Audrey Elizabeth (born October 6, 2004) – he lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.[5]

References
  1. "1994 - 60th Award". heisman.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
  2. "Barker bolts Argos for XFL". CBC. January 8, 2001. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
  3. Jay Barker [@JayBarker7] (September 10, 2013). "Happy Birthday to my twins, Harrison and Sarah Ashlee!!!! 12 years old today. Love you soooo much!!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter. /photo/1
  4. "Jay Barker". en-gb.facebook.com.
  5. "Sara Evans has married former Alabama quarterback". International Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. June 16, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
  6. CMT.com Staff (January 27, 2003). "Sara Evans Welcomes Daughter". CMT. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
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