According to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Ex-Cowboys Running Back Marion Barber III was found dead Wednesday in his apartment by Frisco Police.
Per a Frisco police spokesperson, the authorities were conducting a welfare check when they found Barber dead, but his cause of death is unknown.
A fourth-round selection by the Cowboys in the 2005 NFL Draft, Barber was most known for his physical style of running on every touch, as he gained the nickname “Marion the Barbarian” by fans for his performances.
In six seasons with the Cowboys, Barber racked up 4,358 yards and 47 TDs and was selected to Pro Bowl in 2007 after tallying 975-yards (career-high) and 10 TDs.
Additionally, Barber spent his last year in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and had 422 yards and 6 TDs, which closed his career with 4,780 rushing yards and 53 rushing touchdowns. He retired in 2012.
Following his departure from the NFL, Barber’s life took a tumble, as he got into legal issues multiple times. In 2014, Barber was arrested by police for a mental health evaluation and taken to the hospital.
Barber was then arrested again in 2019, but this time on a pair of misdemeanor criminal mischief charges over a 2018 incident that involved him damaging vehicles while running.
Despite the troubles, Hill said in a tweet:
Cowboys officials remained close to Marion Barber after his playing days. When he was going through troubles, team officials kept in contact with him and offered help if needed. “Once a Cowboy, always a Cowboy,” one team official said a year ago about Barber.
Here is what Dallas Cowboys officials said about Barber and some reactions from people after finding out the tragic news.
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 1, 2022
Marion Barber was one of the toughest running backs I've ever seen. Ugh. This one hurts.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) June 1, 2022
Marion Barber III was such an under-appreciated player when he played.
He was vintage NFL. A beloved Cowboy by just about every fan.
May he Rest In Peace. https://t.co/zSzidN10Lr
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) June 1, 2022
Just awful news. Incredibly sad. Rest In Peace to Marion Barber. All thoughts love and prayers to his loved ones. https://t.co/KzFEf1Zwru
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) June 1, 2022
Marion Barber was the definition of a tenacious runner. He always made something out of nothing.
This was the most incredible 2-yard run ever.
RIP. pic.twitter.com/NwFlgWLtxQ
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) June 1, 2022
Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with Barber’s family and friends.
That’s sad.
One of my favorite players of all time. Just mentioned in an article that his is one of the few jerseys I’ve actually purchased.
At the time, I was frustrated that they didn’t use him more. Now, maybe it’s a good thing they didn’t.
RIP Barbarian.
Tragic news, so young. Great underrated, team player, he gave everything on every play. That “incredible” 2-yard run out of the end zone says it all. Relentless. RIP Marion.