Jerome Phillip Barkum (born July 18, 1950) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

and

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

for 12 years with 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL).

Football career

He was drafted by the Jets out of

Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a Public university, public Historically Black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and ...

with the 9th overall pick in the first round of the

1972 NFL draft The 1972 NFL draft was the 37th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft was held on February 1 and 2 at the Essex House in New York City, New York. With the first overal ...

. At Jackson State, Barkum was selected to the 1971 Little All-America Team as a Wide Receiver. In his second year with the Jets in 1973, he was selected to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

as a WR. Later in his career, Barkum transitioned to the Tight End position, remaining a viable go-to receiver for the Jets offense. In his career, Barkum recorded 40 touchdown receptions, but was noted for rarely spiking the football at a time when such celebrations were increasingly frequent. Barkum's most memorable catch in the NFL was made in

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

in the last seconds of the game to lift the Jets to victory 16–15. The Jets made the playoffs that year for the first time since their loss to the Chiefs in the 1969 AFL Divisional Round. In the 1982 season, Barkum was a part of the Jets team that made it to the AFC Championship. He was released by the Jets after the 1983 season. Barkum's 40 touchdown receptions rank him fourth in Jets history. He briefly attended the 1984 preseason camp with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

, but was waived before the season started. Roughly one month later, 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

brought Barkum to camp for a tryout in the wake of several injuries, but he was officially cut on August 28, 1984. In 2011, Barkum joined two other players in a class action lawsuit against the NFL regarding head injuries.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Post-Football

In 2013, Barkum founded and became CEO of Smooth Jams Jazz on Roku TV and via website apps.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barkum, Jerome 1950 births Living people Players of American football from Gulfport, Mississippi American football tight ends American football wide receivers Jackson State Tigers football players New York Jets players American Conference Pro Bowl players 20th-century American sportsmen