Kenjon Barner
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Kenjon Fa'terrel Barner (born April 28, 1989) 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 ...
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)#Offense ...
. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...
, earning consensus
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
honors in 2012. Barner was selected by the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in the sixth round of the
2013 NFL draft The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
. He was also a member of the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
,
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
,
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
,
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
,
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
and
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
.


Early life

Barner attended Notre Dame High School in
Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
, where he played for the Notre Dame Titans
high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...
team under head coach Patrick Thompson. Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Barner was listed as the No. 38 running back in the nation in 2008.


College career

A native of Southern California, Barner chose to attend the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
and play for head coach
Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...
's
Oregon Ducks football The Oregon Ducks football program is a college football team for the University of Oregon, located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision, FBS and is a member of the Big Ten Co ...
team. He was ranked by Rivals as the 38th best running back prospect in the country, as well as the 86th overall prospect from the state of California Barner chose Oregon over scholarship offers from
Arizona State Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is one of the largest ...
and
UTEP The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, it is the third oldest academic component of the University of Texas Syste ...
. Barner is the first Oregon Duck since 1965 who has scored touchdowns rushing, receiving, and from punt and kickoff returns. In the 2009 season, Barner had 61 carries for 366 yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with 41 kick returns for 1,020 net yards and a 100-yard kick return touchdown, which came against the UCLA Bruins. In the 2010 season, Barner's role on the offense expanded. In the season opener against New Mexico, he had 17 carries for 147 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to go along with a 60-yard touchdown reception. In the next game, a victory over Tennessee, he had a punt return touchdown. He suffered a career-threatening concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit against Washington State on October 9. In the annual rivalry game against Oregon State, he had 15 carries for 133 rushing yards and a touchdown. Overall, he had 551 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 121 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, 13 kick returns, 236 net kick return yards, 10 punt returns, 132 net punt return yards, and a punt return touchdown in the 2010 season. In the 2011 season, Barner was the second leading rusher in the Ducks' backfield. On September 24, against Arizona, he had 72 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and two receptions for six yards and a receiving touchdown. On October 15, against Arizona State, he had 31 carries for 171 rushing yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with 115 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a victory over Colorado. On November 19, against Southern California, he had 123 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Overall, in the 2011 season, he had 939 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 17 receptions, 184 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns. Barner was considered one of the top running back prospects for the
2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
before announcing he would return to Oregon, where he succeeded
LaMichael James LaMichael Keondrae "LaMike" James (born October 22, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footba ...
as the team's main running back. He was named a top contender for the 2012
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
, eventually won by freshman sensation
Johnny Manziel Johnathan Paul Manziel ( ; born December 6, 1992), nicknamed "Johnny Football", is an American former football quarterback. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. He played prof ...
. In the season opener against Arkansas State, Barner had 66 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In the second game, he had 201 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a victory over Fresno State. On September 29, against Washington State, he had 195 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with three receptions for 37 yards and a receiving touchdown. On October 18, against Arizona State, he had 143 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. On November 3, he set a rushing record for Oregon and for
USC Trojans football The USC Trojans football program represents the University of Southern California in the sport of American football. The Trojans compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate ...
opponents, with 321 rushing yards; he also scored five touchdowns in the game. In the final game of the regular season, he had 198 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a victory over Oregon State. The Ducks won the
2013 Fiesta Bowl The 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 3, 2013, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Kansas State Wildcats, champions of the Big 12 Conference, played the Oregon ...
over Kansas State with Barner having 143 rushing yards and a 24-yard touchdown reception. Following his senior season, Barner was named to the AP All-American second-team and the All-Pac-12 Conference First-team. He finished in ninth place in the 2012 Heisman Trophy voting. Barner joined the track team following the completion of football's spring drills and competed in two meets at 100 meters and on the 4 × 100 meter relay. He ran the third-leg on Oregon's fourth place 4 × 100 meter relay team at the Pac-10 Championships, where Oregon won its fourth-straight league title with a season-best time of 40.36 seconds. At the 2010 Pac-10 Conference Championships, he ran a career-best time of 10.71 seconds in the
100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...
, finishing 14th in the prelims. He placed 3rd in the
200 meters The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...
at the 2011 Oregon Relays, with a time of 22.29 seconds. He also placed 3rd in the
60 meters 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At indoor events, the 60 metres is run on lanes set out in the mi ...
at the 2011 Washington Husky Invitational, at 7.09 seconds.


College statistics


Professional career


Carolina Panthers (first stint)

On April 27, 2013, Barner was drafted by the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the
2013 NFL draft The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
. In his rookie year, Barner played a limited role on special teams. He had six carries for seven yards and two catches for seven yards.


Philadelphia Eagles (first stint)

On August 19, 2014, Barner was traded to the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
for a conditional seventh round pick in 2015. The trade reunited Barner with his former head coach at
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
,
Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...
. He was released on August 30, 2014. On November 4, 2014, he was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad. During the 2015 preseason, Barner attempted to make the roster behind three former NFL starters,
DeMarco Murray DeMarco Murray (born February 12, 1988) is an American college football coach and former professional player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time first-team ...
, Ryan Mathews and
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American professional football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for th ...
. Looking to make an impact in the return game, Barner found near immediate success. In the first preseason game against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
he returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown to end the second quarter. In the second preseason game against the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, he returned another punt for a 68-yard touchdown. He made the roster and ended up with 124 rushing yards and 22 receiving yards in the 2015 season. Barner played in 13 games in 2016, rushing 27 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns and recorded five receptions for 42 yards while contributing on special teams as a returner. He was placed on injured reserve on December 20, 2016.


Los Angeles Chargers

On March 20, 2017, Barner signed a one-year contract with the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
. He was released on September 2, 2017.


Philadelphia Eagles (second stint)

On September 26, 2017, Barner signed a one-year deal with the Eagles after an injury to running back Darren Sproles. In Week 5, Barner averaged 36 yards on three punt returns, including a 76-yarder, in a 34–7 win over the Cardinals, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He finished the regular season with 57 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 56 receiving yards, 10 kick returns for 194 net yards, and 27 punt returns for 240 net yards. The Eagles finished the season 13–3, clinching the
NFC East The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It has four members: the Dallas Cowboys, New Yo ...
division. The team reached
Super Bowl LII Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. As a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX from 13 years earlier, the game was between the National Football Conferen ...
, where they defeated the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
41–33, winning their first Super Bowl. In the game, Barner had three kick returns for 73 net yards.


Carolina Panthers (second stint)

On May 11, 2018, Barner signed with the Panthers. He was released on August 31, 2018, as part of final roster cuts.


New England Patriots

On September 11, 2018, Barner signed with the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. On September 19, 2018, the Patriots released Barner, but re-signed him a week later after Rex Burkhead was placed on injured reserve. He was released again on October 4, 2018, before Barner was re-signed four days later. On November 13, 2018, the Patriots released Barner. On June 13, 2019, the Patriots awarded Barner with a Super Bowl LIII ring.


Carolina Panthers (third stint)

On November 14, 2018, Barner was claimed off waivers by the Panthers. He was placed on injured reserve on December 28, 2018. He had 19 carries for 71 yards on the 2018 season.


Atlanta Falcons

On March 14, 2019, Barner signed a one-year contract with the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
. In Week 11 of the 2019 season, against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, he had a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 29–3 victory, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.


Baltimore Ravens

On August 12, 2020, Barner signed a one-year contract with the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
. He was released during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On September 10, 2020, Barner was signed to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster for the team's weeks 3 and 4 games against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
and
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
, respectively, and reverted to the practice squad after each game. He was suspended by the NFL for four games after violating the league's
performance-enhancing drugs Performance-enhancing substances (PESs), also known as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans. Many substances, such as anabolic steroids, can be used to improve at ...
policy on October 6, 2020. He was reinstated from suspension and activated back to the practice squad on November 3. Barner was elevated to the active roster again on November 23 for the Week 11 game against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, and reverted to the practice squad again following the game. He was signed to the active roster on December 7, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Barner was placed on injured reserve. He was designated to return from injured reserve on January 19, 2021, and began practicing with the team again, but the team did not activate him before the end of the postseason. Without Barner, the Buccaneers won
Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
31–9 against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
earning Barner a third championship ring. On December 15, 2021, Barner was signed to the Buccaneers practice squad. After the Buccaneers were eliminated in the Divisional Round of the 2021 playoffs, he signed a reserve/future contract on January 24, 2022. He was placed on injured reserve on August 15, 2022. He was released on October 11, 2022.


NFL career statistics


Personal life

Barner was born in
Lynwood, California Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 67,265, down from 69,772 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Lynwood is located nea ...
to parents Gary and Wilhelmenia Barner. He has five older brothers and one older sister. He graduated with a degree in criminology in spring 2012. Kenjon has two sons born in 2013 and 2017. Barner’s cousin Melvin Carter was elected mayor of
St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...
in November 2017.


References


External links

*
Oregon Ducks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barner, Kenjon 1989 births Living people All-American college football players American football running backs Oregon Ducks football players Players of American football from Lynwood, California Players of American football from Riverside, California Carolina Panthers players Philadelphia Eagles players Los Angeles Chargers players New England Patriots players Atlanta Falcons players Baltimore Ravens players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players