Eric Barton facts for kids

Eric Barton (born September 29, 1977) is a former professional American football player. He was a linebacker, which is a defensive position in football. Eric played for twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL), the biggest professional football league in the United States.

He first played college football at the University of Maryland. After college, he was chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played for the Raiders from 1999 to 2003. Later, he joined the New York Jets from 2004 to 2008. His last team was the Cleveland Browns, where he played from 2009 to 2010.

Growing Up and High School Football

Eric Barton grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. He went to Thomas A. Edison High School (Fairfax County, Virginia). During his time there, he became a very talented football player.

As a senior, he received special awards like All-American honors. He was also recognized as one of the top ten football players in Virginia. These awards showed how good he was on the field.

College Football Days

After high school, Eric went to the University of Maryland. He studied criminology, which is about understanding crime and the justice system.

While playing college football, Eric was a star defender. He made over 100 tackles in his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Tackles are when a defensive player stops an offensive player. This amazing performance put him fourth on the school's all-time list for career tackles.

He also led the ACC, a group of college sports teams, in solo tackles during his junior and senior years. In his senior year, he was chosen for the All-ACC first-team. He led the entire conference with 159 total tackles that year.

Playing in the NFL

Eric Barton had a long and successful career in the National Football League. He played for three different teams over twelve seasons.

Joining the Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders picked Eric in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL draft. This meant he was the 146th player chosen overall that year.

In his first year, 1999, he played in all 16 games. He started three of those games. He made 29 tackles and had two sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the opposing quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. In his very first NFL start, he got a sack on the first play! He also had a team-high eight tackles in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Eric even started in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Buccaneers, where he made 13 tackles.

Time with the New York Jets

In 2004, Eric signed with the New York Jets. He was an unrestricted free agent, meaning he could sign with any team he wanted.

During the 2004 season, he had nine or more tackles in seven different games. This included a playoff win against the San Diego Chargers. He even won the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award in a game against the Seattle Seahawks. In that game, he had nine tackles, one sack, one interception, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player.

In one game against the Buffalo Bills, Eric made a career-high 16 tackles. Later, he was placed on Injured Reserve for the first time in his career due to an ankle injury. This means he couldn't play while he recovered. He was also the first Jets defender since 2000 to get both a sack and an interception in the same series of plays. By this point, he had played in 120 regular season games and had over 680 tackles in his career. He also had four seasons where he made 100 or more tackles.

Playing for the Cleveland Browns

Eric Barton joined the Cleveland Browns on March 13, 2009. He played with them for two years. By the 2010 NFL season, after 12 years in the league, he was the only player still active from the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. This shows how long and successful his career was. The Browns released him on February 9, 2011.

Beyond the Field: Personal Life

Eric Barton was adopted when he was young. On October 30, 2010, he met his birth mother, Chris Curry, and his brother, Aaron Curry, for the first time. Aaron Curry also became a linebacker in the NFL, just like Eric.