Huntington Bank Stadium to host public celebration of life for Marion Barber III
Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber (24) runs in for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)
Former University of Minnesota running back Marion Barber III will be remembered during a celebration of life service at Huntington Bank Stadium.
The service, which is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, is open to the public. The U of M says Gate E will open at 11:15 a.m. and the service is expected to last 90 minutes.
Memorial contributions are also being accepted for the Marion S. Barber III Scholarship at the university’s College of Education and Human Development, with scholarship funds going to those in financial need and those with underrepresented identities or those who’ve overcome obstacles to achieve their educational goals. Checks can be made out to the UM Foundation, P.O. Box 860266, Minneapolis, MN 55486-0266 or submitted online.
Barber was found dead in his apartment in Texas on June 1. His cause of death is still unclear.
The 38-year-old was an all-time Gopher football great from 2001-04 before starring for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL.
He ranks fifth all-time in school history in rushing yards (3,276), second in rushing touchdowns (35) and seventh in carries (575). In 2003, he helped the Gophers to a 10-3 record — the program’s first 10-win season since 1905 — by rushing for 1,196 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Dallas drafted him in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Before retiring in 2012, he played in 99 career NFL games, rushing for 4,780 yards and 53 touchdowns, and adding 1,330 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions.
Barber also made the Pro Bowl in 2007.
His father, Marion Barber Jr., and two brothers, Dom and Thomas, all played for the Gophers. Thomas Barber is currently a defensive graduate assistant for the team.