PRO: Marion Barber shed the label as a third down and short yardage back in 2007 after leading the team in all rushing categories - 204 carries for 975 yards and 10 touchdowns and earned a six-year contract extension following the season - despite not starting a game during the regular season. His hard work and bruising running style was noticed around the league as Barber was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. With the departure of Julius Jones leading up to the 2008 season, Barber became the club's starting running back. He was closing in on his first 1,000-yard season before a dislocated toe suffered on Thanksgiving Day against Seattle slowed his progress through the final four games of the season. Despite the injury, Barber led the club in all rushing categories and rushed for 100-or-more yards three times, including a career-high 142 yards at Green Bay (9/21). Since his arrival in Dallas in 2005, Barber has racked up 36 rushing touchdowns, good for fifth in team history. He scored 16 total touchdowns in 2006, leading the team, tying for the NFC lead, and tying for third in the NFL. Barber had the most total touchdowns by a Cowboys running back since Emmitt Smith had 25 in 1995. His 14 rushing touchdowns were the most in the NFC and the third-most in the NFL behind LaDainian Tomlinson (28) and Larry Johnson (17). They were also the most rushing touchdowns by a Dallas running back since Smith set the club record of 25 in 1995. Barber played right away as a rookie in 2005 and finished fifth among rookies in the NFL in rushing with 538 yards. He enters the 2009 season as part of a powerful running back corps with 2008 draft picks Tashard Choice (fourth round) and Felix Jones (first round).
TRANSACTION SUMMARY:
5/20/08: Signed a six-year contract extension with Dallas through 2014.
4/24/05: Drafted in the fourth round (109th overall) by Dallas.
2008:
Nominated as one of the offensive team captains and started the first 12 games of the season before suffering a dislocated toe on Thanksgiving Day and led the team with 238 carries for 885 yards and seven touchdowns.
Was 13th in the NFC and 21st in the NFL in rushing yards and tied for 16th in the NFC, tied for 28th in the league in scoring among non-kickers with 54 points.
Rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns - his 11th career multiple touchdown game - on 16 carries to go with three catches for 21 yards in the season-opening win at Cleveland (9/7).
Added his 12th career multi-touchdown game with one rushing and one receiving in the home-opening win against Philadelphia (9/15). Finished the game with eight carries for 63 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 51 yards and one score. Also became the 11th club running back to reach 500 career carries.
Rushed for a career-high 142 yards - his fifth career 100-yard game - on a career-high 28 carries with a touchdown - his third consecutive game with a rushing touchdown to tie the third-longest streak of his career - at Green Bay (9/21).
Was held to 26 yards on eight carries and two catches for 11 yards against Washington (9/28).
Became the ninth Dallas running back to pass 2,500 career rushing yards with his 84 yards against Cincinnati (10/5).
Led all Dallas pass catchers with a career-best 11 catches for a career-high 128 yards with a career-long 70-yard touchdown catch in the overtime loss at Arizona (10/12). His 128 receiving yards were the fourth-most by a Cowboys running back.
Notched his second 100-yard performance of the season - sixth of his career - at St. Louis (10/19) with 100 yards on 18 carries (5.6 avg.) and one touchdown. Became the 10th running back in team history to record 600 attempts.
Led the team with 25 carries for 71 yards and six catches for 29 yards against Tampa Bay (10/26).
Finished at Washington (11/16) with 24 carries for 114 yards - his third 100-yard outing of the season and seventh of his career - along with six catches for 39 yards. Ran nine times with three first downs and had one catch for another third down to help seal the win with just 1:00 remaining.
Reached 3,000 career rushing yards - the ninth club running back to do so - with 59 yards and established a single-season career best recording his 215th carry of the season with his 19 attempts against San Francisco (11/23).
Had 10 carries for 32 yards and one catch for 13 yards before leaving the game in the second quarter with a dislocated toe on Thanksgiving Day against Seattle (11/27). Attempted to return in the second half, but after one play, left the game and did not return. Managed to reach 702 carries for his career to become just the ninth rusher in club history with 700-or-more carries.
Was inactive at Pittsburgh (12/7) with the toe injury but returned as a reserve against the N.Y. Giants (12/14) to the tune of eight carries for two yards, including a crucial third down conversion.
Played just one series against Baltimore (12/20) - the final game at Texas Stadium - and finished with two carries for no yards and two catches for 24 yards.
In the season-ending loss at Philadelphia (12/28), rushed three times for 13 yards with two catches for 20 yards.
2007:
Led the team with career-highs for carries (204), rushing yards (975) and touchdowns (10 - second-most in his career) despite serving as a reserve through the regular season.
Earned his first career Pro Bowl selection.
Had at least one rushing touchdown in each of the first four games of the season - his second-career four-game streak.
Tied for third in the league with a 4.8 yard-per-carry average and tied for third among nonkickers with 72 points.
Recorded his seventh career multi-touchdown game at Miami (9/16) then his second career 100-yard game with 102 yards at Chicago (9/23).
Had his third career 100-yard game with 103 against the N.Y. Jets (11/22).
Logged his 10th career multi-touchdown game and his first career three-touchdown performance (two rushing, one receiving) at Detroit (12/9).
Rushed for 110 yards - his fourth career 100-yard game - at Carolina (12/22).
Earned his first start of the season and first career postseason start against the N.Y. Giants (1/13/08) and rushed for a career-high 129 yards on a career-high tying 27 carries.
2006:
Finished with four multiple rushing touchdown games on the season.
Scored his first touchdown of the season with a one-yard rush on fourth down against Washington (9/17) on Sunday night.
Became the first Cowboys running back to score a touchdown in four straight games since 2000, when Smith did it in five straight games, with a rushing touchdown against Houston (10/15).
Had two fourth quarter touchdowns - his third multiple-touchdown game of his career - to help seal the win at Carolina (10/29) then did it again with two more in the fourth quarter against previously undefeated Indianapolis (11/19).
Rushed for a season-high 83 yards on a season-high 16 carries along with adding the first two receiving touchdowns of his career on Thanks�giving Day against Tampa Bay (11/23). It was the first time a Dallas back recorded two touchdown catches in a game since Preston Pearson against Chicago (10/24/76).
2005:
Finished second on the team - fifth in the NFL among rookies - with 538 rushing yards while his five rushing touchdowns ranked fourth in the league among rookies.
Made his NFL debut returning kickoffs at San Diego (9/11) and averaged 19.3 yards on three kickoffs.
Was the third-down back at Oakland (10/2) and got the first two carries of his career.
Earned his first NFL start against Arizona (10/30) and led the team with 127 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. It was the first 100-yard rushing game of the season for Dallas, and the two touchdowns were the first of Barber's career.
Scored two touchdowns against Detroit (11/20), his second two-touchdown game of the season and his third consecutive game with a touchdown.
COLLEGE:
Gained 3,276 yards on 575 carries (5.7 yards-per-carry) and scored 35 touchdowns for Minnesota.
Finished third in school history in career rushing yards (3,276) and 100-yard rushing games (14).
Totaled 4,495 all-purpose yards and 35 rushing touchdowns, both ranked second in school history.
Played just three years, having missed all but two games of his sophomore season before receiving a redshirt because of a chronic hamstring injury.
As a junior earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors after rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns.
After recovering from a hamstring injury from a year earlier, rushed for 1,196 yards and 17 touchdowns to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors as a redshirt sophomore.
Tied or broke several school records, including the records for rushing touchdowns in a season (17) and 100-yard rushing games (seven) in a season.
Led the conference and finished seventh in the nation in punt-return average (14.5 yards-per-return).
Was limited to two games with hamstring problems as a sophomore and earned an additional year of eligibility.
As a true freshman, twice topped 100 rushing yards.
Was the recipient of the Sheldon Douglas Endowed Scholarship at Minnesota.
PERSONAL:
Marion Sylvester Barber was a SuperPrep and PrepStar All-Midwest and consensus all-state selection as a senior running back and defensive back at Wayzata, Minn., High School, rushing for 1,778 yards and 18 touchdowns and had 10 interceptions.
Was an honorable mention all-conference center fielder for the Wayzata baseball team.
The son of Marion Barber Jr., who rushed for 3,235 yards and scored 34 touchdowns for the Golden Gophers (1977-80) before embarking on a seven-year (1983-88) NFL career with the N.Y. Jets.
Majored in business marketing at Minnesota.
COMMUNITY:
2005 Dallas Cowboys Rookie Club.
2007 Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party benefiting the North Texas Food Bank.
2008 SPCA Poker for Pets Fundraiser.
2009 Dallas Cowboys Draft Day and Fan Appreciation Party.
Hosts the Marion Barber Football Camp in his hometown.
Dallas Cowboys Early Thanksgiving Day Meal at The Salvation Army.
Annual team Holiday Hospital Visits.
Annual team Kickoff Luncheon and Cowboys Family Cookbook benefiting Happy Hill Farm.
