Christian Athlete Peyton Barber Says He's Joining NFL Draft to Help Homeless Mother
Christian athlete Peyton Barber has announced his plans to enter the NFL draft early, saying he will do so to help his homeless mother.
Barber, a running back for Auburn University in Alabama, told reporters this week that he is planning to enter the draft earlier than expected so he may receive an NFL paycheck and help his mother's living situation.
"My mother is homeless right now," Barber told reporters during an Auburn scouting combine held Wednesday. "Right now, she's staying with her sister. It's her and her three kids staying in an apartment back home."
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Barber, who is a sophomore at Auburn and could wait two more years before entering the draft, added that his mother continues to support him despite her dire personal situation.
"She really just asks me if I'm OK and how I'm doing," he said. "She never pressured me to do anything. I just decided to do what's best for me and my family."
The sophomore athlete has previously shared his faith in God on social media. Earlier this week, before revealing his motivation for entering the draft, Barber quoted megachurch pastor Rick Warren on Twitter, writing: "God's love is like an ocean; you can see its beginning, but not its end."
Barber also referenced God's grace in an October 2015 message, writing: "It's crazy how God let's things shake out. Learn to embrace the cards your [sic] dealt!"
The athlete announced his plans to enter the draft last month right before the deadline to do so.
He told Al.com last week that deciding to enter the draft was "definitely a tough decision," but one he ultimately made for his family.
"(Leaving Auburn and declaring for the NFL Draft) was definitely a tough decision, if not the toughest decision I've ever had to make in my life," Barber told the media outlet.
"At the same time, I felt like it was the best decision for me and my family just because of the circumstances that had been going on. At the same time I realize that the running back position is in a certain sense devalued (in the NFL), and to add on to that I don't have that many miles on my body and I know that the scouts look for that. Coming off a 1,000-yard season I felt like I had nothing to really prove," Barber added.
Although some sports critics believe Barber is too inexperienced for the draft, the college player's running back coach Gary Sylvestri of Milton High School told the Ledger-Enquirer that he believes the young man is "ready."
"When we texted before the game, I told him if he got the opportunity to take it and run with it, don't give it back," Sylvestri told the media outlet. "I know I'm biased, but I knew he was ready."
During his Wednesday press conference, Barber also told reporters that he suffers from ADHD and dyslexia. He is the cousin of two NFL players, Dominique Barber and Marion Barber III.
