Quick Facts
| Intro | American football player | |||||
| Is | American football player Radio personality Football player Athlete Canadian football player | |||||
| From | United States of America | |||||
| Field | Film, TV, Stage & Radio Sports | |||||
| Gender | male | |||||
| Birth | 20 July 1972, Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA | |||||
| Age | 49 years | |||||
| Star sign | Cancer | |||||
| Politics | Republican Party | |||||
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Biography
Jay Barker (born July 20, 1972) is a retired professional American football quarterback. He is currently a Birmingham radio personality.
Football career
Barker attended Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama, where his football career began. He graduated in 1990.
Barker played college football at the University of Alabama, under head coach Gene Stallings. In the final game of the 1992 season, Barker led the Crimson Tide to a national championship by defeating the #1 Miami Hurricanes, 34–13, in the 1993 Sugar Bowl. In the 1994 season, Barker won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. Barker led the Crimson Tide to a 35–2–1 record as their starting quarterback, which was the NCAA record for most wins for a college quarterback at that time. However, the official NCAA record book reflects a 27–11 mark due to later forfeiture of games during the 1993 season.
Barker was drafted in the 1995 NFL Draft in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers, but did not make the team. Subsequently, Barker was on the roster of the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers, but never played in a regular season game.
In 1998, the Toronto Argonauts signed Barker, bringing him to the Canadian Football League.
After three seasons with the Argonauts, Barker left to join the Birmingham Thunderbolts in the XFL. A fan favorite of the Bolts' (generally small) crowds, Barker was the team's second-string quarterback and played several games in the middle of the season before suffering a career-ending concussion late. In contrast to his college career, his time in the XFL saw him oversee the beginning of a seven-game losing streak.
Radio career
Barker is currently an analyst for ESPN Radio, and formerly an on-air personality for WJOX in Birmingham. Both he and Al Del Greco, a former Auburn placekicker, hosted the Opening Drive program on WJOX, along with Tony Kurre until 2018.
Personal life
From 1995 to 2007 he was married to Amy DiGiovanna. The couple has four children.
In 2008, Barker married American country musician Sara Evans. They live in Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birminghamwith his four children and Evans' three children.
