Peyton Barber: Auburn RB Says Mother's Homelessness Contributed to NFL Draft Entry

Peyton Barber, a running back from Auburn who is the 24th-ranked at his position on CBS’s board, announced his decision to enter the NFL Draft on January 18th, which was deemed surprising at the time. Today at the NFL Combine, he has revealed one of the reasons.

Last week, AL.com published a first-person account that discussed more of his rationale, as well as what he’s been doing for training at the IMG Academy:

"“(Leaving Auburn and entering the NFL Draft) was definitely a tough decision, if not the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life. 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. I had about 20 minutes left to make my decision (before the deadline) and that’s when I decided to make my decision that I want to go ahead and come out."

In a Ledger-Enquirer story last month, which said the consensus forecasted Barber to get drafted somewhere in Rounds 4-7, Barber’s father acknowledged that his son would face some obstacles, but expressed belief in him:

"“Is Peyton an Adrian Peterson? No,” Ken Barber said. “Is he a first-rounder? No. Second-rounder? No, but there are teams looking for an all-around back with his size and character.”"

It goes without saying that we will be rooting for Peyton Barber to make an impact as a pro.