The linebacker sat hunched over one of Kerckhoff patio’s white metal tables, inconspicuous in a grey hoodie and sweats. A student in a bright yellow UCLA shirt approached him, offering his outstretched hand for a high-five.

“Hey man, I just wanted to say I’m a huge fan,” the student said before walking away.

Anthony Barr grinned widely, still embarrassed about being recognized. The former Bruin is a now a Minnesota Viking, making a name for both himself and UCLA in the NFL.

“It’s been cool to come back where it all started,” Barr said. “I feel like I owe this school so much just because they gave me a great platform to showcase my talents and my abilities.”

Looking around at the kids speed-walking their way to class, the linebacker is struck by the idea that all of this – the NFL career, the school records, his entire existence – almost never was. His mother learned she was pregnant with him at the age of 19, just as she was entering her third year of college.

“She could have decided ‘I don’t want to do any of this.’ She could’ve gave me up for adoption, she could have had an abortion,” Barr said. “She could have just been sitting on her butt at home all day instead of pursuing her education and working three jobs … Of anybody, I owe her the world because she really put me in this position to give me the opportunity to be successful.”

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Lori Barr was 19 when she found out she was pregnant with her son. She dropped out of college as a third-year in order to return to the support of her family network. (Courtesy Lori Barr)

Lori Barr remained enrolled at St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, for as long as she could – all the way up until she gave birth to her son in March 1992. She knew then that she had to drop out and return home to California.

“I don’t know how she did it even to this day. I was 19 and in college and there’s no way I could raise a child – no chance,” Anthony Barr said. “By myself? That’s unheard of. Just looking at the young women walking around campus, like, this used to be my mom.”

When Anthony Barr was 18 months old, Lori Barr chose to resume her education. As a single mother, that meant working multiple jobs – taking early morning shifts and going to school in the evening before heading back to work at night. By the time Anthony Barr was 15, his mother had obtained bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in education.

While his mother struggled to pursue a career path while raising a child, Anthony Barr struggled to identify his passion.

“There were some moments there that I would tell him I couldn’t believe he was approaching school so lackadaisical when it was so important to me,” Lori Barr said. “I don’t think it was him not taking it seriously, it just came so easily to him. The fact I was so demanding and expected the best of him at school … that translated everywhere else.”

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Anthony Barr was born in South Bend, Indiana, while his mother was a third-year at St. Mary's College. The two moved back to California to be closer to family shortly after Barr was born. (Courtesy Lori Barr)

For Anthony Barr, it wasn’t a matter of effort, but one of confidence. He didn’t have that many male role models paving a path for him to follow, so he faltered.

“I think one of the things (that was challenging) was not having a father figure around,” Anthony Barr said. “I had my grandfather who I’m very close to, (but) I think I was always yearning for that. Whether it was playing different sports or I went to an all-boys school – things to try and fill that void.”

Gradually Anthony Barr began to find his place on the football field, where he easily excelled. In his three years of high school varsity football, Barr became a Tom Lemming All-American and a highly touted college recruit.

While Notre Dame owned the monopoly on family legacy – Barr’s father and two of his uncles played for the Fighting Irish – the linebacker ultimately chose to stay closer to home in Los Angeles.

At UCLA, Barr was an All-American and graduated sixth on the all-time list for sacks after only two seasons at linebacker, playing running back for his first two years. He easily garnered national attention and draft buzz during his third year, but chose to stay for his senior year and complete his degree.

In the 2014 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Barr ninth overall – the highest a defensive player from UCLA had gone in the draft since 1991.

“Being in the locker room with a whole bunch of other ambitious guys also pushed me to want to be better,” Barr said. “Here I am now, looking back on it, it’s kind of been a crazy journey but it’s one that I wouldn’t change.”

Barr remains a presence at UCLA during the off-season and mentors the younger players who have taken on his position. Through the work of Barr and teammate Eric Kendricks, also a former Bruin and current Viking, the Bruin program has begun to co-opt the nickname “Linebacker U.”

“We’ve got the guys coming up – Kendricks and Barr and Myles Jack – all the guys coming up, people continue to take notice and it’s a good thing for UCLA, it’s a good thing to be recognized,” said Barr’s former teammate Akeem Ayers, currently a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams.

After finding a dearth of male role models during his childhood, Barr strived to be that for others. He plans to launch the Anthony Barr Foundation in June, an organization geared toward helping single mothers pursue higher-level education.

Lori Barr said that she wasn’t aware of all the options for financing education that were available to her when she was younger and now she wants to help others avoid the burden of student loans.

“I loved education and I would probably be a lifelong student if I could,” Lori Barr said. “But when you’re single and you have kids some of your personal desires have to take the back seat. I learned that I could balance both if I had the right support system and I had that in my family so I want other young moms to know that too.”

Anthony Barr aims to provide women like his mother scholarships to help subsidize both the costs of attending school and raising children. Along the way, the linebacker hopes to be the type of role model he so sorely missed when he was younger.

“If I’m just present at some point to try and be that father figure-type person … just to give them someone to look up to and show that you can do that,” Barr said. “You don’t have to have two parents or be raised with a silver spoon in order to be successful. It’s what you make of it.”

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