Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcon Gains Real-Time Experience
October 06, 2006 | Football
Oct. 5, 2006
Elton Alexander, Plain Dealer Reporter - Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes is a good example of a football player whose game is preparing him for his ultimate profession.
"What brought me here was, me and my mom were looking for a school that offered sports management, because I want to be a sports agent," Barnes said. "I found out that Bowling Green had a top-10 program in the nation -- right now we're top five -- so that was really huge to me."
When Barnes came to Bowling Green it was to be a quarterback, and the redshirt freshman remains No. 2 on the depth chart.
But going into Saturday's game at Ohio State, Barnes already has played quarterback, tailback and wide receiver for the Falcons (3-2), and will likely play each position at some point against the Buckeyes.
"I definitely didn't foresee this," Barnes said of being a multi-position threat. "This wasn't part of the recruiting pitch. But I like it."
His production points to why the Falcons line him up all over the place. He leads the team in rushing with 395 yards and seven touchdowns; he has passed for 210 yards and a touchdown; and has five receptions for 71 yards and still another touchdown.
"We want to keep him on the field and get the ball into his hands," Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon said.
At Homewood-Flossmoor High in Illinois, Barnes was the starting quarterback in football and starting point guard in basketball. Brandon said the Falcons landed Barnes because few schools were willing to wait on him to make up his mind between football and basketball.
Now, while he is learning to play multiple positions on the field, Barnes is also learning about handling intellectual quarterbacks, temperamental tailbacks, and prima donna wide receivers off the field. He has an eye toward a sports management internship in the future.
Barnes admits he still has a lot to learn if he's going to be an agent for a temperamental NFL player like Dallas receiver Terrell Owens.
"Oooh, I've got to take a couple of more classes to understand that," he said.
