Peyton Barber: Without compensation, I could not stay at Auburn
Coming off a 1,000-yard sophomore season in 2015, Peyton Barber declared for the NFL Draft, foregoing his final two seasons of eligibility. As it turns out, Barber did not necessarily want to to leave Auburn early, but felt forced to due to a lack of compensation.
Vice journalist Gianni Toboni talked to Barber for a segment titled “The End of Amateurism,” set to air on the publication’s weekly HBO show tonight. When Toboni asks if Barber would have left early had he been compensated in college, the former Tigers running back replies, “No, honestly.”
Barber was motivated to leave early by his mother’s living situation.
“We’d been having like some family problems for a while,” he told Toboni. “When you come home and, including me, there’s like five people sleeping in one room, sometimes that’s a hard thing to see. I just wanted to help my family out and provide for them.”
Despite Peyton’s selflessness, the decision saddened his mother, Lori. She told Toboni she wanted to cry.
“I want Peyton to get his education,” she said.
Barber did not have an easy path to the NFL. He went undrafted, but joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent. He did not make the initial 53-man roster, but was quickly promoted after injuries to the Bucs’ other ball-carriers. Barber appeared in 15 games, recording 55 rushing attempts for 223 yards and one touchdown.
In October, Barber told ESPN’s Jenna Laine that he was able to buy Lori her own apartment.
The “Vice” episode featuring Barber airs at 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. CT on HBO.