Marion Barber III, a former NFL running back who spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, died on June 1, and the cause of his death has been revealed. According to the Collin County Medical Examiner’s office (per TMZ Sports), Barber died due to a heat stroke, and the death has been ruled an “accident.” Barber, was found dead by the Frisco Police Department and shoe no signs of trouble before his death. He was 38 years old.ย
“We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III. Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down,” the Cowboys said in a statementย at the time of Barber’s death. “He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
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Barber was selected in the fourth round by the Cowboys in the 2005 NFL Draft. His best season was in 2007 when he rushed for 975 yards and 10 touchdowns. Barber made his first and only Pro Bowl in 2007 and followed that season up with 885 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2008. Barber was cut by the Cowboys in 2011 and quickly signed with the Chicago Bears where he played one seasons before retiring from the NFL in 2012.ย
“There were so many plays,” former Cowboys coach Jason Garrettย told USA TODAY Sports last month. “I can remember just countless runs where he would keep the play alive. Say it’s a sweep to one side and you get hit and there’s nothing there and you’d be like ‘go down deep, reverse the field.’ Six guys would tackle him, he’d shake them off. It was incredible.”ย
Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete also paid tribute to Barber shortly after his death. “The guy showed up every day, had a smile on his face, came to work,” Peete said. “If I could show anybody a model and a role to develop a running back to play in this league, it would definitely be Marion. The guy came to work every day, practiced hard every day, did a great job in the meetings every day. Obviously his name was “Barbarian” as a player. Very physical player as a runner and as a protector and had the ability to run routes out of the backfield. Very unique in that way.”
