Les Barley

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Les Barley
Personal information
Born: (1967-09-07) September 7, 1967 (age 56)
Fullback, linebacker
Undrafted:1990
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
  • Winston-Salem State (1990–1991)
    Graduate assistant
  • Rock Hill HS (SC) (1992)
    Assistant coach
Career highlights and awards
  • ArenaBowl champion (VII)
  • First-team
    1995
    )
  • Second-team All-Arena (
    1998
    )

Leslie Barley (born September 7, 1967) is a former

1998
.

Early life and high school career

Barley was born on September 7, 1967, in Gretna, Virginia. He started playing football as an eighth grader at Gretna Junior High School.[1] Though initially designated as a lineman, he was converted to running back after the coaches his performances on the track team.[1]

Barley attended Gretna High School, where he participated in football, basketball, wrestling, and track and field.[2] On the football team, he starred at running back while lining up as a linebacker on defense.[1][3] Barley earned honorable mention all-district honors as a sophomore before earning second-team all-district honors on both offense and defense as a junior.[4] As a senior, he led the team with 108 tackles while registering 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns on offense, again earning first-team all-district honors at both positions.[4] The Gretna Hawks went 1–9 and 2–8 in his final two seasons, respectively.[5]

Aside from football, Barley participated in

220 yards, and the relay race), though he competed in other events, such as the long jump or the hurdles, as needed.[6] Barley won two district titles and one regional title in the discus throw.[4] As a senior, he won the regional title in the triple jump and ran a leg in the 400-yard relay team that finished second in the state.[2][4] Additionally, Barley won two district titles at 185 lbs. before Gretna cancelled its wrestling program.[4] Instead, he played on the basketball team as a senior, a sport he had not played since his freshman year.[6]

Barley is the type of athlete a rural school gets once every 10 years, so there's no replacing him. We probably won't have a kid his size with his speed for a long time.

— Gretna head football coach Ken Meadors in 1986[7]

Barley was considered an

Ferrum.[4][8]

College career

Barley arrived at Winston-Salem State as a running back, but quickly asked to move to linebacker due to the amount of running backs on the team.[9] He recorded 19 sacks and 407 tackles in his college career.[10] Barley earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and later returned to the school to earn his master's degree in sports management in 1998.[8][11]

Professional career

After going unselected in the 1990 NFL draft, Barley spent a year out of football.[9] In June 1991, he was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) after impressing their coaching staff at a free agent camp in Shreveport, Louisiana.[10] Barley was released before the start of the regular season.[9]

Barley joined the Carolina Cougars of the

Detroit Drive in Frankfurt, Germany.[14] Barley rushed for 52 yards on five carries and caught a touchdown in the Storm's 43–35 win, and was named the game's most valuable player.[15] Upon his return to the Rage, Barley rushed for 42 yards and one touchdown before he was permanently acquired by the Storm in a midseason trade for receiver Anthony Howard.[9] In ArenaBowl VII, Barley rushed for a record 49 yards and a touchdown to help the Storm defeat the Detroit Drive, 51–31.[9] He was elected team captain ahead of the 1994 season, moving into the starting fullback role after the departure of Andre Bowden.[9]

Ahead of the 1995 season, Barley was traded to the

Memphis Pharaohs – the first home win in franchise history.[20] He was traded to the Charlotte Rage a few weeks later in exchange for Billy Owens and Reggie Robinson.[21] Barley returned to the Tampa Bay Storm in 1997 after the disappearance of the Charlotte Rage.[11][22] That season, he rushed for 183 yards and eight touchdowns on 43 carries.[11]

On May 23, 1998, in a game against the

Milwaukee Mustangs
in 2001.

Barley finished his career as the AFL's all-time leading rusher with 1,382 rushing yards on 425 carries.[26][27] He held the record until it was broken in 2006 by Bob McMillen.[28]

Coaching career

In 1992, Barley was hired as an assistant football coach at Rock Hill High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina.[12] He had previously served as a part-time assistant coach at his alma mater, Winston-Salem State, for two years.[29]

References

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