L.A. Wildcats Tight End, Brandon Barnes Will Honor Late Mother During Sunday’s National Women’s Day Celebration

Brandon Barnes is putting on for HBCU athletes!

Coming out of high school, Brandon Barnes was not heavily recruited. In fact, he wasn’t recruited at all. The Alabama State walk-on had to prove his worth and that mentality has followed him all the way to the pro ranking. The 6’4 255-pound tight end now plays in the XFL for the L.A. Wildcats. The Wildcats will be celebrating National Women’s Day on Sunday when they host the Tampa Bay Vipers. Sunday means that much more to Barnes, as he lost his mother approximately 5 years ago. A heavy heart and a permanent chip on his shoulder could be the recipe Barnes needs to put L.A. in a position to win their second game of the season. He does it all for his mother who he knows would want him to continue to push forward.

Be sure to check out the L.A. Wildcats vs. the Tampa Bay Vipers on Sunday, March 8^th at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN.

How’s it going, big man?

Brandon Barnes: I’m good, man. I’m good.

The L.A.Wildcats will be celebrating, National Women’s Day on Sunday for the game against the Tampa Bay Vipers. I understand National Women’s Day will mean just a little bit more to you.

Brandon Barnes: Yeah! About 4 or 5 years ago, my mom passed away. She had an aneurysm. She got right from the aneurysm, but she had complications afterwards because she had lupus. I guess her immune system started working against her and she wasn’t able to overcome it.

How influential was your mom in your life and your career?

Brandon Barnes: She was a really big influence. I honestly wouldn’t be in the position I’m in right now if it wasn’t for her. I was a walk-on in college, but my mom was pretty much doing a lot of the groundwork for that. She was calling coaches just as much as I was just to get me seen.

The President of the L.A. Wildcats, Heather Brooks Karatz is a female as well and that’s a groundbreaking accomplishment in itself. You’re surrounded by influential women.

Brandon Barnes: Oh yeah, most definitely!

Sunday is a huge game because the winner stays in the hunt so to speak. Whoever wins this game will capture their second win of the season. You guys seem to be right there, what do you have to do to turn it around?

Brandon Barnes: We just gotta do the little things right. The games we loss, I feel like we didn’t do the little things right. We had turnovers against Dallas, turnovers against Houston. You can’t win games turning the ball over. This last week… it’s just the small little details that we have to tighten up on. Make sure we’re all in sync and working together like they were against DC and we can win.

Absolutely! With the exception of the opener against Houston, these have been one possession losses and those are the types of games you could look back on and see the one or two moments that caused the loss.

Brandon Barnes: Absolutely! That’s the key. Correcting those one or two plays that swung the outcome the other way.

How do you feel your play has been? For some of you guys, it had been a minute since you played physical football. Do you feel like 5-weeks in you are finding your groove?

Brandon Barnes: I feel like I’m still getting in my rhythm. I’ve been controlling what I can control. If I gotta block I block. I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to do trying to make the team better.

You attended Alabama State, you have been very vocal about HBCU colleges having football talent in them. You are definitely living proof of that. Your goal is to put that spotlight on them.

Brandon Barnes: Oh yeah, most definitely! HBCU’s as it is, it’s hard as it is because we tend to get overlooked. It’s a lot of talent across the board at every HBCU that I’ve played against. Other conferences as well, but we get overlooked and overshadowed, I guess because they’re not impressed with the level of competition. Then again, some of the greatest players to ever play football come from an HBCU. Guys like Jerry Rice, Michael Strahan, Walter Payton, I can keep going… Shannon Sharpe. It’s more to come. They just gotta go look.

Do you feel like it’s getting better because we are starting to see guys from smaller schools get drafted? Do you think it’s just smaller schools or HBCU’s are getting into the mix as well?

Brandon Barnes: I wouldn’t say just HBCU’s, matter of fact, my school just recently had a first rounder in this last draft, Tytus Howard from the Houston Texans. He got seen when he was a younger player at Alabama State playing against bigger schools. So, I would say, it’s not necessarily the HBCU’s, it’s just smaller level schools playing against bigger level competition. You have a guy that just stands out and then they are on the radar. I don’t think they are really just going and looking, but at the same time they are coming out with a HBCU Combine. I think that’s happening on March 24^th. I think they’re trying to get better at it.

The talent is there for sure. You didn’t get a look out of high school, you ended up walking on, you feel HBCU’s are overlooked at you attended one, does that put a chip on your shoulder and is that what fuels you now?

Brandon Barnes: Most definitely! Like you said, I was a walk-on in college out of high school. To be honest, I hate to say it, but when I got to college, I really wasn’t utilized to the full potential that I had. I would show it in practice, but it’s just not what our team needed. That definitely has me with a chip on my shoulder. I know I could do everything that a tight end in today’s game is required to do. I can block, I can run routes, I can line up anywhere you want me to line up and be successful at any spot. I honestly feel like I’ve been doing that so far in the XFL. I play with that chip on my shoulder of course.

With the festivities of National Women’s Day going on, I’m sure you will have a heavy heart heading into the game because of thoughts of your mom. How do you let those emotions out in a good way on the field?

Brandon Barnes: I’ve always been mentally tough. My dad taught me to be mentally tough. My mom as well. Her having lupus and stuff, I’ve seen days where she would be hurting. I mean literally hurting to the point where she couldn’t even walk and some kind of way, she made it to work to go teach kids. She loved doing that. That kind of motivated me. I remember the day she passed. I literally cried half the day away. I went to the field and actually worked out because I felt like she wouldn’t want me to give up on life because she’s gone. She would want me to be successful. I went back to school 2-weeks later and played that whole year. That was probably the best season I had at Alabama State actually after my mom had passed away. I just know she wouldn’t want me to stop. She would want me to keep going, so I do this for her.

I appreciate your time, definitely looking forward to the game on Sunday. Go get that win, is there anything else you want to add?

Brandon Barnes: No, that’s it. I’m just looking forward to coming out and getting that W on Sunday.

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