Staff report
Derrick Barnes became the first Holy Cross High School football player to be drafted by the NFL when he was the 113th selection overall in the fourth-round Saturday.
The talented linebacker will playing for the Detroit Lions. He joins former Purdue quarterback David Blough on the Lions’ roster.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound Barnes was a linebacker for Purdue University where he distinguished himself with a team-high 54 tackles in six games with 40 solo stops and 5.5 tackle for a loss in the 2020 season limited to six games because of the pandemic. He was named second-team All-Big Ten by the conference coaches and received his teams’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
During his four-year college career Barnes played outside linebacker, inside linebacker, and defensive end for the Boilermakers. His career totals were 226 tackles in 43 games with 158 solo stops, 105 quarterback sacks and 25 tackles for a loss.
Barnes graduated in December 2020 with a degree in sales management. He had the option to return for another football season before he signed with an agent to represent him in this year’s NFL draft.
The three-sport athlete led Holy Cross High School in Covington in tackles in two straight seasons and earned Class 2-A, District Six Player of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
The 10 N.Ky. high schools that have had former football players make it to the NFL are:
Highlands (5), Boone County (3), Bellevue (3), Holmes (3), Lloyd (2), Dayton (2), Dixie Heights (2), Scott (1), Campbell County (1), Newport Central Catholic (1).
NKyTribune story by Terry Boehmker: