{"id":1286,"date":"2022-07-05T17:47:27","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T17:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/?post_type=stories&p=1286"},"modified":"2023-04-05T23:00:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T23:00:37","slug":"a-higher-stage","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/news\/a-higher-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"A Higher Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"
Despite the odds, Eastern\u2019s grea<\/span>test-ever quar<\/span>ter<\/span>back is ready to quiet the <\/span>ne<\/span>x<\/span>t-level doubters.<\/h5>\n


\nBy Dave Cook<\/strong><\/p>\n

T<\/span><\/strong>urning heads<\/strong> is what Eric Barriere \u201921 did best on the football field at EWU<\/span>.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It began during Eastern\u2019s recruiting process, as Eagle recruiters watched him win championships as a high schooler in California. Then, upon arrival in Cheney in the fall of 2016, it was his astonishing arm strength that was on display \u2014\u00a0coaches still talk about the day his throws outdistanced the kicks of Eastern\u2019s senior punter during an after-practice showdown.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a sophomore in 2018, Barriere turned heads across the FCS as he took over for Eastern\u2019s injured All-America starter Gage Gubrud at mid-season and proceeded to lead the Eagles to the NCAA Division I Championship Game in Frisco, Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along the way he continued to pile up highlight-reel plays, astonishing yardage totals and, of course, the honors that go along with such things. Barriere finished fifth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award in 2019, was runner-up for the prize in 2020 and in the fall of 2021, he won it, securing his place as the single best offensive player in the FCS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now the process starts all over again as Barriere, his college eligibility exhausted, looks to turn heads \u2014 plenty of which are looking askance \u2014 and secure a place in professional football. It won\u2019t be easy. But it\u2019s never been easy for Barriere.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
EWU’s Eric Barriere relaxes with the trophy following the Walter Payton Award presentation in Frisco, Texas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span>As a kid growing up in Southern California, he persisted through injury, illness and a tough neighborhood to excel at pretty much anything he put his mind to. He says he\u2019s more than confident he\u2019ll do the same, in spite of the doubters, as a professional athlete.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I\u2019m used to already,\u201d Barriere said during a phone conversation in April. For now, he is back in California, where he\u2019s been working out since his senior season concluded in December. \u201cI\u2019m always trying to prove myself and out-work other people. I have to show them that I deserve a chance to play with the best. It\u2019s another opportunity to showcase myself now at a higher stage, and show them what I can do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

During his preparations, he talked with and received advice from former Eagles-turned-pro\u00a0 <\/span>Nsimba Webster and Vernon Adams, Jr. He also traded texts with Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and has sought counsel from two other Eagle standouts now in the NFL: San Francisco\u2019s Samson Ebukam (also a 2022 Super Bowl veteran) and New England Patriots star Kendrick Bourne.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Their common message? Keep being you.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey just told me to work hard, and that I just need one opportunity for a team to believe in me,\u201d Barriere said in advance of the NFL Draft in late April. \u201cI just want an opportunity, that\u2019s all,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I get it, I have to make the most of it. It\u2019s all on me. I just have to put in the work, and I know I\u2019ll be up for any of the challenges that come my way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Measurables is one word <\/span><\/strong>for what professional football analysts use in the sometimes maddeningly opaque process of projecting the value of prospects. Aaron Best, Eastern\u2019s head coach for four of the five seasons Barriere played in the EWU program, knows getting drafted is something of a crapshoot.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of it is about measurables, and I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the right way to go,\u201d Best admits. \u201cTeams determine what their evaluation process is. The numbers are great to have, but it comes down to if you can play football.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe has a ton to offer,\u201d says Best of Barriere\u2019s NFL <\/span>appeal. \u201cHis stats alone are great and some of the best the FCS has ever had. On top of that, he was a great teammate, and he continually got better from the time he took over as our starting quarterback.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEric\u2019s off day is somebody else\u2019s greatest day, which is crazy. But that\u2019s the standard he set for himself, this team and this university,\u201d Best continues. \u201cUnfortunately, it\u2019s out of everybody\u2019s hands once [his] eligibility is done. It\u2019s up to others to determine if he\u2019s a good fit for their [professional] organization, no matter what the position is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In Barriere\u2019s case, the numbers were never going to be a problem: They were, in short, \u201cridiculous.\u201d He finished ranked third in FCS history with 15,394 yards of total offense, 13,809 passing yards and 121 passing touchdown \u2014 all EWU and Big Sky Conference records. He\u2019s also the school record-holder in completions, pass attempts, rushing yards by a quarterback, touchdowns and points generated. In short, he\u2019s the Eagle quarterback G.O.A.T., a distinction he will likely not soon surrender.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Barriere\u2019s case, the numbers were never going to be a problem<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Other than stats and film assessment, most of the measurables come from \u201cPro Days\u201d hosted by schools. These events usually consist of physical testing to see <\/span>exactly how players compare to others at their respective positions. Barriere was fortunate to not only take part in EWU\u2019s Pro Day, but also one held at USC in California.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Players also participate in on-field drills. Barriere certainly turned heads at EWU\u2019s Pro Day, where he threw the football 70 yards flat-footed. Only a handful of NFL scouts were on hand, but what they learn about a player is shared widely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Barriere registered a head-turning 38-inch effort in the vertical jump at EWU\u2019s Pro Day. By comparison, the best mark among quarterbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine \u2014 an event Barriere was not invited to attend \u2014 was 36 inches. His time of 4.77 seconds in the 40-yard dash wasn\u2019t as impressive, and his measured height (5-feet, 11-inches tall) invited skepticism from scouts. Barriere was not concerned.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel good about everything,\u201d Barriere says. \u201cI know quarterback is different than every position, so it\u2019s going to come down to the mental aspects. I have to practice like a pro and prepare like an NFL quarterback. Those will be the key factors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A<\/span>mong the records<\/span> Barriere broke at Eastern<\/strong> was the Big Sky career yardage record held by EWU\u2019s Matt Nichols, who played two preseason games with the Dallas Cowboys in 2010 before playing nine seasons in the CFL from 2011-21. Nichols says he has heard it all before \u2014 the \u201cprototype quarterback\u201d that NFL teams are looking for: \u201c6-feet, 4-inches tall, laser-rocket arm and from a bigger school,\u201d he says. Without all of those assets, he adds, \u201cYou aren\u2019t going to be drafted in the first three rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t have those measurables, you have to have a scout or player personnel director <\/span>stick their neck out for you,\u201d Nichols says. \u201cBecause if they\u2019re wrong, it could be their job. I think you hope there is that one guy out there who believes in you. Hopefully there is, and it\u2019s up to you to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Best is hopeful that Eastern\u2019s ability to produce players for the NFL could help Barriere along the <\/span>way. \u201cI don\u2019t think it hurts. I think a lot of people (in professional football) understand who we are, what we are about and the players we have. But at the end of the day it\u2019s not who came before you, it\u2019s what you do in the moment. He\u2019s played with professionals like Coop [Cooper Kupp], so he can take his notes and apply them moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Barriere and Head Coach Aaron East embrace during the Walter Payton Award ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But Best stops short of saying success for FCS players, such as the extraordinary path to greatness by Kupp, gives them equal footing with FBS opponents. That same old adage, \u201cplayed at a lower level of competition,\u201d as CBS Sports said of Barriere, is rearing its head again. And it makes it hard to turn heads if you don\u2019t get the opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, there is no downside at all,\u201d Best says of Barriere\u2019s FCS experience. \u201cCan you play, and can you play at a high level? The logos on the sides of the helmet are sometimes taken into too much consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n

In advance of the NFL draft in April, assessments of Barriere\u2019s chances \u2014 from draft watchers in the media at least \u2014 were mixed. Most of the independent quarterback rankings had Barriere as an \u201coutside looking in\u201d guy, although he was listed as No. 8 by SI.com<\/i> and No. 10 by profootballnetwork.com<\/i>.<\/p>\n

On the positive side, some draft observers described him as a \u201cdual-threat, elite-level athlete,\u201d and used terms such as \u201ccreativity, mobility, vision\u201d and \u201cstands tall in the pocket\u201d to describe his game. CBS Sports in particular had positive things to say: \u201cGood top end speed. Quick release made possible with a flick of the wrist. Gets the ball out quickly. Generates a lot of strength off platform. Good deep ball accuracy. Can drive the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, there were doubters. Words like \u201cunorthodox,\u201d and phrases like \u201clesser-known profile,\u201d \u201cdecision-making,\u201d and \u201cdurability,\u201d were used to express concerns about Barriere\u2019s NFL worthiness. Again, CBS had these things to say: \u201cUndersized in terms of height and weight. Does not follow through in his throwing motion. Does not sell fakes well. Late to feel pressure, poor pocket presence. Balance is an issue. Played at a lower level of competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

In all, it added up to Barriere likely being considered a \u201cdevelopmental prospect,\u201d a player whose chances at signing a free-agent contract with a NFL team were greater than were his chances for being selected. And that\u2019s pretty much the way things played out over the three-day draft. Names came and went, but Barriere\u2019s phone didn\u2019t ring.<\/p>\n

A little later, however, he did get a call. The Denver Broncos, the former AFC powerhouse whose recent quarterbacking woes led to their poaching Russell Wilson from Seattle, invited Barriere to rookie minicamp in May.<\/p>\n

Even if the NFL doesn\u2019t pan out, the two-time Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year would almost certainly get an opportunity in the Canadian Football League, where a larger playing field and fewer downs would be advantageous for Barriere\u2019s strong arm and accuracy.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Barriere with his eyes on the trophy, and his professional football future.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As of now, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers own his rights, and Barriere could continue the successful pipeline of former EWU quarterbacks into the CFL, starting with Rick Worman in the 1980s and continuing with recent stars Bo Levi Mitchell, Vernon Adams Jr. and Nichols.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully he gets the opportunity to get on an NFL roster and play in some preseason games,\u201d says Nichols, who has played in the CFL for Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, I think the CFL is incredible and is a great brand of football,\u201d he continued. \u201cHe should set his sights on the NFL for as long as he can, but I think there is a big future for him in the CFL \u2014 especially with the equity EWU has in the league. I think he could go up there and be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

B<\/span>arriere appreciates<\/span> the backup plan. But he wonders, alongside his coach and so many Eastern supporters, why EWU quarterbacks have so often been bypassed by the NFL: \u201cI don\u2019t get it,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t know why they end up in the CFL.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Barriere\u2019s springtime training<\/strong> sojourn took place under the direction of his player representative agency, ELITE Athlete Management. \u201cThroughout the process,\u201d Barriere said, \u201cI\u2019ve had to learn how to work out different parts of my body, and treat it a little bit better than I was doing in college. They are making sure I can be 100 percent and make sure I don\u2019t overdo anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

For his part, Coach Best remains confident that what Barriere showed the world while at EWU, he\u2019ll show again at the next level.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cEric checks every single box and then some,\u201d Best says. \u201cThrow it all aside, your eyes aren\u2019t going to fool you. He\u2019s done what he can do plus a lot more in his time here. There are so many things outside of the statistics that he\u2019s improved and has shown his capabilities. He just needs a legitimate opportunity.\u201d [Editor\u2019s note: As Eastern<\/i> magazine went to press, Barriere announced he had signed a contract with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League. The move does not preclude a future deal with either an NFL or CFL team.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody is going to be happy with him, more importantly as a person,\u201d Best adds. \u201cHe\u2019s a heckuva player, but he\u2019s a heckuva person. You match those two things together and somebody is going to be very fortunate.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite the odds, Eastern\u2019s greatest-ever quarterback is ready to quiet the next-level doubters. By Dave Cook Turning heads is what Eric Barriere \u201921 did best on the football field at EWU. It began during Eastern\u2019s recruiting process, as Eagle recruiters watched him win championships as a high schooler in California. Then, upon arrival in Cheney…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":484,"featured_media":1290,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-1286","stories","type-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","stories_categories-alumni-profiles","stories_categories-athletics","stories_categories-campus","stories_categories-featured","stories_tags-spring-summer-2022"],"acf":{"subheading":"","featured_image_format":"cover","display_byline":false,"display_date_published":false,"featured_video":"","Links":false,"Resources":false,"page_hide_sidebar":false,"page_enable_page_nav":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories\/1286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/stories"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/484"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories\/1286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1784,"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories\/1286\/revisions\/1784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}