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He faced unrealistic expectations from many, changing defenses almost every week and scrutiny on every throw/play from University of Kentucky fans and media members. Yet Conner quarterback Drew Barker said he had a “great time” his senior season.
“I did not feel any nerves. I just played football,” said Barker, who signed his institutional financial aid agreement Thursday and will enroll at UK in January. “Obviously, there were a lot of eyes watching me, but on the field I was just playing. I think I got a lot better this year, too. I was leaps and bounds better from last year when my passing and accuracy and footwork. Even a quicker release.”
Barker’s father, Terry, knew there was a “lot of pressure” on his son because of his early commitment to UK and high national ranking.
“There was a lot of scrutiny on his statistics every week. It seemed every week people were attacking him (on social media) and saying this kid and that kid is better than you. People were always trying to measure him against other player’s performances,” Terry Barker said. “It wore him down at times, but he has a strong personality. He knew he was not a robot and could not have a great game every night.
“But I thought he handled it well. Everywhere he went, eyes were on him. The South Oldham game, he missed the whole week of practice for his grandmother’s funeral in Virginia and I did not think he had a bad game. We lost by two (points) and he was really criticized. Same with our playoff loss at Anderson County. But he stays pretty consistent. Not a lot of peaks and valleys with him. He had a good season.”
Good season? Barker completed 255 of 317 passes for 2,702 yards and 34 scores. He ran for 1,421 yards and nine scores. He ended his career completing 526 of 798 passes for 6,264 yards and 62 scores and ran for 3,931 yards and 51 touchdowns.
“If he ever did feel the pressure, it never showed,” Conner coach James Trosper said. “Everybody can be a critic. The last game he was 6-for-23 passing, but we had a lot of drops. But he does not get rattled. He excels under pressure. One of the best games he had was when (Kentucky) coach (Mark) Stoops and (offensive coordinator) Neal Brown were on the sideline. He had one of his best games against Scott, which only had one loss.
“He’s been at that national level for a long time. He did AAU basketball and played in front of 10,000 to 15,000 fans in Las Vegas. He’s been through fire. You can just look at his numbers and see how he handled the pressure. Just throw his stats up and it speaks for itself.
“He got a lot better this year, too. He understood schemes and coverages. Two years ago he rushed for more yards. He had a better idea of defensive trends and see how his passing/rushing stats flipped this year. He commanded the passing game more than the running game.”
Trosper said teams tried to give Conner “different looks every week” from what they had been using.
“We had to figure out what teams were giving us and what they were taking away,” Trosper said. “As much film as he watched, the tough part was showing up on Friday night and seeing something different from what we had seen on film. But it was a great experience for him and will really help at the next level.”
Barker said he got used to linebackers “spying” on him to stop his runs and scrambling.
“Using a basketball reference, it was often like a box-and-one. Teams would contain everyone and somebody would always follow me,” Trosper said. “We had to adjust every week. And that will help me in college. I got the hang of what to do and did not let the changes bother me week to week.”
Trosper said years ago players might have “crumbled” under the pressure Barker felt via social media.
“But that’s society of today and today’s society teaches kids to handle criticism better because they are used to the limelight,” Trosper said. “Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluegrasspreps (website). He got all kind of shots taken at him on social media,” Trosper said.
Barker knows he should have ignored the critics on social media, but that would have been hard because his social media presence has played a huge role in UK’s 2014 recruiting success.
“I would see stuff. I guess everybody has their opinions. I know what I did and what I can get better at,” Barker said. “I did just laugh at some of it. It did not affect me at all. At the end of the day I would watch film with my coaches and they would tell me what I did right or wrong. There were definitely a lot of people digging for stuff. Maybe they just wanted to throw me off.”
Since he verbally committed to UK in the spring, most recruiters left him alone. But his father said he did hear from USC, UCLA and Auburn among other schools.
“But most knew he was sticking to his commitment to Kentucky,” Terry Barker said.
“There was never any doubt about UK,” Barker said. “I knew that was right when I committed. I haven’t had any second thoughts at all. I am 100 percent Kentucky.”
Kentucky’s 2-8 record going into Saturday night’s game at Georgia didn’t bother Barker, either.
“The coaches told all the recruits, including Drew, that they probably were going to struggle. They just don’t have enough players to do what they want to do offensively and defensively,” Terry Barker said. “The cupboard was left a little bare (by the previous coaching staff).
“Every week Drew watches in person or on TV and he realizes they are going in the right direction. He watched Kentucky before Stoops got there and he sees a big difference in the attitude of the players. This (recruiting) class is special. They are all sticking together. They are all going Dec. 14 for their official visits. They know what is at stake and that a lot of them can play right away and help the team get things going in the right direction. They were very honest. They didn’t sugarcoat anything. They said from the start they were a year or two away.”
Trosper doesn’t worry about too much being expected from Barker too soon.
“The kid is a winner. He is good. I think he can play and they are getting everything they want. He will fit great with what they do. He wants to win and will do things to make them better,” Trosper said. “He’s a great leader, too. He would take our guys out to throw on Saturdays in the offseason. To get four or five guys 17 and 18 years old to work on routes and timing on their own is spectacular. You just don’t see that. That speaks volumes about him.
“I hope I can coach another one like him, but I doubt it. The ball comes out of his hands so hot, it’s just a gift that very, very few players have.”
That’s also why Trosper thinks his quarterback should be named Kentucky’s Mr. Football and also receive the Paul Hornung Award from the Louisville Quarterback Club as the state’s top player.
“There are some great players in the state, but I do think he is elite,” Trosper said. “I will always say that. I have seen other players, but the quarterback is the guy, and he certainly is the guy. His numbers are unbelievable.”
Barker says he would feel “blessed” to win either award considering the competition from other players in Kentucky.
“Obviously, during the season winning something like that is not in the back of your mind because you cannot put individual accolades at the top of your list or you are playing for the wrong reasons,” Barker said. “I was playing for my teammates and trying to get a state championship. I did my best to get his there.
“Now, looking back, it would be a great honor to receive either award as the state’s best player. I would feel blessed and be grateful and thankful.”
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