Nov 27, 2008 7:41 pm US/Eastern
Jets' Barton A Dominant Presence On And Off Field
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) ―
Eric Barton is a nonstop yapper in the New York Jets' locker room.
The veteran linebacker's deep voice is constantly heard, whether he's shouting across the room and teasing one of his teammates, cracking jokes or pulling yet another silly prank.
"I just like to have fun," said Barton, sporting a grown-out Mohawk hairstyle. "This group of guys, it's an amazing group of guys. Before the season, I thought, 'You know what? I'm going to enjoy this and these guys.' I've been on a lot of teams and there's not that many times you play or work with people you genuinely like and care about."
The 31-year-old Barton, in his 10th NFL season and fifth with the Jets, also is well-liked by his teammates -- despite his penchant for pranks.
There was the time last season Barton rummaged through fellow linebacker Bryan Thomas' locker, found a few colorful items of clothing and hung them on hangers in the middle of the locker room for all to see -- and laugh at. And, that's just one of the tame examples of Barton's hijinks.
"He was actually worse in college," said nose tackle Kris Jenkins, a former Maryland teammate. "Eric Barton now has definitely calmed down."
When pressed for a few examples of Barton's greatest hits, Jenkins' lips were sealed.
"The things he did back then, they would be incriminating to him," he said with a smile. "So, I can't do it."
Of course, it's not all fun and games for Barton, who has a team-best 82 tackles heading into the AFC East-leading Jets' game against Denver on Sunday. He also has 1 1/2 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery while also making the defensive calls for the last several weeks in place of the injured David Harris.
"He's done a great job," coach Eric Mangini said. "What I like about Eric is things come very quickly to him. The information, the tips that you give him, his recall is excellent."
Barton had one of his most impressive games two weeks ago in New York's overtime victory at New England, when he had a career-high 17 tackles.
"It was fun, but it shouldn't have been so fun because we had a chance to close the game out and we didn't," he said. "We didn't play four quarters like we should. It was a good game, but it could've been better. We could've executed better where I wouldn't have to make so many tackles and we wouldn't have been on the field as long."
That's the serious side of Barton coming through, the intense linebacker who has had 98 or more tackles in five of the last six seasons and become a mentor to younger players such as Harris and former Jet Jonathan Vilma.
"I try to look after David and we're good friends," he said. "I try to teach him what I know to try to help him become a better player."
Barton's done a pretty good job with that so far. Before Harris' groin injury last month, he was leading the team in tackles after doing so last season. While most of the focus on defense has been on Harris, Jenkins, Calvin Pace, Kerry Rhodes and Darrelle Revis, Barton has quietly -- imagine that -- done his job without much fanfare.
"I really don't look at that," he said. "I just want to win and whatever I do to win and help the team out is what I'm going to do. No one really cares here about who's getting the accolades or the press. As long as we're getting the goal accomplished, that's all that really matters."
Barton is in the last year of his contract, and could command big bucks on the free-agent market in the offseason. His presence would be noticeably absent -- on the field and off -- if he chose to go elsewhere.
"I love the guys here," he said. "It's a business, so who knows what's going to happen? Of course I would love to stay here. I've been here five years and get along great with everyone, but we'll see what pans out in the future. I'll just worry about this game. I can't really look that far along the line."
Barton was drafted in the fifth round by Oakland in 1999, and helped lead the Raiders to the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay three seasons later under current Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan. He signed with New York as an unrestricted free agent in 2004, with this type of team success in mind.
"I think the talent levels are very comparable," Barton said of that Raiders team and this season's Jets squad. "It seems like a while ago because it was, but it also doesn't because of the sour taste it left in my mouth and coach Callahan's mouth to get so close to something and not have been fortunate enough to capitalize on it, so we'll see.
"We have all it takes here if we focus. We can't say we don't have the talent. And, if we work hard, who knows what can happen?"
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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