OL Kirk Barton (San Francisco 49ers)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

OSU's lively Barton has a special place in heart for Florida

Lineman's late father was treated for tracheal cancer at the university's hospital.

By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Saturday, January 06, 2007
GLENDALE, Ariz. ? Ohio State right tackle Kirk Barton knew he'd have to face some consequences from coach Jim Tressel for bringing a bottle of champagne and a lit cigar to interviews after the Michigan game. But once the 22-year-old junior had a chance to explain himself, Tressel refrained from lowering the boom.

Continued...

[BB73]

Quotes from JT's press conference.

official.site



Q. Kirk Barton, kind of a free spirit kind of guy. Does the team need a couple free spirits or is there a level of freedom that you don't want to
COACH TRESSEL: The world needs everything. Look around the room here. There is all shapes and sizes. I am sure all personalities and styles, our team needs that. If we had all the same kind of guys, it wouldn't be any fun. And Kirk Barton is a great kid. He loves the game of football. Loves his teammates. And we need Kirk Barton, that's for sure.
Q. The thing after the Michigan game, did that

COACH TRESSEL: We took care of that.

Q. Did that bother you at all?

COACH TRESSEL: At all? That's a broad statement. It is like everyone says "is everything all right." I don't know about everything being all right. But there is a lot of all right. Yeah, we took care of it.

...

Q. What was the tone of the conversation with Kirk Barton?

COACH TRESSEL: My tone, we have a little challenge we give our coaches. We say, Raise your voice only in encouragement. And when you teach, there is a different tone.

And so it wasn't an encouraging tone, okay? (Laughter). I will leave it at that. Okay.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Perry's Kirk Barton: Like father, like son
Sunday, January 7, 2007
By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

PERRY TWP. The kid stood in the driveway, bawling. Soon after, the car pulled away from his grandparents? home.

Twelve-year-old Kirk Barton didn?t know then that his father, Kirk Barton Sr., was crying as well, as he drove away.
It would be the last time father and son saw each other. That changed Kirk Barton, Ohio State?s starting right tackle, for the rest of his life. The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder remembers standing in the driveway crying with his sister, Kasey.

Continued.....

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Scout.com$ (Bill Greene)

Barton Excited for Senior Season..........

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Bucknuts.com$ (Steve Helwagen)

Bucknuts TV: Kirk Barton From Chicago..........

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.free

Outspoken Barton Stepping Into Role As Leader........by Jeff Svoboda.

[Buckskin86]

Glib OSU tackle promises to tone it down this year
OSU?s senior tackle Barton promises to avoid press faux pas while not losing his personality.

By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Sunday, August 05, 2007

COLUMBUS ? Senior offensive tackle Kirk Barton is going into the start of Ohio State's fall football camp today determined not to commit another faux pas.

But the four-year starter from Massillon is making no promises.

Glib OSU tackle promises to tone it down this year

[msj2487]

Originally Posted by Buckskin86

Glib OSU tackle promises to tone it down this year
OSU?s senior tackle Barton promises to avoid press faux pas while not losing his personality.

By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Sunday, August 05, 2007

COLUMBUS ? Senior offensive tackle Kirk Barton is going into the start of Ohio State's fall football camp today determined not to commit another faux pas.

But the four-year starter from Massillon is making no promises.

Um.... what?

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Rivals.com$ (Brandon Castel)

Barton: The future is now........

[Buckskin86]

Voice of Buckeyes
Barton's words sometimes speak as loudly as his hits -- to his detriment
Friday, August 17, 2007 3:38 AM
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Three unbridled hours of Ohio State offensive right tackle Kirk Barton: now that could be must-hear sports-talk radio.

It might come to an airwave near you someday, but for now, the senior doesn't want to mess up with a shoot-from-the-lip gaffe.

"I have to read all my articles to make sure I didn't say anything stupid, where I might get into trouble and be called into detention," Barton said. "As long as I don't get everybody riled up by what I've done, I'm in good shape."

The Columbus Dispatch : Voice of Buckeyes

[osugrad21]

Lima

Barton says "No" to NFL Jim Naveau | jnaveau@limanews.com - 08.21.2007

COLUMBUS ? Kirk Barton is talking. Those have probably not always been Jim Tressel?s four favorite words.
But the Ohio State football coach certainly appreciated one word the senior offensive tackle uttered in January.
That would be the ?No,? he spoke to the chance to enter the NFL draft after his junior season.
Barton, a second-team All-Big Ten selection, decided to return when he wasn?t projected to go high in the draft. That means Ohio State will get excellent production at right tackle and a season?s worth of entertaining commentary from Barton.



Cont..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Bucknuts.com$

Video Interview....

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State senior Barton gets to sound voice of leadership
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Doug LesmerisesPlain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- A legacy, a rarity, a rotation and a 300-pound exclamation were named as Ohio State's football captains Friday.

cleveland.com: Everything Cleveland

[Buckskin86]

BARTON JOINS SELECT GROUP

When Ohio State players voted senior right tackle Kirk Barton a captain last week, it came as no surprise. Barton's easygoing but straightforward personality is respected in the Buckeye locker room.

He is the 11th player from Stark County to be voted an OSU captain, and the third since Jim Tressel has been the Buckeyes' head coach.

The other 10 Stark County players who were OSU captains were Dustin Fox, Mike Doss, Chris Spielman, Ken Kuhn, Dave Whitfield, Tim Fox, Jim Houston, Ray Ellis, Jeff Logan and John Borton.

"When you think about it in those terms, it's an honor to be mentioned with guys like that," said Barton, a Perry High graduate. "There is a sense of accomplishment that my teammates have faith in me. I'm happy to lead such a good group. In terms of issues, we haven't had any. We've got a good character group."

HONORING HIS FATHER

When the scoreboard at Ohio Stadium flashes a picture of Barton on the big screen this season, you're going to wonder why Barton is making an "X" with his arms. During the team's media day, still and television images are taken of each player for network use and game-day operations.

Barton said the "X" is a Roman numeral. It has been 10 years since Kirk Barton Sr. died. Barton's father, a Canton South graduate, died in 1997 from complications of trachea surgery while he battled throat cancer.

"When my dad died, no one thought I'd be in this position," said Barton, a spitting image of his father. "I wanted to do something to salute him and the Roman numeral came to mind. ... I'm not a tattoo guy, and my mom would hate that, so the video on the scoreboard is just a quick salute."

Barton credits his mother as the most influential person in his life. Along with Brigette Barton, cousins Bryan and John Gliba and Jon Perdue helped keep him in line when the family returned to Stark County from Florida after his dad's death.

"My family ... has been a great role model," he said. "When you're new to the area and changing schools in the seventh grade, it's not easy to make friends. They made sure I fit in."

NEW, CLEANER ROOMMATE

For the last four years, Barton and GlenOak graduate T.J. Downing were roommates in Columbus. Downing, however, graduated, so Barton looked for a new roommate.

He didn't have to look far.

He and serious girlfriend Brittany Jordan are sharing an apartment. Jordan has already graduated from OSU.

"She is considerably cleaner than T.J.," Barton said. "T.J. ... he was kind of an animal. The apartment is immaculate compared to the last few years. She does it all. She's like a cleaning machine."

Living with a female, Barton said, has changed him a little, too. He is cleaner.

"I try my best, but some times I slip and leave a dirty pair of shorts on the floor and she gets a little fired up," Barton said. "That's OK. I like it when she gets a little a mad."

cantonrep.com

[osugrad21]

DDN

Barton family covered
Kirk Barton isn't sweating whether the Big Ten Network can reach an agreement with the big cable companies in time for the first two Ohio State games to be aired.
"My mom and girlfriend are accounted for (with comp tickets)," he said. "My dog's at the vet right now ? he's sick ? and he won't be able to watch it. My sister's a (recruiting) host, so she's accounted for. And everyone else is going to have to go to BW3's until they get this thing worked out."
Barton, who attended the season-opening press luncheon in a suit borrowed from ex-teammate T.J. Downing, just bought a Yorkshire Terrier for $500.
Asked what's wrong with it, Barton said, "He ate potpourri."