2021 – 52 Ancestors Challenge – Week 42 – Sports

I am bad at all “Sports,” and always the last one picked for a team. I remember visiting my sister and her family at Fort Bragg, and we decided to play baseball with our spouses and children. I was the last one chosen. It hurts. I guess they wanted to win and couldn’t if I was on a team.

On the brighter side of sports, almost everyone is rooting for their home NFL team this time of the year. I had a cousin who played in the NFL. His name was Joe Barbee. Joe was born Joseph Adam Barbee on 30 Aug 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1949 Joe Barbee, tackle, was selected to the All-County first team from Twinsburg, Ohio High School. Then, in March of 1950, he was chosen by the Akron [Ohio] Beacon Journal for the All-Summit County “B” team.

Joe attended college at Kent State University on an academic scholarship. As a freshman, he was 6 foot 3, 208-pounds. Coach Rees moved Joe to an offensive left-end position. In the Kent State vs. Western Reserve game [25-19] with nine minutes remaining, the quarterback connected on the 16-yard line to Joe for a game-winning pass. Joe Barbee was voted Honorable Mention Mid-American Team End in 1953, and 1954 first team Tackle All-Star Squad for the Associated Press, and Honorable mention tackle for the All-Ohio college football team.

As a free-agent football player, he became a late addition to the Baltimore Colts training camp [1955] squad Colt’s President Kellett announced he had signed Tackle Joe Barbee of Kent State. Barbee signed on the recommendation of tackle coach Frank Lauterbur who coached him at Kent State. He was All-American Conference at Kent State and also All-Ohio. However, later before playing a game, Ewbank released Barbee.

August 1960, Joe, whose home was in Sacramento, was recently discharged from the air force. He played his only NFL game for the 1960 Oakland Raiders (AFL) against the Dallas Texans. It was a loss. The 1960 Oakland Raiders were in 3rd place in the Western Division (6-8-0). The head coach was Eddie Erdelatz, and the defensive line coach was Marty Feldman. Joe Barbee was a left defensive tackle. DT’s typically line up on the line of scrimmage. Tackers are usually large in stature, and at that time, Barbee tied for the 3rd heaviest player on the team.

October 1967, the Sacramento Buccaneers hired Joe Barbee as a temporary coach for their team in the Continental League games. General manager George Theoderatos announced Joe Barbee would help coach the Sacramento Buccaneers of the Continental Football League. Unfortunately, Joe died on 12 Aug 1969 at 35 in Cleveland, Ohio.

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