Lifetime Warhorse honored by Owen football team

Dr. Robert Barker sets standard for service to maroon and white

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 14, 2023

Dr. Robert Barker, a former football player and graduate in the Owen High School class of 1972, was recognized by the Warhorse football team, April 14, for nearly three decades of service to the program. Photo by Fred McCormick

It was not surprising to find generations of Warhorses represented in the cafeteria at Owen, April 14, as a crowd gathered in front of trophy cases filled with decades worth of hardware collected by the program. 

However, by the time Dr. Robert Barker was presented with an old maroon jersey featuring “74” in bright white numerals, it was clear that it was his service to his former team bridged the generational gap. 

Long before his long medical career in his native Swannanoa Valley, and well before he ran the first of what became 26 straight Mount Mitchell Challenges and Black Mountain Marathons, Barker was snapping his chinstrap and lining up alongside teammates like former Black Mountain Mayor Larry Harris under legendary coaches Bill Rucker and Jim LeVine.  

He left home for a few years to pursue his medical degree, but when Barker returned he felt a call to return to the Warhorse family.

“Playing for this school helped me become part of this community,” said Barker, who shared fond memories with longtime friends after the ceremony. “There is such a great support of the sports here at Owen, particularly football at the time I played here. Now, there are so many good teams to choose from, but when I was growing up this program was like the glue that held the community together.”

Barker was an All-Buncombe County offensive lineman as a senior in 1972, but it was the memories he made on Friday nights at Shuford Field that he took with him while pursuing his medical degree. When he came home in 1986, he wanted to find a way to help his former team.

He would go on to spend nearly 30 years watching regularly from the sidelines, where he was prepared to offer medical assistance when necessary.

“When someone was injured, I would go out with the paramedics and evaluate them,” Barker said. “I always had stuff in the car for stitching, and sometimes I had to sew up kids at halftime. I even remember treating Coach (Kenny) Ford a couple of times.”

Owen High School football players present Dr. Robert Barker with his old football jersey and a team helmet, which includes a sticker for every year of service he gave to the program. Photo by Fred McCormick

Former players and community members like Barker represent what it means to truly care about the Swannanoa Valley, Warhorse Head Coach Zach Gibson said while presenting the doctor with a helmet with a sticker for each year he served the program.

“We thought it was important to honor you for all your years of service to this program,” Gibson told Barker. “These guys might not have been around at that time, but I want them to know about the people who invest their time and effort into this place.”

Rick Earley, a former classmate and longtime friend of Barker, introduced him to the Owen football coaching staff.

“They came up with a great idea, considering how much time Robert has spent on the field, to have the team recognize everything he’s done for this community,” Earley said. “He was there to keep guys just like you healthy, and fix them when they were broken. It’s great of you all to welcome him here today.”

Barker, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021, offered the current Warhorse players advice.

“You guys are developing friendships, skills and talents you’ll use for the rest of your life,” he said. “You’ll look back and realize this is one of the most important times of your life. You hear that all the time, but it’s true, because you guys will all appreciate each other more and more as the years go by.”

While a Parkinson’s diagnosis came with new challenges for Barker, it has not slowed him down on the trails. He ran the Black Mountain Marathon in February, finishing the race 18 minutes faster than he did in 2022, while raising more than $10,000 for the Davis Phinney Foundation.

“I love that race, and he has become more of a challenge with Parkinson’s disease,” he said. “But, exercise is the very best thing to minimize the symptoms, so I’ll run it for as long as I can.”

Like the ultramarathon, his old high school holds a special place in Barker’s heart.

“It’s humbling,” he said of being recognized by the Warhorse football team. “I don’t think I’m anything special, and why would something so wonderful happen to me? I feel more mortal every year, and the older you get, you realize life comes at you fast. But, I feel blessed to still be here at age 68, and it feels that much better to receive an honor like this.”