On the eve of the NFL Draft, former Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett had a message for the 32 NFL franchises that will be picking this weekend.
He’s more than just a name in Tennessee’s record book
“Right now, you might know me as the kid who broke Reggie White’s sack record at Tennessee, but that’s not the only thing I’m going to be remembered for by the time I leave this game,” Barnett wrote in a piece titled “NFL Draft Cover Letter” published in The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday.
In the letter, Barnett highlights his impressive career numbers at Tennessee – 33 sacks and 197 tackles over the span of three season – but also acknowledges that he would trade any number or record for more team success with the Vols.
“Achieving that sack record definitely meant a lot to me, but I would have traded it away in a heartbeat to have won a championship while I was in college,” he wrote. “So understand that even though I’ve achieved some noteworthy things and won some individual awards, they are not what drives me. I want to lead a defense. I want to be an important part of a winning team. I want to win a Super Bowl.”
Barnett also mentions the work ethic that his mother, who at times worked up to three jobs at once to support him, instilled in him, and what it will mean for him to be able to take care of her after this week.
“When I make it to the NFL, she knows that I’ll be able to take care of her,” he wrote. “She deserves for me to take care of her. But she doesn’t want that. She’s already told me that she’s going to keep her same job at the UPS warehouse — on her feet, sweating, sorting packages on a tight deadline — even after I make it to the league. Working hard is not optional — it’s in my DNA.”
You can read more of Barnett’s open letter on The Players’ Tribune right here.
