Former Cowboys WR Terrell Owens gives speech at Marion Barber’s funeral

It’s been almost a month since former Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber was found dead at just 38 years old in his apartment in Frisco, Texas. The former RB was known for his aggressive playstyle and was a force to be reckoned with on the field. His death was a shock to many and sparked widespread concern across the football world.

Sadly, after his career, Barber suffered from mental health issues and was even hospitalized twice for psychiatric evaluations. Many believed these concerns possibly came from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), which is a brain condition that has been found in many former football players. CTE is caused by repeated head trauma and results in symptoms such as dementia, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, mood swings, and more.

A few weeks after his death was reported, however, Barber’s family revealed that the former Cowboys RB specifically requested that his brain not be donated to CTE research.

There have been multiple memorial services in Barber’s honor. Last week, over 400 people (including family, friends, and fans) attended a “Celebration of Life” funeral service held at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minnesota, where Barber played college football.

Former Cowboys teammate, Terrell Owens, gave a heartwarming speech at the ceremony.

Former Cowboys WR Terrell Owens gives a heartfelt speech at Marion Barber’s memorial service

Owens and Barber played together on the Cowboys for three seasons. They both earned Pro Bowl nods in 2007 thanks to a combined 27 touchdowns and 2,600 yards.

In the video above, the Hall of Famer starts by saying how much he respected his former teammate as a person. He talks about how special and talented he was. The former WR shared how many didn’t know about his musical talents. Owens told family and friends how Barber could play the piano and sing well.

Owens lightheartedly joked with those in attendance that he told his teammate that if he could sing like that, he would walk around singing with his shirt off all the time. The Pro Bowler paused and said, “I did that anyway,” which got a healthy laugh.

After that, he went back to sincerity. He extended his deepest condolences and got emotional at the end of his talk. Owens shared that the news of Barber’s passing shook him to his core, like it did for many others.

Others who spoke at the ceremony were former Gophers teammate Laurence Maroney, former Minnesota coach Glen Mason, and Barber’s brother Dom.

At this time, Barber’s cause of death has still not been revealed. His father revealed that because he was found under running water from the shower, the coroners were having a hard time discovering what exactly went wrong. He added that they have eliminated things like trauma or foul play, but are still running tests.