Over a month has passed since former running back Marion Barber’s untimely death at the age of 38 stunned and heartbroken Dallas Cowboys supporters.
On June 1, authorities discovered the player’s body in his Frisco, Texas, apartment, following a welfare check when another tenant reported water was leaking out of his unit. However, there was no immediate cause of death at the time.
Barber died of a heat stroke, the medical examiner said, who determined his death was an accident on Monday. The autopsy report revealed that the residence’s thermostat was set at 91 degrees with the heat set to “on” and exercise equipment was present. The autopsy findings also stated that Barber had a history of working out in hot, humid environments.
According to an incident report, police found Barber’s body in his bathroom shower with the water not running, but the water to the shower in another bathroom was running. Police were contacted by an employee at Barber’s apartment complex on June 1.
The employee then told police that he was concerned for Barber’s welfare because a neighbor had submitted a service request on May 11 due to water leaking into their apartment from Barber’s. The employee turned off the water at the leak and planned a visit to remedy the problem the next day. But the worker claimed he was unable to get in touch with Barber on May 12 or 13, and he also claimed that Barber ignored several calls and emails for two weeks.
The incident report also stated that a letter was also left on Barber’s door that had been there for nearly a week when officers arrived.
The Cowboys issued a statement following news of Barber’s death:
“We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III. Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down,” the Cowboys said in the statement. “He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates.”
Barber spent the first six of his seven NFL seasons with the Cowboys after excelling as a running back at the University of Minnesota. He was taken by the team at No. 109 overall in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Although the Plymouth, Minnesota native had never started a game and was listed as a backup behind Julius Jones on the depth chart, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2007.
In three of his six seasons with the Cowboys, Barber amassed more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage as rushing and receiving option out of the backfield, including a career-high 1,302 yards in 2008 after starting 13 of 15 games.
Barber spent his final NFL season with the Chicago Bears in 2011.
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Sources: Dailywire, Usatoday, Foxnews