THINKING BIG
Quarterbacks beware:
Deion Barnes��� dazzling
freshman season
was just the beginning
T
he memory still elicits a deep belly laugh from
Robert Barnes Sr.
Barnes used to help coach the North Philadelphia Aztecs when his son Deion played on the
Pop Warner team. After practice, the youngsters
would encircle the coaches, take a knee and
listen intently. ���After we were done talking,��� the
elder Barnes recalled, ���we would give the kids a
chance to raise their hands if they had any questions
or had something to say.���
It always seemed like Deion would throw his hand
into the air, eager to join the conversation. ���Deion,
put your hand down,��� his father would joke, because
often what Deion had to say had little to do with football.
The coaches wanted questions about the new plays
they had taught, new techniques they had drilled, or
inquiries about the upcoming opponent. While Deion
was certainly in tune with the football aspect ���
he was usually the tallest, most athletic player
on the field ��� he also had other, more systematic
topics on his mind.
���Deion would talk about math or something
like that,��� Robert Barnes said, laughing
Steve Manuel
as he recalled the scene. ���He would get
all deep on you. He���s a philosopher. He
