Лесли Барли: Арена футболшысының өмірбаяны

American gridiron football player (born 1967)

Leslie Barley (born September 7, 1967) is a former Arena Football League fullback and linebacker. In a career lasting ten years, he played for the Charlotte Rage, the Connecticut Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Storm, the Grand Rapids Rampage and the Milwaukee Mustangs. He played college football at Winston Salem State University. He was named First Team All Arena in 1995 and Second Team All Arena in 1998.

Barley was born on September 7, 1967, in Gretna, Virginia. He started playing football as an eighth grader at Gretna Junior High School. Though initially designated as a lineman, he was converted to running back after the coaches his performances on the track team. On the football team, he starred at running back while lining up as a linebacker on defense. Barley earned honorable mention all district honors as a sophomore before earning second team all district honors on both offense and defense as a junior. As a senior, he led the team with 108 tackles while registering 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns on offense, again earning first team all district honors at both positions. Aside from football, Barley participated in track and field all four years at Gretna, setting multiple school records. He regularly competed in six events (shot put, discus throw, triple jump, 100 yards, 220 yards, and the relay race), though he competed in other events, such as the long jump or the hurdles, as needed. Barley was considered an NCAA Division I prospect in football, but his SAT scores did not meet the minimum requirements to play Division I sports, which were set by Prop 48. He chose to attend Winston Salem State University, a Division II school which did not fall under the same guidelines at the time, over offers from Maryland, Virginia, Elon, and Ferrum. Barley earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and later returned to the school to earn his master's degree in sports management in 1998.

After going unselected in the 1990 NFL draft, Barley spent a year out of football. In June 1991, he was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) after impressing their coaching staff at a free agent camp in Shreveport, Louisiana. He signed with the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League (AFL) a few months later. As a rookie, Barley was second in the league with 264 rushing yards and ten touchdowns. Barley rushed for 52 yards on five carries and caught a touchdown in the Storm's 43–35 win, and was named the game's most valuable player. Upon his return to the Rage, Barley rushed for 42 yards and one touchdown before he was permanently acquired by the Storm in a midseason trade for receiver Anthony Howard. In his first year with the Coyotes, he rushed for 118 yards and seven touchdowns, and caught 11 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown. He also registered 17 tackles, two sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries on defense, earning first team All Arena honors. In the 1996 home opener on May 3, Barley rushed for a score and caught another one to help the Coyotes to a 68–34 victory over the Memphis Pharaohs – the first home win in franchise history. He was traded to the Charlotte Rage a few weeks later in exchange for Billy Owens and Reggie Robinson. Barley returned to the Tampa Bay Storm in 1997 after the disappearance of the Charlotte Rage. That season, he rushed for 183 yards and eight touchdowns on 43 carries. That season, he earned second team All Arena honors after rushing for 232 yards and a league leading 15 touchdowns and registering 30 total tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries on defense. Barley finished his career with the Grand Rapids Rampage in 2000 and the Milwaukee Mustangs in 2001. Barley finished his career as the AFL's all time leading rusher with 1,382 rushing yards on 425 carries. He held the record until it was broken in 2006 by Bob McMillen.

In 1992, Barley was hired as an assistant football coach at Rock Hill High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina.