Matt Barkley

BIOGRAPHY

Mathew Montgomery Barkley was born on September 8, 1990, in New Port Beach, California. He was a quarterback in the National Football League.

In his early years, Barkley attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. In 2005, he became the first freshman quarterback to start since Todd Marinovich. As a freshman, he passed for 1,685 yards and ten touchdowns. As a sophomore, he passed for 1,349 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2006 and in 2007, he passed for 3,576 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2007, completing 63 percent of his passes with nine interceptions. In three seasons, he passed for 6,994 yards and 57 touchdowns. Barkley was named 2007 football Gatorade National Player of the Year, and the 2007 Gatorade national male athlete of the year, becoming the first non-senior to win both awards. He also won the 2007 Glenn Davis Award given to the best high school football player in Southern California, and the inaugural Joe Montana Award as the nation's top high school quarterback. Barkley was rated as the top prospect in the nation for the Class of 2009 by ESPN. He was rated the top prospect by Rivals.com. 

On January 23, 2008, Barkley verbally committed to USC. He graduated from high school on December 18, 2008, and on January 4, 2009, Barkley participated in Under Armour All-America Game at the Florida Citrus Bowl. After graduating from high school a semester early, Barkley enrolled in the University of Southern California. On August 27, Barkley was named the starting quarterback for the 2009 season. He is the first freshman quarterback to ever start an opener for the Trojans, and the first freshman to start the opener for a preseason top-five team since Rich Leach did it for No. 3 Michigan in 1975. He closed his freshman season by throwing for 350 yards and 2 touchdowns against Boston College in the 2009 Emerald Bowl. In 2010, Barkley still had the starting job. He began 2011 by setting the USC single-game record for completions with 34 against Minnesota and on October 1, against Arizona, he passed for a USC single-game record for 468 yards. On November 4, he passed for a USC single-game record for touchdowns in a game with 6, against the Colorado Buffaloes. He won the 2011 CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy with his record-breaking season. 

On December 22, 2011, Barkley announced he would return for his senior year with the USC Trojans rather than entering the 2012 NFL Draft. Going into his senior season, Barkley was widely considered a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Barkle decided to return to USC for his senior season, and in April 2012, he was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick for the 2013 NFL Draft. The Philadephia Eagles drafted him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. On October 20, 2013, he saw his first NFL action against the Dallas Cowboys where he completed 11 of his 20 pass attempts for 129 yards and threw 3 interceptions. On September 4, 2015, Barkley was traded for the seventh-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals but was released on September 3, 2016.

Barkley was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad on September 4, 2016, and was elevated to the active roster on September 22, 2016. On October 20, Barkley made his first appearance as a member of the Chicago Bears, going 6 of 15 for 81 yards; he threw for zero touchdowns and two interceptions against the Green Bay Packers. Barkley started the following week's game against the Tennessee Titans and completed 28 of 54 passes for 316 yards with three touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 72.8 passer rating. Barkley earned his first NFL win the very next week on December 4, a 26–6 win over the San Fransisco 49ers where he completed 11 for 18 passes for 192 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 97.5 passer rating. 

On December 18, Barkley completed 30 passes for 362 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions against the Green Bay Packers making it the most yards by a Bears quarterback in a game against Green Bay in the rivalry's history. He ended the 2016 season with eight touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. On March 10, 2017, Barkley signed a two-year contract with the San Fransisco 49ers, and on September 1, 2017, he was released by the 49ers at the end of the preseason. On November 13, 2017, Barkley re-signed with the Cardinals due to Drew Stanton possibly missing playing time as a result of a knee sprain. However, Barkley was inactive for the entire season. He then signed a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on March 17, 2018, but was released on September 12, 2018. On October 31, 2018, Barkley was signed by the Buffalo Bills and on November 11, it was announced that he would start for the Bills against the New York Jets. He made his first NFL start in two years, threw for 232 yards and two touchdown passes as Buffalo beat the Jets 41–10, snapping the team's four-game losing streak. On December 21, 2018, Barkley signed a two-year contract extension with the Bills through the 2020 season.

During the 2020 season, Barkley saw action in five regular-season games and threw his first touchdown pass since the 2018 season, a 56-yard completion to wide receiver Gabriel Davis, during the final game of the season against the Miami Dolphins. Barkley finished the regular season completing 11 of 21 passes for 197 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. 

After short stints with the Titans and Panthers, he played his last season with the Atlanta Falcons.