Former Cincinnati Bearcat Connor Barwin is headed into the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 50th class, a fitting nod to one of the most unusual and memorable careers in program history.
Barwin, who played football for Cincinnati from 2005 to 2008, became a fan favorite almost immediately. He arrived as a versatile athlete and kept finding ways to matter, even when the path looked anything but ordinary. As a freshman in 2005, he appeared in 11 games and posted 8 catches for 144 yards and 1 touchdown.
That same season, Barwin also jumped into a completely different role. With the 2005-06 Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team hit hard by injuries, he joined the squad and served as a backup power forward at 6-foot-4. He played in 40 games for the Bearcats, with career highs of 6 points against Pittsburgh and 9 points rebounds against South Carolina.
His sophomore and junior seasons were steady, if not yet explosive. Across those two years, Barwin totaled 44 receptions for 547 yards and 4 touchdowns. Those numbers were solid over 25 games, but they still didn’t point to the kind of Hall of Fame resume he would eventually build.
That changed in 2008, when Barwin made a major switch from tight end to defensive end and took off. He earned First Team All-Big East honors and was named a Second Team All-American. He also became a Senior Bowl participant and picked up a Combine invite, all while playing a new position.
In 14 games that season, Barwin finished with 49 total tackles, including 29 solo stops. He added 14.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown against Rutgers.
That breakout season pushed him into the NFL as a second-round pick, No. 46 overall, by the Houston Texans. Barwin went on to play 10 seasons in the league from 2009 to 2018, with his best year coming in 2014 with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 16 games that season, he recorded 14.5 sacks, 78 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, and 6 passes defended, earning Pro Bowl honors and Second Team All-Pro recognition.
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