Minnesota's Top Receiver, A.J. Barker, Quits Team on Twitter For 'Psychological Abuse' Over Injury From Jerry Kill

Minnesota’s Top Receiver, A.J. Barker, Quits Team on Twitter For ‘Psychological Abuse’ Over Injury From Jerry Kill

by Doug Kyed on Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 7:03PM

The Minnesota Golden Gophers’ top wide receiver, A.J. Barker, is the latest college football player to quit his team over supposed “abuse.”

Last week, Washington State’s Marquess Wilson quit the Cougars over abuse from Mike Lynch and the rest of his coaching staff. Now, Barker has quit the Gophers, and he did it via social media.

Well, its official. I am done playing football for the University of Minnesota and I will be looking to transfer next season for my final yr

— AJ Barker (@A_Barker_82) November 18, 2012

The walk-on junior wide receiver has 30 receptions for 577 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Barker explained the reasoning for this transfer on his personal Tumblr blog. Barker injured his ankle in Minnesota’s Week 9 game against Purdue, and reaggravated the injury warming up for Michigan the next week. Barker said that Gophers coach Jerry Kill manipulated him — threatening to deny a possible future scholarship and lashing out at him in front of the team for improper care of his injury, among other examples.

Barker can transfer to a new school without taking a year off as a non-scholarship athlete. Minnesota is 6-5 on the season. Barker has not played since the Gophers’ Oct. 27 win over Purdue.