COVINGTON, Ky. — Derrick Barnes was the hero in Detroit Sunday afternoon, picking off quarterback Baker Mayfield in the final minutes of the Lions' divisional round game against the Bucs, sealing a win and sending his team to the NFC Championship Game.
"It was electric. It was unreal," the Covington native said after the game, recounting his first career interception. "That was for the City of Detroit — most importantly, for my son. ... I know he couldn't see, he's probably asleep right now, but I just wanted my son to enjoy that moment, especially for his first game."
Barnes' son, Trey, was born earlier this month. Sunday's game was the first game he attended.
"That's a moment that he'll never forget," said Bruce Kozerski, the former Bengals center who coached Barnes at Holy Cross High School. "The pictures with his baby after the game, and with his wife. You'll never forget those. Because that's the moment that solidified your position as a professional athlete."
The Purdue alum was drafted by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and in his first year in the league, he got to meet the man who inspired him the most: former Bengal Andrew Whitworth.
When Whitworth accepted the 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, he told a story about a rookie telling him how much his work in Cincinnati meant to him. That player was Barnes, who spent time with him at the Covington Boys & Girls Club as a kid.
"He said, 'Hey man, you're not going to remember me ... you spent time with me when you were a young player in Cincinnati at the Boys & Girls Club, and it meant the world to me," Whitworth recounted. "He goes, 'You know what, the main thing I wanted to say, Whit, I made it. I made it to the NFL, Big Whit.'"
Barnes told WCPO in 2022 he couldn't thank Whitworth enough for "what he's done for me." He's continued Whitworth's legacy, returning to the Boys & Girls Club and hoping to have a similar impact on the kids he interacts with.
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Of course, Big Whit hasn't forgotten Barnes. He celebrated that game-winning interception on social media.
"Couldn’t be happier for @derrickbarnes21!" Whitworth said on X (formerly Twitter). "Baby and an interception to send his team to the NFC championship in last couple weeks! Talk about Happy New year! More to come! 💪🏼"
Couldn’t be happier for @derrickbarnes21 !
— Andrew Whitworth (@AndrewWhitworth) January 22, 2024
Baby and an interception to send his team to the NFC championship in last couple weeks!
Talk about Happy New year!
More to come! 💪🏼
The Lions take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game Sunday, Jan. 28. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.
