BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Reggie Barlow grew up in the Ridgecrest neighborhood, a subdivision on the southside of Montgomery, Ala. with his mother and four brothers. Determined to make it out and provide a better life for his family, Barlow always found sports as a haven from his day-to-day challenges surrounding the area.
Barlow attended Sidney Lanier High School during the late 1980’s, where he became an all-around athlete, competing on the baseball, football, and track and field teams. While attending Lanier, Barlow garnered all-state recognition in football in three consecutive seasons but was not being recruited at the time by collegiate programs.
During the course of his senior season at Lanier, Barlow was noticed by Alabama State head football coach Houston Markham, while attending a baseball game that his son competed in as a teammate of Barlow’s. On that day Markham observed the unique athleticism of Barlow. While watching him catch everything that came in the direction of centerfield, coach Markham became curious of Barlow’s talents and began recruiting him.
Barlow had always been a fan of the annual Alabama State and Tuskegee Turkey Day Classic being from the area, so what was once a dream of going to ASU, had now become a reality for the talented wideout.
Known for his work ethic and never quit mindset, Barlow was a smooth but speedy route runner. Striving to become the best all-around teammate/player possible he spent a lot of time his freshman and sophomore seasons at ASU learning from teammates such as: Reggie Brown, Horace Brooks, Derrick Roberts and receiver’s coach Roger Totten.
Barlow emerged from behind the scenes during his junior season to stand in the spotlight as he finished the year with 58 receptions, 1,267 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Hornets while also leading the nation in return yards with 20-plus yards per return (which also helped propel his draft status).
After having great success during both the Alabama Blue & Grey All-Star game in his hometown of Montgomery and the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Barlow was taken in the fourth round of the 1996 National Football League (NFL) Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In 1998, Barlow led the NFL in punt yardage with 43 returns for 555 yards and a touchdown, while being named a Pro Bowl alternate. Today, Barlow still hold the Jaguars’ franchise record for most punt returns (146), most punt return yards (1,581), average per return (10.8), and punt returns for a touchdown (2), and also stands among the all-time single-season leaders in punt return yardage (555).
In 2002, Barlow went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won a championship ring in Super Bowl XXXVII. After a two-year tenure with the Buccaneers, Barlow decided to retire from playing football to pursue another childhood dream. He returned to his beloved alma mater, Alabama State, to begin coaching.
In 2006, Barlow worked with a trio of quarterbacks without a single snap of college football experience between them. With that group, starting quarterback, Alex Engram earned Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Newcomer of the Week award and finished eighth in the conference in total offense. The very next season, Barlow was named interim head coach and a few weeks later the interim tag was removed.
As head coach, Barlow has amassed a combined record of 80-52 (.606 winning percentage) in 12 seasons (four at Virginia State and eight at Alabama State). Barlow spearheaded the Hornets to winning the SWAC Eastern Division title and a berth to the annual Championship game in 2010.
He also coached a several current and former NFL players, including former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, the late Tarvaris Jackson, who was a member of the Super Bowl XLVIII Championship team, Las Vegas Raiders Isaiah Crowell, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Terran Jones, former Oakland Raider Greg Jenkins, and former Baltimore Raven Nigel Carr. Barlow is also the second-winningest coach in program history.
At VSU, Barlow guided the Trojans behind running back sensation Trenton Cannon, (currently plays for the New York Jets), to a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship in his second season at the helm. His team also competed and loss in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Playoffs.
Barlow holds the record at Virginia State for the best winning percentage in a single season with .909 during the 2017 season. Having learned different philosophies over the years from various coaches such as Tom Coughlin, Jon Gruden, and coach Markham, Barlow introduced a philosophy of his own that he lives by to his teams: D.A.S.H.H. (Discipline, Attitude, Sacrifice, Habits, and Heart).
Barlow is a member of the 2013 SWAC Hall of Fame Class.
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.