The Philadelphia Eagles will welcome its Class of 2013 for the rookie minicamp this weekend. As we learn about the new Eagles as football players and begin to project how they will help this football team, here's an opportunity to learn about the players off the field as well. Here are some notes on the Eagles' fourth-round pick, quarterback Matt Barkley ...
- Parents are Bev and Les Barkley. Matt isn't the only athlete in his family. A four-year letter winner in water polo at USC, Les was a two-year team captain and a second-team All-America selection. Matt has a brother, Sam, who is a hurdler on USC's track team. Matt has a sister, Lainy, who also attends USC. Matt is engaged to Brittany Langdon.
- Barkley is a self-described tech-nerd. He helped design USC's Project Tro7an app.
"I've always loved gadgets. When I was a kid, I wanted the original iPod. I wrote a letter and put it in my dad's briefcase telling him why I should get one. I was just a really curious kid," Barkley said.
- Named to 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his charitable deeds. During his Christmas holiday break in 2010, Barkley spent 11 days in Nigeria visiting orphans, widows, villagers and prisoners. He did construction work, distributing gifts and sharing in daily fellowship.
On his spring break in 2010, Barkley led a group of 16 Trojans who spent five days in Haiti building houses and delivering more than 2,000 pounds of supplies for orphanages and schools as part of Hope Force International. Barkley's parents started the Monarchs for Marines (M4M) campaign and Barkley spearheaded a landscape renovation project at youth areas near Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps Base, which is located close to Barkley's high school, Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif.
- A devout Christian, Barkley played acoustic guitar for his church youth group.
- Barkley practices what he preaches. He frequently speaks to youth about the importance of staying in school. After a stellar junior season at USC, Barkley announced that he would return for his senior campaign despite being touted as a first-round draft pick.
- Barkley left Southern California after attaining a cumulative 3.23 grade point average. In addition to his honors on the football field, he was a three-time selection to the Pac-12's All-Academic team.
- Finished college career as Pac-12 and USC all-time record holder with 12,214 yards of total offense, 12,327 passing yards and 116 touchdown passes.
- Named Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year and Gatorade National Football Player of the Year as a junior at Mater Dei High School.
- Won the starting jobs at both Mater Dei High School and USC as a true freshman. At Mater Dei, Barkley was allowed by head coach Bruce Rollinson to call his own plays.
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