Former Alabama QB Jay Barker Arrested for Aggravated Assault in Nashville
Former Alabama quarterback Jay Barker was arrested on charges of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon Saturday morning in Nashville, Tenn.
According to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office’s online database, Barker was arrested at 4:10 a.m. CT and was booked at 4:52 a.m. He was then placed under a 12-hour domestic violence hold with a $10,000 bond. He posted bond and was released at 7:29 p.m. Barker currently has a court date set for March 22 at 8:30 a.m.
According to a report from ABC 33/40, an affidavit states that there was probable cause to believe Barker unlawfully attempted to strike his wife, Sara Evans, with a vehicle. Evans, who is separated and living apart from Barker, was returning home following a party at a neighbor’s house. She was driven home by a witness. When the vehicle entered the driveway, Barker was driving a separate vehicle and reversed at high speed in an attempt to hit them. Barker drove off but later returned once police arrived on the scene. He was then arrested by the Nashville Police Department.
Barker, 49, played at Alabama from 1991-94 and quarterbacked the Crimson Tide during its 1992 national championship season. During his senior season in 1994, he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award while finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was also named SEC Player of the Year that season. Barker posted a 35-2-1 record as a starter at Alabama. He is eighth on the Crimson Tide's all-time passing list with 5,689 yards.
Following his college career, Barker was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Packers, New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers from 1995-96 but did not appear in an NFL game. In addition to his brief NFL career, he played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League 1998-2001 before finishing his career with the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL in 2001.
Barker currently co-hosts “The Jay Barker Show” for Tuscaloosa radio station Tide 100.9. He is the husband of country artist Sara Evans and the father of Alabama walk-on quarterback Braxton Barker, who entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal this week.
On Sunday afternoon, Barker posted a statement for the first time since his arrest:
"I am humbled beyond words by the support I have received from friends, supporters, and so many in the Alabama family," Barker's Instagram post reads. "To all of you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
"We all confront challenges in life, and my family and I are facing one now. Unfortunately, headlines and quick-to-publish news stories do not adequately capture the full context and complex fabric of our lives. I love my family dearly, and at this difficult time, I respectfully ask for privacy for the sake of my family and especially for our kids."
Barker concluded the post with his signature as well as the Bible verse, Romans 8:28.
Here is Barker's arrest record from the Davidson County Sheriff's Office website:
This story will be updated when new information is provided.
