Anthony Barr bids farewell after 10-year career: 'Important for me to retire a Viking'

Barr starred in the NFL from 2014 to 2023, spending nine of his 10 seasons with the Vikings.

Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Anthony Barr (55) in action during the game between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Anthony Barr, despite his friend and former teammate Eric Kendricks revealing that he threw up before every game, did a little bit of everything during his 10-year NFL career. On Monday, Barr was back in Minnesota, where he starred for nine of his 10 seasons, to hold his retirement press conference.

"It's really good to be back here," Barr said. "It's important to me to retire as a Viking because the community means so much, the franchise means so much. It's a franchise that changed my life, coming here in May 2014 as, really, a young boy trying to find his way playing a game he's loved his whole life and got a chance to showcase his talents here."

Barr really did a bit of everything with the Vikings. In 102 games in purple and gold, Barr racked up 496 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, five interceptions, 31 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.

His success at linebacker led to four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2015 to 2018.

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Not a bad run for a guy who grew up in California, starred at UCLA and then had to transition to the highest level of football in cold Minnesota. His first taste of Minnesota was in April 2014.

"I was coming from California, I was in my T-shirt and my shorts, and I got off the plane and it's snowing. I'm like, 'Oh, damn,'" Barr said. "This place is different. Hopefully we don't come here, because I'm not trying to deal with the snow in April. Six weeks later, they called. and I was like, 'Damn!'

"But it ended up working out. Now I actually love the snow more than I do the heat, so that's kind of changed, being a Cali boy. Now I'm, like, full Minnesota."

Barr was joined at his press conference Monday by Kendricks and fellow former teammates Andrew Sendejo, Audie Cole, Harrison Smith and Chad Greenway.

"This is the team that gave me an opportunity. They let me come in and be my authentic self, while also expecting and demanding a lot from me," Barr said. "It was a two-way street, and I think, for the most part, I held up my end of the bargain — and they did as a franchise, as well."