Acting

Harris Barton

Harris Barton anchored the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line during their dominant dynasty, protecting two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and helping secure three Super Bowl championships. Born on April 19, 1964, in Atlanta, Georgia, Barton grew up in a Jewish Orthodox home and attended Dunwoody High School before starring at the University of North Carolina. A four-year starter for the Tar Heels, he earned First-team All-American honors and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Outstanding Offensive Lineman as a senior in 1986. Drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, by the 49ers in 1987, the 6-foot-4, 286-pound Barton was the first offensive lineman selected by San Francisco in the first round since 1968. He finished as the runner-up for the NFL Rookie of the Year and went on to play twelve seasons, appearing in 138 games with 134 starts, including an impressive 89 consecutive games. He earned two First-team All-Pro selections (1992, 1993) and one Pro Bowl berth (1993), winning Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX. Barton's strengths defined championship-caliber offensive line play: exceptional durability, meticulous preparation (arriving six hours before kickoff to mentally prepare), and the ability to channel intense focus into ferocious blocking. Teammates praised the "soul and spirit" he infused into the offensive line that protected Joe Montana and Steve Young. His technique and intelligence made him one of the era's most fundamentally sound tackles.