After a decade in the NFL, former UCLA Bruin linebacker Anthony Barr announced his retirement from football.
Barr played for the Bruins in the early 2010s, earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors (2012, 2013) as well as being named a Consensus All-American (2013) and taking home the Lott Trophy (2013) as the best defensive college football player in the country.
He went on to become the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, selected by the Minnesota Vikings, whom he played eight seasons for before heading to the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 and eventually returning to Minnesota in 2023.
Former Vikings LB Anthony Barr has announced his retirement from the NFL pic.twitter.com/CYcSBO2o8D
— The Viking Age (@TheVikingAge) August 4, 2025
Barr was a four-time Pro Bowler, earning the honors in consecutive years from 2015 through 2018. Throughout his lengthy tenure in the NFL, he appeared in 116 games, playing just four during his final season (2023).
Over the last decade, Barr earned 554 total tackles (371 solo), 18.5 sacks, 10 fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles, five interceptions for 45 yards, 32 pass deflections, and 38 stuffs for 72 yards. Simply put, he was a beast behind the defensive line.
While at UCLA, he earned 144 total tackles, 23.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles, helping the Bruins secure 19 wins during his junior and senior seasons, including a Sun Bowl victory over Virginia Tech at cap of the 2023 season.
Barr was born in South Bend, home to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but grew up in sunny Los Angeles, choosing to play for the Bruins over anyone else in the country, including the Fighting Irish and many other perennial programs in collegiate football.
The former UCLA star did not play during the 2024 NFL season but did not officially announce his retirement until Aug. 4, 2025, just a few days before the 2025 preseason kicked off.