Former Auburn RB Peyton Barber buys his homeless mother an apartment

Former Auburn running back Peyton Barber declared for the NFL draft after his redshirt sophomore season to support his mother, who he revealed was homeless at the time.

“It was just because there were some things I was going through with my family,” Barber said at the NFL scouting combine in February. “I don’t know if anybody knows… my mom, she’s homeless right now.”

Barber’s mother, Lori, was previously staying with her daughter and three grandchildren, but her son said he wanted to earn money to buy her a place of her own, rather than potentially boost his draft stock with another year at Auburn.

After signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, Barber purchased an apartment for his mother with the money earned from his current rookie contract.

“My mom is doing good,” Barber told ESPN.com. “I just bought her a new apartment.”

The former Auburn standout rushed for a season-best 84 yards and scored his first career touchdown in last week’s 34-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7, which earned him NFL Rookie of the Week honors.

“It felt great,” Barber said of his first touchdown. “God is good. He’s definitely blessing me a lot.”

Jason Hall

Jason covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.