MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football wide receiver Raphael Barr recently sat down with USAJaguars.com to discuss the graduate program he is currently in, the best piece of advice he's ever received and what he'll take away from his time here in Mobile, among other things.

Barr, a senior from Fontana, Calif., has been a member of the Jaguar program since the 2016 season.  His only game this season came in South's 45-0 win over Alabama A&M.  As a junior, Barr appeared in four contests his first season as a Jaguar, including a start in USA's win over No. 19 San Diego State.  He didn't have a catch but was credited with an assisted tackle covering a kickoff in his Jag debut against Georgia Southern.  Barr transferred to South Alabama after spending two years at Illinois and the 2013 season at Citrus [Calif.] CC where he caught 27 balls for 408 yards and six scores en route to be selected honorable mention all-Citrus.

Talk with me about your journey here to South Alabama and what led you to decide to come here?
"We were going through a lot of turmoil at Illinois as they were replacing the chancellor, athletic director and head coach.  I got a call from [former South Alabama assistant coach Bryant] Vincent one day.  He was aware that I was a qualifier early graduate, and he wanted me to transfer here.  I came here and started my master's program, which they were going to be able to pay for both years of.  That played a big factor in my decision to come to South."

What graduate program are you in?
"Sports management."

What do you want to do with that degree?
"I want to work within a sports organization in some capacity, whether it be in football or basketball."

When did you decide you wanted to go into the sports management field?
"It really kind of hit me last minute.  I had to enroll in a graduate program immediately and a lot of my credits weren't transferring or weren't going to transfer over in time.  The sports management program was open to me here and I figured that it would help me get to where I wanted to go."

Now that you've gone through the sports management program, what about the profession has attracted you to it?
"The relatability; since I'm an athlete, I figure I can better relate to that field.  It's just second nature to me."

How do you feel you've improved as a player since arriving on campus?
"I've grown more in terms of my leadership, but I've also become more focused as a person."

What's one of the best pieces of advice that you've received in your life and who gave it to you?
"It comes from my father.  He's always told me that 'In life, a man only has his last name and his word.  If you break those, you don't have anything.'"

What do you feel are some of the strengths of the offense?
"Different players on our team can do different things at different moments.  You can plug a lot of our players into different positions and they are able to do what the coaches need them to do."

As the team prepares for New Mexico State this weekend, what are some challenges that the offense faces this weekend going up against the Aggie defense?
"They are physical."

What do you feel will be a few key areas for the offense in order to be successful?
"No offense to our running game, but we are going to have to be strong in the passing game."

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?
"My parents because of the hardships they went through growing up.  My father grew up without a dad and he had to learn how to be a dad on the go.  My mom also grew up without a father."

What do you like to do in your spare time?
"I like to play video games."

What other sports did you play growing up other than football?  
"Basketball and that was it other than track.

If you could play another sport, what would it be?
"Basketball."

What will you take away from your time here at South?
"To be open-minded and open to new things, as well as just being more acceptable to change."

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