DURHAM, N.C. – Defender Darrius Barnes had a hand in the Blue Devils first goal of the 2005 season registering an assist in his collegiate debut on a throw in, finding the head of Chris Loftus for the game winning goal in the 2-0 win over Long Island.

Barnes ended the year starting the final 10 games for the Blue Devils, registering three assists on the season with the final one coming in a 4-2 win over Maryland in the ACC semifinals.

The culmination of his freshman season put the thought in his mind that he may have a chance to play professional soccer one day.

“It never became a realistic thing to me until after my freshman year at Duke,” Barnes said. “I had a really good freshman season, and about a quarter of the way through the season I broke through the starting lineup, and I had a good ACC tournament that year.”

Following his freshman season, the Raleigh, N.C. native met with the Duke coaches who told Barnes that professional scouts and coaches were inquiring about the 6’2” defender.

“That kind of gave me the inspiration and motivation to keep working hard over the next three years, and I felt like if I did that I could definitely make it,” Barnes said.

Barnes continued to work hard over his next three seasons both playing under the lights of Koskinen Stadium and in the classroom earning his degree in sociology, with a marketing and management certificate in three and a half years.

The Culmination of his work came on Jan. 15 when he received the news that he had been drafted by the MLS’s New England Revolution.

“Growing up I always knew I would graduate from college,” Barnes said. “That is something that has always been a standard for me. But to play professional soccer and getting drafted, just to see that unfold, and come so soon is pretty special.”

Barnes was drafted in the third round with the 40th overall pick. Six picks earlier his teammate Mike Grella was selected 34th by the Toronto F.C.

Barnes was at his parents’ house in Raleigh during the draft with his mother, Debra, his father Bobby and his girlfriend Mallory Jones.

They watched the first round go by on television before following along over the internet for the remainder of the draft. Barnes received a call from his agent, who he hired a week before he attended the 2009 MLS Combine on Jan. 9, telling him that the Revolution were close to selecting him with either the 38th or 40th pick.

“I pretty much found out right before they drafted me,” Barnes said. “My agent called me and told me that New England was interested in me and they were pretty sure they were about to take me. They had two picks, pretty much back-to-back, and he said ‘they were pretty much going to take me with one of those two picks’.”

The Revolution selected Chris Salvaggione of UNC-Charlotte with the 38th pick and when Toronto F.C. passed on Barnes with the 39th pick the Revolution got the player they had hoped would be there with the 40th selection.

“It was just great excitement knowing that you reached a stepping stone in where you are trying to go,” Barnes said. “I was definitely excited to hear the news that I had gotten drafted providing me the chance to play professional soccer.”

“My mom was on the phone immediately after I got drafted telling my grandma, aunts and cousins and my Dad was doing the same thing,” he added. “It was definitely a special moment.”

To hear Barnes talk about the experience of being drafted you are left with the sense that not much can shake his stoic demeanor, and maybe that’s why he was so effective on the back defensive line for the Blue Devils for four seasons.

He was voted to the All-ACC second team in 2008, as he helped anchor Duke’s defense during his career. He played the second most minutes on the team in 2008 and helped the Blue Devils post 10 shutouts. A three-year starter and steady force for the Blue Devils’ backline, Barnes was selected to the Duke/Nike Classic All-Tournament team after helping the team capture the tournament title. The defensive stalwart tallied a goal in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal game versus Virginia as a senior. For his career, Barnes played in 77 career games, including 70 starts, registered one goal and nine assists, helping Duke corral 32 shutouts.

Even over the course of his solid career, the 22-year old still came into the 2009 MLS Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. as someone who needed a good showing to assert himself as a young talent in the MLS.

“I felt good,” Barnes said. “I feel like I went in and had a really solid performance. Going in I wasn’t as known, because I didn’t have all the accolades of other people, but when I left I felt people definitely knew who I was.”

The camp was held from Jan. 9-13 with the 65 Division I seniors being split into four teams for the duration of the camp, playing three games in four nights. A number of coaches of scouts spoke with Barnes following the combine.

Prior to the combine Barnes spent his time training back home by himself in Raleigh.

He has spent the last two weeks, before he heads north to New England on Jan. 30 (today), training at Duke with the team, working on conditioning and technical ball work.

Training camp begins on February 2 and last until mid March. Over that time Barnes will need to impress the coaches as he competes for a contract.
The move to New England should be a good fit for Barnes.

The Revolution took third in the Eastern Conference and is looking to sure up their defense as they allowed the fifth most goals in the league. New England finished the 2008 regular season with a 12-11-7 record and fell to the Chicago Fire in the first round of the playoffs.

“I have heard nothing but great things about their coaching staff,” Barnes said. “Coach Kerr has a really good relationship with the two coaches up there. I feel like it will be a good fit.”

Duke head coach John Kerr has strong ties with New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol and assistant coach Paul Mariner.

“Go in there, work hard and just stay a student of the game,” Barnes said. “Be willing to learn and listen to the coaches. He [coach Kerr] is really high on me going up there because he feels like it is a good fit and a good transition for me.”

Notes: Barnes will join former Duke players Jay Heaps and Michael Videira with the New England Revolution. Videira recently signed with the club after a stint in Europe and Heaps has been a member of the team since 2001.