Q&A with Deshaun Barnes

The school produces a multitude of college football players every year, and Barnes is one of the latest.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Barnes, a safety/linebacker, signed a national letter of intent to play football for Tennessee on Feb. 7. He gave credit to the Lincoln program for elevating his play to UT's level.

Barnes talked about developing his abilities at Lincoln and preparing for life at UT in this GoVolsXtra Q & A:

Q: What was your most memorable moment from an official visit?
A: Just hanging out with the players and coaches at Tennessee. It felt real good. They made me feel like I was at home again.

Q: You were already committed to UT when you took your official visit last month. How much of the visit was getting to know the coaches and players?
A: It was more than 75 percent of it. I was really trying to get to know the coaches and trying to see where I was going to be my next four years in college. I was trying to see who my friends and who my new family were going to be.

Q: What was your least favorite part of the recruiting process?
A: Just getting phone calls every night while you're trying to eat and while you're trying to do homework and talk to other people at the same time. It kind of got annoying. But it was also fun at the same time. It gave you new experiences. It taught you how the system worked.

Q: What were some things you learned from the recruiting process?
A: It teaches you how you're going to be when you're an upperclassman. You're not going to be in high school anymore. You're going to be in college now. It teaches you how to manage your time.

Q: Who has had the most significant influence on your football career?
A: My mother and my best friend, Kiara Baity. They always come to all the football games and show me their support. They helped me out with my decisions and stuff like that. They helped me when I didn't know where I wanted to go (to college). I didn't know who was in my top five, top three. They helped me break it down. They helped me a lot.

Q: When did you know you would have a future in football?
A: I figured I'd have a future in football in my 10th grade year when colleges really started looking at me. Players in front of me knew what they were doing so they taught me how to play football. They taught me how to learn the plays, work on the system at Lincoln. After that I said I can really go to the next level and play college football.

Q: Lincoln High School has produced a lot of Division 1 players. Did you see other players' success as motivation to reach their level?
A: I really did think that. The people in our class really worked hard. We got all that work ethic from the people in the past. They taught us how to be great leaders and how to be great football players.

Q: What are your goals at UT?
A: I would really like to get my degree and just do something in football that would make Tennessee a better place for all the recruits in the future.

Q: What is your favorite part about playing football?
A: My favorite part about playing football is the new things you get to learn and when you get to hit people. My favorite part about learning, it teaches you knew things and how to adjust to knew things. When you're on the football field, you can't just go do this one play. You've got to know how to adjust to it. Learning new things over the week, it teaches you how to protect yourself in the game. And then getting to hit somebody, I don't like to get hit on the offensive side of the ball, so I like to deliver the blow.

Q: Who is your favorite athlete?
A: I would say Michael Jordan. When I was growing up, I used to love playing basketball, and that's the only player I used to watch.

Q: Jordan is a part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats now. How much do you think he can help them?
A: I think he can turn them around, but it's going to take a few years to do that. Just give him some time and they'll be on the map.

Q: What is your proudest athletic moment?
A: This past year because my ninth, 10th and 11th grade year we didn't make it past the second round (of the playoffs). We made it past the second round this year. It's the most exciting thing to happen in my life so far. We finished in the fourth round. That was the game right before state.