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Report: Former Gopher running back Marion Barber III found dead

The Forth Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that former Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Marion Barber III was found dead in his apartment Wednesday.

As of this writing, the cause of death is unknown. He was 38 years old.

The Plymouth native spent four seasons at Minnesota from 2001-04, following in the footsteps of his father, and ranks fifth in program history in career rushing yards (3,276). Barber and Laurence Maroney made history together, becoming the first pair of players from the same team to both rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. After forgoing his senior season, he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and played for seven years in the NFL before announcing his retirement on March 23, 2012.