FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots linebacker Barkevious Mingo has had one of the more unusual football careers.
It almost happened by accident.
Mingo didn’t start playing the sport competitively until his junior year at West Monroe (La.) High School, as his mother, Barbara Johnson, had reservations about the physical contact in football. But Mingo ultimately convinced her, and then he shined in two seasons to draw the attention of big-time colleges, most notably nearby LSU.
After a redshirt freshman year, Mingo played in 40 games (15 starts) as his stunning rise resulted in him being the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft just six years after he first played football competitively.
Mingo didn’t emerge with the Cleveland Browns (2013-2015), but feeling there was untapped potential, the Patriots acquired him in a trade Aug. 25. He’s mostly contributed on special teams in New England, playing in all six games.
“Bark’s done a good job for us,” coach Bill Belichick said, noting that when he’s played on defense (20 total snaps), it has been in more obvious passing situations.
Meanwhile, the origin of Mingo’s unique name, which “won” honors in 2009 on the name of the year blog, was highlighted in a 2010 article on LSUnow.com: Barbara Johnson added the first three letters of her name to the name she liked, Kevious.
With that background as a springboard, the personable Mingo, 26, shares his “football journey” with ESPN.com:
When he first started playing football: “My junior year of high school. I wanted to play, but my mom just didn’t like the idea. So I played basketball and ran track. I was one of those basketball players who kept fouling out [smiling]. I was a little too physical. The football coaches came to me and said, ‘You should give it a shot.’”
How his mother changed her mind: “It was a hard sell. The whole first year, she wouldn’t come watch. She was like ‘I’m not going to watch you get hurt.’ It wasn’t until my senior year, one of her co-workers was telling her, ‘You should go watch your son play; he’s playing really well.’ She came around and eventually came to watch some games.”
Favorite teams and players growing up: “It was all basketball. I’m a Kobe [Bryant] fan, a Lakers fan. My whole family is. We grew up watching Laker games. I used to like Michigan football. I played with them on [EA Sports] NCAA [Football] when that was back out there. No pro teams."
How things started to take off with football in high school: “It was kind of fluky how I got my start. I wasn’t supposed to play that much. It was a spring game [of sophomore year], and my high school is pretty good so we had a lot of college coaches come out, and the guy in front of me got hurt and he went out. I finished the scrimmage and got a bunch of tackles. I was sitting in the office with the coaches the next day.”
Top football memories at West Monroe (La.) High School: “We were a really good team, only lost two games [in my career]. That was a great run.”
How he decided to attend LSU: “I didn’t want to go too far away. When I did start playing, I went to games down there and fell in love with the atmosphere. It was the home school and they were good. ... I just loved everything about it -- our coaches, the players. It was just a great experience.”
Entering the 2013 NFL draft: “Going to college, one thing the coaches kind of push is that you’re going to get a degree, you’re going to compete for a championship, and we’re going to get you ready to play at the next level or a career at the next level, whatever that may be. They say it, but you maybe don’t always believe it. But when that times comes, it’s like, ‘Wow, I actually have a shot to play in the NFL.’ It’s surreal, especially getting drafted [No. 6 overall to Cleveland].”
Three seasons with the Browns, then traded to the Patriots: “I got to play with a bunch of great players, a future Hall of Famer [Joe Thomas]. It was a great learning experience. When you get traded, you’re like, ‘Wow, what’s going on?’ Obviously, it’s a better position, a team that is, year in and year out, competing for whatever they want to compete for. To be a part of that is a great feeling.”
What he loves about football: “I love the game. I love being able to go out and you can legally hit people [laughs]. I love competing. That’s the fun part about the game. On any given play, you may say, ‘Hey, you got me on that play. You might have been better on that one, but let’s do it again, and we’ll see what’s going on.’ And then maybe you get him.”
What his mother says now: “She doesn’t exactly know all the rules about football, but she’s my biggest fan. She was saying, ‘I need to find a Patriots jersey.’ We need to get her one.”
Mom as a role model: “Definitely. A single mom with five boys, she had to do it all on her own. That’s where it all started, with her and my older brothers, Hugh and Hughtavious.”
Summing up his football journey: “It’s not over. It’s at a point now where I can get some more learning under my belt and just go out there and play and have fun again. People say it’s always better when you win and unfortunately, it wasn’t that way in Cleveland. But being on a winning team and playing on the field, it makes everything all the better.”