Joined the AAF in 2019 playing for the Atlanta Legends in their 3-4 alignment.
Compiled 6.5 tackles, 1 sack, in 6 starts for Atlanta.
Played in 3 games for the Washington Defenders in 2020.
Had 4.5 tackles, and 1.5 sacks.
Signed with the Calgary Stampeders in early 2021, retiring later in the year.
NOTES:
My buddy Seth, a diehard Washington XFL team fan, had me send a stack of cards to him, that he was more than happy to get signed for me. A great card, Tavaris was one of the many players who gathered around and was excited to apparently sign his card for Seth during the fan meet and greet. He even took the time to inscribe ‘GO TIGERS!’, on it in gold.
Tavaris Barnes comes from a long line of successful defensive lineman from Clemson. At 6-4, 275 Barnes certainly passed the eyeball test for most pro scouts, but his stats suffered due to his lack of full-time playing status. Over 4 years for the Tigers, Barnes had 46 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. His Sportscenter moment happened when he recovered a fumble against the Louisville Cardinals for a touchdown during the 2014 campaign. Many teams regarded Tavaris as an intriguing project, but he was not selected during the 2015 NFL Draft.
Barnes instead took the free agent route and has seen one year stints at a variety of stops. He made the Saints roster in 2015 and recorded 5 total tackles. In 2016, he joined the Seahawks, but did not see any playing time. 2017 saw Tavaris on the rosters of both the Bucs and Redskins throughout the season.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
