Grand Valley State University offensive lineman Brandon Barnes signed a free-agent contract with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens Monday, said Tim Nott, the school’s associate athletic director for media relations.
Barnes, a right tackle, is the second GVSU player to join a NFL team. Defensive back Brandon Carr went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the NFL Draft Sunday.
The native of Detroit became the first offensive lineman to earn all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors four times during his career. As a senior, Barnes was named the 2007 Gene Upshaw Award winner, given annually to the top lineman in NCAA Division II.
Barnes helped the Lakers win two Division II national championships and make four playoff berths. They posted a 50-4 record during his career, including a 40-game win streak snapped in a national semifinal loss at Northwest Missouri State University.