Sept. 2, 2009

Former Wake Forest running back Billy Ray Barnes was named a Legend of the ACC.

The ACC on Wednesday announced its Class of 2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Legends.

The Legends will be honored at this year's Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will appear at the ACC Coaches and Awards Luncheon at noon on Friday, Dec. 4, and will be honored at the "ACC Night of Legends" held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay on Friday evening. They will also be recognized during pre-game ceremonies at Raymond James Stadium for the 5th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship, which has an 8 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 5 and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

Barnes enjoyed much success as an athlete at Wake Forest University. A 5"11, 185-pound fullback from Landis, North Carolina, Barnes quickly established himself as a prominent force in the Atlantic Coast Conference in both baseball and football. During his football career, he led the ACC in rushing in 1956 with 1,010 yards, becoming the first player in ACC history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season. In that same year, he was named to the Look Magazine All-America Football Team, along with receiving the Conference Player of the Year Award.

In 1955, Barnes held the Atlantic Coast Conference record for pass receiving with 31 total catches, which also ranked third on the national charts. His dynamic athletic ability and intense competitive spirit helped pave the way for his selection in 1956 as the team captain and the recipient of the Most Valuable Player award.

Barnes' athletic success did not stop on the football field, as he also accomplished numerous feats on the baseball diamond. As a third baseman, Barnes recorded the last out of the College World Series in 1955 en route to Wake Forest winning its first National Championship in baseball. A first team All-ACC pick in 1956 and 1957, Barnes recorded batting averages of .319 and .310, respectively.

Upon his graduation, Barnes signed with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, and remained in the league for nine years as a player and seven additional years as an assistant coach. Barnes currently ranks 14th on the Wake Forest career rushing leaders chart, but at the time of his graduation Barnes was the all-time career rushing leader at Wake Forest. Barnes was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 1975, and his No. 33 football jersey was retired at the conclusion of his senior season.