 It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you're not a winner. - Vince Lombardi
His parents thought that by giving their little boy a big name to live up to, he’d constantly be reminded that he was destined for success. Edward Lambeau Starr Barden, or Eddy, for short was what they named him on that sunny day over Memorial Day weekend in 1982. Eddy grew up living in his grandfather’s house with both of his parents. By age ten pushed into football to be a career through out his life.
The proud parents, George Barden and Jillian Curry, had big dreams for their first and only son, and it did not include working in a cheese factory or running the local market like George did. Being from Green Bay, WI, the Barden's, like every other family in the area, wanted their son to play pro football. Of course, for the Green Bay Packers. Playing pro-football was a shattered dream of George Barden and he would do everything and anything to make sure his son lived and breathed the gridiron. The nursery was aptly decorated in dark green and maize, his first toy was a football, and for every Halloween until he was nine, he was a football player. They enrolled him in flag football as soon as he could join, and by the end of his elementary school years, Eddy was bulking up & the junior leagues took notice.
Through middle school, Eddy excelled on the field; strong, raw-boned, who always threw harder, swung harder, tackled harder and played harder than the other kids in Pee Wee football and Little League baseball.
He was nurtured in an environment of intense competition with his extended family members. He soaked up the lessons taught by his father, and grandfather, who was a widely admired and hard-nosed coach. It was no surprise when the rugged teen made the varsity football team during his freshman year, and as each year passed, Eddy broke records left & right. During his junior and senior year, the stands were filled with curious football fans, cheering classmates, but most importantly the stands were full of college recruiters. The scholarships started flying in and he accepted one to the University of Michigan, one... if not THE best college football team in the country. He had made his parents proud, and all he had to do was finish out his senior year. Eight games and it didn't really matter how he did either. During the second game of the season, in the 4th quarter, Eddy rushed the quarterback on a blitz. Just as his arms reached out to tackle the scrawny kid, he was hit from both sides sending them all into a pile of limbs and padding and grunts.
He didn't even feel the pain at first, but once he hit the turf he saw stars. Doctors said he tore the ligaments that hold the thigh bone and the lower legs bones together, as well as more ligaments on the inside and outside of his knee. Not only did he totally blow his knee out, he broke the bones straight across in his lower leg and therefore needed total re constructive knee surgery. All hopes and dreams of a college and pro football career, flushed down the toilet with one stupid high school game.
During the rest of Eddy’s high school career he found himself searching for something to fall back on. College was out of the question since he barely hung on with tooth and nail in his grades. He attended vocational school in the morning while his afternoons he was back in school trying to make sure he graduates on time.
Eddy no longer speaks to his family since the blow on the field and upon leaving his high school years behind, Eddy finds himself in Chicago after following his high school sweetheart; the one constant and stable fixture in his life through out this whole ordeal. While she attended classes he searched for a full time job with benefits; to support his new life. Landing a job as a welder; fighting bouts of depression, his life slowly come together and yet fell apart. His long time girl friend had left him for good but Eddy pushed on with work as he enjoyed his life in Chicago, leaving behind the broken childhood dream of ever playing professional football.
Personality review
Light-hearted, fickle, coolly affectionate, flirtatious, and may occasionally have 'a second string to his bow'.
Sociable, fun-loving, versatile, liberal and a friendly character.
Logical, inquisitive, clever, nimble, quick-witted, articulate, active, talkative, sociable and mercurial
Quick facts
* His middle names are after famous Packer QB Bart Starr and Packer founder Earl "Curly" Lambeau
* 6’2” and weighing in at about 185 lbs., Eddy takes care of himself by working out five days a week.
* Despite his old knee injury and chronic pain, Eddy refuses to give up with playing his hardest against his friends who challenge him.
* Holds a record back home of being the only player who had five other players trying to pull him down in a tackle but still kept going for a touch down.
* Wishes to settle down and have a family, however finding the perfect girl for him is a little hard. He's picky when it comes to women and dating them.
* His ideal woman is someone who’s comfortable in their own skin, enjoys sports as much as he does who’ll hang out with him and most importantly, must be low-maintenance.
* At a point in his life he was clinically depressed following the injury.
* Favorite Movie: Friday Night Lights, Varsity Blues, Gridiron Gang, and Any Given Sunday
* Favorite Food: Buffalo Wings
* Favorite Team: Green Bay Packers
* Totally addicted to Fantasy Football
* Social smoker and drinker
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