Former Alabama QB Jay Barker pleads guilty to reckless endangerment

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker on Thursday pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless endangerment after he was accused of domestic violence against his wife earlier this year.

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The incident happened on Jan. 15 near the home of Barker and his wife, country music singer Sara Evans.

According to court records, Barker, 49, whose full name is Harry Jerome Barker, was accused of attempting to hit Evans and another person with his vehicle, WKRN-TV reported.

The passengers of the vehicle and an undetermined number of unnamed witnesses told police that Barker “intentionally” tried to strike them, according to The Tennessean.

Barker was taken into custody on a 12-hour hold for domestic violence and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony, according to the television station.

On Thursday, Barker pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment not involving a weapon, Kris Mumford, the public information officer with the Metro Nashville Police Department, told AL.com.

Conditions of the plea mandate a 26-week-long batterer’s intervention program and the disposition of any firearms, WKRN reported.

Barker, of Hoover, Alabama, was given supervised probation for 11 months and 29 days, Mumford told AL.com. According to court records, Barker is scheduled for a probation hearing on May 11, 2023.

>> Jay Barker, former Alabama quarterback and husband of Sara Evans, arrested for domestic violence

Currently, Barker and Evans are still married but separated, WKRN reported.

Tennessee court records indicated that Evans filed for divorce from Barker in August 2021 after 12 years of marriage.

The records, published by Scoop Nashville, also stated at that time that Barker had lived in Homewood, Alabama -- separately from Evans -- for at least three months before the filing and that the singer sought the divorce due to irreconcilable differences and “inappropriate marital conduct,” AL.com reported.

The District Attorney’s office said divorce proceedings are still in progress, according to WKRN.

Barker led Alabama to a national title in 1992 and finished fifth in the 1994 Heisman Trophy voting. After turning pro, Barker played for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers. He later played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League and the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL, AL.com reported.

Efforts to reach Barker’s attorneys on Thursday for comment were not immediately successful.

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