One of the features of William & Mary’s athletic facilities is a wall that pays tribute to the Tribe’s all-time greats.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, naturally, is part of the display. So, too, is fellow NFL coach Sean McDermott (Buffalo).

Jeannette grad Marcus Barnes wouldn’t mind being on the wall some day. He wouldn’t mind following his father’s path to the NFL. Johnnie Barnes played parts of four NFL seasons with the then-San Diego Chargers and the Steelers.

For the moment, Barnes is focused on bringing a FCS national championship to No. 17 William & Mary (5-1, 2-1 Colonial Athletic Association). The 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior defensive back is an integral part of the Tribe’s effort. After Saturday’s 27-21 victory over No. 6 Delaware, Barnes had 29 total tackles, three pass break-ups and an interception.

“I would say I’m not doing too bad,” Barnes said. “I really just try to focus on play by play, game by game type of thing. Let the coaches coach me up and see what I can improve on each week.”

Barnes is listed as a safety, but, in truth, he fills a number of positions in the Tribe secondary. William & Mary cornerbacks coach Ras-I Dowling, himself a former NFL player, said Barnes will play corner, field safety, boundary safety or in the nickel defense as needed.

Dowling said Barnes has worked hard to become a student of the game to complement his natural abilities. That, Dowling said, has helped Barnes have what he likes to call “quiet eyes,” the ability for the DB to focus on what is in front of him and diagnose the play.

“Marcus has worked tremendously hard on and off the field,” Dowling said. “You can see the growth in with him each year. He’s got good speed. He’s got great range, and he has improved his tackling over the years.”

Barnes likes to show off that tackling ability on special teams. He said playing on the coverage teams is something he loves, and he is pushing to do more of it.

But his primary job remains being a stalwart in the secondary. As for the switching of positions, it’s something Barnes embraces.

As a safety, he said, he has come to understand what everyone on defense is supposed to be doing, so when the time comes for him to move to corner, he is prepared. Being more disciplined about studying film, he said, has helped him make the adjustments.

“I understand what’s going on,” he said. “It’s not like high school where we’re just playing freely, and it’s talent against talent. Everybody at this level is a good competitor. They’re on scholarship, too, so you’ve got to take everybody seriously, and I feel I’ve improved on that.”

In Saturday’s win over Delaware, Barnes had four total tackles and broke up a pass as the Tribe held the Blue Hens nine points below their season average.

Barnes said the win could send a message to the rest of the FCS.

“We’re not a team to be played with,” he said. “That one loss (to Elon on Sept. 24) doesn’t show who we are. I feel like it puts a lot of eyes on us, puts a target on our backs to where we have to keep going hard, keep focusing every week.

“These are the games we live for. … It just feels good to win and know your preparation and hard work, it does pay off on the field.”

Perhaps Barnes’ hard work will pay off in a professional career. Dowling said as long as Barnes continues to improve his knowledge of the game and his tackling, a shot at the pros could be in the cards.

For now, his focus remains on bringing a championship to Williamsburg.

“Football is everything,” Barnes said. “I wake up thinking about football. I go to sleep thinking about football. But I do like school, so wherever the path takes me, that’s where it takes me. But as far as what I’m focused on right now, it’s just working hard, and (a pro career) will come if that is meant for me. If it isn’t, then it’s not.

“My main goal is to be a good teammate, win a championship and just be where my feet are at right now.”

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