Indiana State Police Sergeant brings State Police values to Triton Football field
Sergeant by day, Football coach by night
MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - At 4 a.m., Sergeant Andy Barker is already on duty with Indiana State Police.
Twelve hours later, he trades his badge for a whistle.
The uniform changes. The values don’t.
“At times you’re like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I sound like a coach right now or if I sound like a state trooper right now because they just marry up so well,’” Barker said. “When you think about ISP’s values of courage, commitment, character — they flow so well into what we’re really trying to do with these young men.”
Team rebuilding after graduation losses
Last year, Barker’s first as head coach, the Trojans won seven games. This season, the team has won one game.
Twelve starters graduated and took their experience with them. What’s left is a lineup of first-time starters learning the game under Friday night lights.
“It’s hard for these young people to understand that failure is okay,” Barker said. “It’s what you do after that failure that matters. You get back up off the turf, or you get back up off the ground, or you deal with whatever you have going on in your real world.”
Standard carries from cruiser to practice field
The same standard follows Barker from the cruiser to the practice field.
“It’s about relentless effort, not giving up, battling through everything,” said Blake Ousley, a receiver, linebacker and kicker for Triton football. “All these long practices and all these hard practices, not giving up and just fighting every day.”
When a player falls short, Barker expects him to learn from it.
“I got called out that I wasn’t using my hands right and wasn’t doing that right,” Ousley said. “He called me out for it. I responded right, started doing it, and just build from there. He loves us. He builds us back up. It’s a new day.”
Players describe lasting bonds
The wins go in the record book. Barker is counting on the bonds to outlast the ink on the page.
“Even after football is over, we’re still going to have each other,” said Ryder Gayheart, a running back for Triton football. “We’re still going to have that friendship, that bond — just that brotherhood and always have someone to count on.”
Friday at 7:30 p.m., the Trojans face North Judson again on their home turf in a sectional game.
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