Marion Barber: 39-year-old former Dallas Cowboys player died in his apartment of heatstroke

Marion Barber III was found dead in his apartment last month

Former NFL player and Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber III died of a heatstroke, authorities said on Monday.

Barber, 39, was found dead by police in Frisco, Texas, on 1 June after they carried out a welfare check at an apartment believed to be leased by him.

A Frisco police spokesperson said the Collin County medical examiner’s office has listed Barber’s cause of death as heatstroke and the manner as accidental, reported NBC News.

According to the autopsy report, one of the taps in his bathroom was running when officers arrived, reported USA Today. The apartment’s thermostat was set to 91 degrees with the heat set to on.

Officers also found exercise equipment in the unit.

“Mr Barber was known to exercise in sauna-like conditions,” the coroner report said.

In the incident report, police wrote that Barber’s family had not heard from him for six days prior to the date his body was found.

The report also noted that he “was known to have a history of medical problems and mental health concerns”.

The former NFL player was popularly known as “Marion the Barbarian”. He played for seven years in the NFL, the first six of which were with the Cowboys.

In March 2012, he retired after a final year with the Chicago Bears.

Two years after his retirement, Barber was detained by Mansfield police and taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

In 2019, he was arrested on two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief for an incident that occured in 2018 in which it was alleged he damaged two cars while running in Frisco.

Following his death, the Cowboys said in a statement: “Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down. He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion’s family and friends during this difficult time.”