Gary Marshall Barnes attended Valley High School, where he practiced football and basketball.
He spent a year at Gordon Military Academy, before accepting a scholarship from Clemson University with the intention of playing both sports.
[1] Head coach Frank Howard convinced him to just focus on football and eventually named him a starter at split end as a sophomore, registering 9 receptions for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns.
[2] As a rookie, he was a backup wide receiver, appearing in 13 games with no receptions and was a member of the 1962 NFL Championship team.
[10] Although he had an opportunity to try out for other teams, he opted to retire, finishing with 60 career games, 41 receptions for 583 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In 1986, although he had no previous legal experience, he was asked by then-Clemson City Council member Gaston Gage to become Clemson's first full-time municipal judge.