Benny Jewell Barnes (born March 3, 1951) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for eleven seasons, all with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Stanford University in the Pacific-8 Conference. Early years After attending John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond, California, he moved on to Contra Costa College in nearby San Pablo, where he was an all-conference linebacker for the football team and also an all-conference track and field athlete. In 1970, Barnes transferred across the Bay to Stanford, where he was converted from linebacker to free safety. He was a two-year starter (24 consecutive starts) and a part of the “Thunder Chickens” defense, that was very effective (9 of the 11 starters played professional football). In 1971, Barnes posted seven interceptions (three against Sonny Sixkiller at the University of Washington) and was an honorable-mention (second-team) All-Pac-8 selection as a senior. He contributed to teams led by quarterbacks Jim Plunkett and Don Bunce in two of the biggest upset victories ever in the Rose Bowl, in January 1971 and 1972, respectively. Although he played just two years, Barnes was inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame and selected to the Stanford's All-Century Team. In 2011, he was inducted into the California Community College Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Professional career Dallas Cowboys In 1972, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, and made the team based on his excellent special teams play on punt and kickoff coverage. In 1974, he was named the special teams captain and by the end of the season he was a starter at left cornerback, but fractured his right ankle and foot against the Cleveland Browns, an injury that would affect him the rest of his career (three surgeries). The next year, he was used on passing downs as the fifth or sixth defensive back and started 3 games. In 1976, he regained the starter position at left cornerback in the fifth game after Mark Washington suffered 2 concussions at the beginning of the season. Although he didn't have great athletic ability, he compensated with technique, instincts and effort, which made him and underrated part of the team. In 1977, he was the starter for the Super Bowl XII winning team. His best season came in 1978, although he missed three games with ankle and foot problems, he