Auburn University football player Peyton Barber isn't declaring himself eligible for the draft because of superficial reasons. Barber's focus right now is trying to help his mother and her living situation.
During the NFL combine press conference Wednesday, the running back spoke about his mother.
"I don't know if anybody really knows; my mom, she's homeless right now, so it's kind of doing it for her," Barber told reporters. "Right now she's staying with my sister. It's her and her three kids staying in an apartment back home."
As the 24th-ranked running back in the country, Barber has some pretty heavy competition when it comes to getting drafted, but his mother, Lori, is proud of her son.
Although Lori isn't homeless in the true sense of the word, she is living with her daughter and three grandchildren in a small apartment.
"Homelessness is a strong definition," Lori said. "Do I have a home of my own? I do not. Do I have a bed of my own? I don't. Where we're living is a little crowded, but we're making it work. We're taking our 50 cents and stretching it out to make it a dollar.
"It touches my heart that he feels so deeply about wanting to take care of me," she continued. "Peyton is very quiet. … I had no idea he was feeling that strongly as he was feeling until he decided to come out [for the draft]."