July 3, 2023 • 13 mins
Wayne Larrivee sits down with former Green Bay Packers guard/tackle Don Barclay to reminisce on making the roster (0:43), joining his teammates in a Pitch Perfect 2 cameo (8:13), and how Green Bay is a special environment in the NFL (10:04).
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
For more than a century, the Green Bay Packers have
been a benchmark for football excellence. Thousands of players have
helped pave the way, and we're here to tell you
their stories. I'm Wayne Laravi. This is the Packers Alumni
spot Life. Don Barclay was an undrafted free agent offensive
(00:26):
lineman out of West Virginia, coming to the Packers in
twenty twelve. From those humble beginnings, he carved out a
nice five year career with the Packers, and he had
the benefit of playing under one of the best offensive
line coaches in the business, James Campbell.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
My expectation was just to try to crack any squad,
practice squad, you know, like the dream would be to
make the fifty three man roster. I just kind of
put my head down and went to work. It was crazy,
like when I first got here, they there was kind
of a couple of whole was in a depth chart
as far as the offensive line of guard and stuff.
(01:03):
So I was just trying to perform as well as
I could a guard. And then the last preseason game,
coach camp and I still remember them coming up to
me and saying like, hey, they're gonna put your right tackle.
You got to perform to try and make the team here.
And I remember like being nervous as heck that that game,
last preseason game. Knew I had to perform to try
and make this roster and you know that was it.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, and you play. It came to a pretty good team,
a team that had won the super Bowl two years previous.
The previous year to you getting here, they went fifteen
and won. So that was a talented roster.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, I mean that was You knew that going in
that this that team was for real and there was
a lot of high expectations, a lot of good players
in the locker room. You know, there was definitely higher
goals than any other team I've been a part of.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You got to here in twenty twelve as a rookie
free agent, you were starting by twenty thirteen. Tell me
about that. How did that all come about?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I thought for me it actually worked out great as
far as like kind of seeing the older guys lead
the way. I think it was game nine or game
ten my rookie year. I got a start and started
the rest of that my rookie season, and it was
great for me just to see how the older guys
did it. How to prep each week, how to study
film to be ready by week ten whenever I did start.
(02:15):
And then my second year, having that under my belt,
I felt, you know, obviously ready to go.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Tell me about James Camp and what kind of coach
was he? Man?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
He I still talked to him today sometimes. I mean,
he was a leader another father for me. He was
a great guy. He a great role model. He played
the game obviously here and he was just good in
the meeting room as a coach and even off the
field a coach.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
As a coach doesn't necessarily have to play the game,
but when a guy has played the game and going
through what you're going through, how much does that impact
your relationship with the coach and your ability to improve?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Oh it's huge. I mean he saw things, especially playing
the game. He saw things through his own eyes that
he's experience, and so he was able to you know,
pass that along to us. I mean, I know he
only played center, but so he was extremely informative to
you know, the inside guys. But he did a good
job of knowing how to relate to the to the tackles.
So when I was playing tackle out there, all the
(03:14):
other guys as well he was able to, you know,
communicate different tidbits and different you know, sneaky facts to
us from his years of playing really helped us along
the way.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You played on a number of playoff teams, but in
twenty fourteen, which may have been the best team you
played on, you were injured that year. The twenty sixteen team.
I want to ask you about that because many of
us who've seen seen him play all his games here
think that that stretch of games where you guys started
like four and six and you weren't a good football team.
(03:48):
And Aaron Rodgers declares to the media, I think we
could relate a relax help me about that as far
as first of all, the twenty fourteen team was probably
the complete team I've ever been a part of offensively, defensively,
special teams.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I mean, that was a really good team. I don't
think I've ever been on a closer unit of a
team that year. The sixteen team was a lot a
lot of the same players. You know, we just had
a little injury bug that year, I remember, and you know,
kind of wore on us at the end. And that
was a really close knit team, especially when we hit
that run after being four and six, and you know,
(04:25):
Aaron said relaxed, and everyone thought it was crazy. But
then you know we went on a nice run. Just key,
key plays throughout that twenty sixteen year, Like I remember
the catch in Dallas, like that was crazy. Different plays
in the end of the regular season, you know, to
keep that winning streak going. I mean it was you know,
both of them were special to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Have you ever seen the quarterback that hot? I mean
it seemed like every week.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
That's why he's the best. I mean, he's some of
the throws. You know, people always ask how's he do it?
Or this and that. I mean he's gifted and you
know he's so competitive. You know, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, it's the playoff game in Dallas that got you
to the championship game in twenty sixteen. That was quite
an atmosphere, wasn't it. I mean, Dallas number one seed,
it's divisional playoff round. Tell me a little bit about that.
What went into it?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, that was super loud. I remember, you know playing
in there with that you know, the new well that
was a couple of years old, and new jumbo trow
and all that. But that was a great atmosphere super loud. Wow.
I mean that catch on the sideline that was that
was amazing and then Mason too. I mean it was,
you know, something that you'll never forget. And that just
(05:37):
kind of summed up that that winning streak that we
put on at the end of that season. And you know,
it was unfortunate what happened in Atlanta, but like I said,
you know, we got a little banged up and it
is what it is.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Unfortunately, Donnie suffered a knee injury in training camp and
missed the twenty fourteen campaign. That was one of the
best teams the Packers would field in that era.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, I mean we had a lot of new faces.
We have Peppers, I remember he was on the team. Then.
He brought great leadership and you know, a big skill set. Obviously.
I think the coach McCarthy always did a great job
year to year knowing the players, knowing our strengths and weaknesses,
and he always had a theme each year to bring
us together. The locker room changes year to year. You
got to find what's good for you know, the fit
(06:23):
for that fifty three and he always did a good job,
you know, finding that and bringing us together. I just
remember that twenty fourteen season. I mean I never walked
through the locker room without like there been so much
like camaraderie. Joy guys, you know, playing a dumb game,
you know, around the locker room, no one wanting to leave,
kind of kind of atmosphere. Everyone wanted to stick together
(06:45):
and be at home.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You go to Seattle, you're playing the defending champions, and
you guys knocked them around for fifty five minutes or so,
and then the most unbelievable ending to that game happened.
As a team and you played the following year. How
tough was it to come back from that? And that's
that's something that you live with, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Oh yeah, I mean that's you still think about that,
you know every so often people ask you about it. Man,
I don't think i've I mean that we dominated. They
dominated that game the whole game basically, and you know
that was so tough to swallow. You know, that was
a great rivalry, I'll be honest with you, especially when
I was here that Seattle team. You know, we went
(07:29):
back and forth, and I remember the game my rookie
year too, when like the refs held out the controversy catch,
you know.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And the fail Mary. The fail Mary.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, I mean there was just a lot of history
there between that team, those two teams during those that
span of years, and you know that twenty fourteen game. Man,
I'll tell you what, we were so red hot. You
just knew we were going to the super Bowl and
that that was a shame. I mean, that was a
great group of guys, Like I said, probably the most
complete team I've been a part of.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Those teams of the twenty tens, had a lot of
fun both on and off the field. Along with teammates
David BAKTII and Clay Matthews. Donnie had a brief appearance
in the movie pitch Perfect two.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, that's it's funny because I literally just I was
back home and you know, as the day goes by,
people always like find out about the year in the
movie and they ask you about it to sum it
up like it was a great experience. I don't know
if it was exactly it fits me the kind of
guy I am, but at the time it was funny.
I mean that twenty thirteen season, that's when they played
(08:35):
the regular Pitch Perfect movie. It was on HBO, like
every week, every night, and in that year too, in
twenty thirteen, we kind of hit a little. We had
some bumps along the road, but we were having fun
and we did we needed to do to reach the playoffs,
and we'd everyone would come in and like I swear
they watched Pitch Perfect the night before practice the next
(08:57):
day and they'd come in singing the songs. And I
still remember Dave Bactiori. He text or tweeted at one
of the producers and was like, Hey, you know, you
should put us in the next movie. And she was like, yeah,
we'll do that, and we were like, oh, you know,
she ain't gonna accept that. So then off season comes
and she hits Dave up on Twitter and she's like, hey,
let's do it. Get the line, get Clay and it
(09:19):
all worked out. We flew down the bat and rouge
and it was a great experience. It's amazing how much
goes into that, you know, just for being part of
it for what fifteen thirty seconds shooting?
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You see, Yeah, it's good.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
We were there for four days from ten am to
like one in the morning, and we were in for
what I mean, you blink your eye and we were
off the screen. But it was fun.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
It's amazing what goes into that process of baking a movie.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Is it's not so many takes. I mean we had
a fun time though we were ready to get back here.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, that's work. Barclay also played briefly in Detroit and
tried New Orleans and Denver in his career. But the
grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side, especially when
it comes to Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You always heard this whenever you were here from players
that left, and they always said, like, you won't realize
how fortunate you were to play with the Packers as
far as just like how they treat you. You know,
whether it's the staff, the coaches, the strength staff, all
the support staff, meals and you go somewhere else and
(10:25):
you finally realize that. And when I went to Detroit,
I mean, no knock on Detroit, but it wasn't Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And you know, whether it.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Was the facilities, the meals, the logistics, all that. And
they do do a heck of a job here as
far as you know, investing in itself and making everything
better as the years goes on. How they treat people
first class here. Like I said, I went to Detroit.
After that, I was in camp with the Saints and
(10:53):
then the Broncos. The Broncos kind of reminded me of here,
you know, building things up. How they treated you, but
by far, I mean Green Bay was special as far
and not even just me. I'm talking to like my family.
I know they do a great job with the wives here,
getting them together, you know, just getting them around. I
(11:14):
know we're so busy. They try and get them and
the kids, you know, just to keep their mind away
and together and a family knit. I felt fortune. I
felt blessed to be here. You know, I never imagined
that I would have played that long or or even
make it. I mean I was just I was just
proud of myself and fortunate and to get the opportunity
and take advantage of it. You know, the coach is
(11:35):
believing me, whether it's Coach McCarthy or coach camping along
the way. And then you know the same guys in
the locker room, you know, trusting me. Lineman, Aaron. You know,
I just put my head done every day. Knew I
had to keep fighting every day and go to work
and get better.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Last question, what are you up to now? And how
has football impacted your career.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I mean, I think it's made me. It makes all
of this players who we are today. Is as you know,
the grit and the adversity that you face over time.
You know how to deal with situations. You know, for
off the field, you know you face the situations you
face on the field were by far more. You know
how to keep you disciplined than you know, handle that adversity.
And when you get off the field, it's the same situation,
(12:18):
but you got to handle the same way, and you're
already prepped for it.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
I got three kids now, a family. We live back
in Pittsburgh. Really have taken since I've been done playing
in twenty nineteen, I've been uh, you know, just spending
time with them, coaching all their teams. We moved back
to the area where I'm from, so just kind of
like building that up. Looking at different jobs they get
into now, whether it's sales or management. But I think
(12:42):
I'm ready for that now. I think, you know, I've
enjoyed coaching the kids, which I'm not gonna stop coaching them,
but you know, it's nice to kind of spend some
time away from football, get away, give my mind to
break and move on to the next thing.
For more than a century, the Green Bay Packers have
been a benchmark for football excellence. Thousands of players have
helped pave the way, and we're here to tell you
their stories. I'm Wayne Laravi. This is the Packers Alumni
spot Life. Don Barclay was an undrafted free agent offensive
(00:26):
lineman out of West Virginia, coming to the Packers in
twenty twelve. From those humble beginnings, he carved out a
nice five year career with the Packers, and he had
the benefit of playing under one of the best offensive
line coaches in the business, James Campbell.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
My expectation was just to try to crack any squad,
practice squad, you know, like the dream would be to
make the fifty three man roster. I just kind of
put my head down and went to work. It was crazy,
like when I first got here, they there was kind
of a couple of whole was in a depth chart
as far as the offensive line of guard and stuff.
(01:03):
So I was just trying to perform as well as
I could a guard. And then the last preseason game,
coach camp and I still remember them coming up to
me and saying like, hey, they're gonna put your right tackle.
You got to perform to try and make the team here.
And I remember like being nervous as heck that that game,
last preseason game. Knew I had to perform to try
and make this roster and you know that was it.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, and you play. It came to a pretty good team,
a team that had won the super Bowl two years previous.
The previous year to you getting here, they went fifteen
and won. So that was a talented roster.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, I mean that was You knew that going in
that this that team was for real and there was
a lot of high expectations, a lot of good players
in the locker room. You know, there was definitely higher
goals than any other team I've been a part of.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You got to here in twenty twelve as a rookie
free agent, you were starting by twenty thirteen. Tell me
about that. How did that all come about?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I thought for me it actually worked out great as
far as like kind of seeing the older guys lead
the way. I think it was game nine or game
ten my rookie year. I got a start and started
the rest of that my rookie season, and it was
great for me just to see how the older guys
did it. How to prep each week, how to study
film to be ready by week ten whenever I did start.
(02:15):
And then my second year, having that under my belt,
I felt, you know, obviously ready to go.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Tell me about James Camp and what kind of coach
was he? Man?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
He I still talked to him today sometimes. I mean,
he was a leader another father for me. He was
a great guy. He a great role model. He played
the game obviously here and he was just good in
the meeting room as a coach and even off the
field a coach.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
As a coach doesn't necessarily have to play the game,
but when a guy has played the game and going
through what you're going through, how much does that impact
your relationship with the coach and your ability to improve?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Oh it's huge. I mean he saw things, especially playing
the game. He saw things through his own eyes that
he's experience, and so he was able to you know,
pass that along to us. I mean, I know he
only played center, but so he was extremely informative to
you know, the inside guys. But he did a good
job of knowing how to relate to the to the tackles.
So when I was playing tackle out there, all the
(03:14):
other guys as well he was able to, you know,
communicate different tidbits and different you know, sneaky facts to
us from his years of playing really helped us along
the way.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You played on a number of playoff teams, but in
twenty fourteen, which may have been the best team you
played on, you were injured that year. The twenty sixteen team.
I want to ask you about that because many of
us who've seen seen him play all his games here
think that that stretch of games where you guys started
like four and six and you weren't a good football team.
(03:48):
And Aaron Rodgers declares to the media, I think we
could relate a relax help me about that as far
as first of all, the twenty fourteen team was probably
the complete team I've ever been a part of offensively, defensively,
special teams.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I mean, that was a really good team. I don't
think I've ever been on a closer unit of a
team that year. The sixteen team was a lot a
lot of the same players. You know, we just had
a little injury bug that year, I remember, and you know,
kind of wore on us at the end. And that
was a really close knit team, especially when we hit
that run after being four and six, and you know,
(04:25):
Aaron said relaxed, and everyone thought it was crazy. But
then you know we went on a nice run. Just key,
key plays throughout that twenty sixteen year, Like I remember
the catch in Dallas, like that was crazy. Different plays
in the end of the regular season, you know, to
keep that winning streak going. I mean it was you know,
both of them were special to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Have you ever seen the quarterback that hot? I mean
it seemed like every week.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
That's why he's the best. I mean, he's some of
the throws. You know, people always ask how's he do it?
Or this and that. I mean he's gifted and you
know he's so competitive. You know, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, it's the playoff game in Dallas that got you
to the championship game in twenty sixteen. That was quite
an atmosphere, wasn't it. I mean, Dallas number one seed,
it's divisional playoff round. Tell me a little bit about that.
What went into it?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, that was super loud. I remember, you know playing
in there with that you know, the new well that
was a couple of years old, and new jumbo trow
and all that. But that was a great atmosphere super loud. Wow.
I mean that catch on the sideline that was that
was amazing and then Mason too. I mean it was,
you know, something that you'll never forget. And that just
(05:37):
kind of summed up that that winning streak that we
put on at the end of that season. And you know,
it was unfortunate what happened in Atlanta, but like I said,
you know, we got a little banged up and it
is what it is.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Unfortunately, Donnie suffered a knee injury in training camp and
missed the twenty fourteen campaign. That was one of the
best teams the Packers would field in that era.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, I mean we had a lot of new faces.
We have Peppers, I remember he was on the team. Then.
He brought great leadership and you know, a big skill set. Obviously.
I think the coach McCarthy always did a great job
year to year knowing the players, knowing our strengths and weaknesses,
and he always had a theme each year to bring
us together. The locker room changes year to year. You
got to find what's good for you know, the fit
(06:23):
for that fifty three and he always did a good job,
you know, finding that and bringing us together. I just
remember that twenty fourteen season. I mean I never walked
through the locker room without like there been so much
like camaraderie. Joy guys, you know, playing a dumb game,
you know, around the locker room, no one wanting to leave,
kind of kind of atmosphere. Everyone wanted to stick together
(06:45):
and be at home.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You go to Seattle, you're playing the defending champions, and
you guys knocked them around for fifty five minutes or so,
and then the most unbelievable ending to that game happened.
As a team and you played the following year. How
tough was it to come back from that? And that's
that's something that you live with, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Oh yeah, I mean that's you still think about that,
you know every so often people ask you about it. Man,
I don't think i've I mean that we dominated. They
dominated that game the whole game basically, and you know
that was so tough to swallow. You know, that was
a great rivalry, I'll be honest with you, especially when
I was here that Seattle team. You know, we went
(07:29):
back and forth, and I remember the game my rookie
year too, when like the refs held out the controversy catch,
you know.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And the fail Mary. The fail Mary.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, I mean there was just a lot of history
there between that team, those two teams during those that
span of years, and you know that twenty fourteen game. Man,
I'll tell you what, we were so red hot. You
just knew we were going to the super Bowl and
that that was a shame. I mean, that was a
great group of guys, Like I said, probably the most
complete team I've been a part of.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Those teams of the twenty tens, had a lot of
fun both on and off the field. Along with teammates
David BAKTII and Clay Matthews. Donnie had a brief appearance
in the movie pitch Perfect two.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, that's it's funny because I literally just I was
back home and you know, as the day goes by,
people always like find out about the year in the
movie and they ask you about it to sum it
up like it was a great experience. I don't know
if it was exactly it fits me the kind of
guy I am, but at the time it was funny.
I mean that twenty thirteen season, that's when they played
(08:35):
the regular Pitch Perfect movie. It was on HBO, like
every week, every night, and in that year too, in
twenty thirteen, we kind of hit a little. We had
some bumps along the road, but we were having fun
and we did we needed to do to reach the playoffs,
and we'd everyone would come in and like I swear
they watched Pitch Perfect the night before practice the next
(08:57):
day and they'd come in singing the songs. And I
still remember Dave Bactiori. He text or tweeted at one
of the producers and was like, Hey, you know, you
should put us in the next movie. And she was like, yeah,
we'll do that, and we were like, oh, you know,
she ain't gonna accept that. So then off season comes
and she hits Dave up on Twitter and she's like, hey,
let's do it. Get the line, get Clay and it
(09:19):
all worked out. We flew down the bat and rouge
and it was a great experience. It's amazing how much
goes into that, you know, just for being part of
it for what fifteen thirty seconds shooting?
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You see, Yeah, it's good.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
We were there for four days from ten am to
like one in the morning, and we were in for
what I mean, you blink your eye and we were
off the screen. But it was fun.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
It's amazing what goes into that process of baking a movie.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Is it's not so many takes. I mean we had
a fun time though we were ready to get back here.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, that's work. Barclay also played briefly in Detroit and
tried New Orleans and Denver in his career. But the
grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side, especially when
it comes to Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You always heard this whenever you were here from players
that left, and they always said, like, you won't realize
how fortunate you were to play with the Packers as
far as just like how they treat you. You know,
whether it's the staff, the coaches, the strength staff, all
the support staff, meals and you go somewhere else and
(10:25):
you finally realize that. And when I went to Detroit,
I mean, no knock on Detroit, but it wasn't Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And you know, whether it.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Was the facilities, the meals, the logistics, all that. And
they do do a heck of a job here as
far as you know, investing in itself and making everything
better as the years goes on. How they treat people
first class here. Like I said, I went to Detroit.
After that, I was in camp with the Saints and
(10:53):
then the Broncos. The Broncos kind of reminded me of here,
you know, building things up. How they treated you, but
by far, I mean Green Bay was special as far
and not even just me. I'm talking to like my family.
I know they do a great job with the wives here,
getting them together, you know, just getting them around. I
(11:14):
know we're so busy. They try and get them and
the kids, you know, just to keep their mind away
and together and a family knit. I felt fortune. I
felt blessed to be here. You know, I never imagined
that I would have played that long or or even
make it. I mean I was just I was just
proud of myself and fortunate and to get the opportunity
and take advantage of it. You know, the coach is
(11:35):
believing me, whether it's Coach McCarthy or coach camping along
the way. And then you know the same guys in
the locker room, you know, trusting me. Lineman, Aaron. You know,
I just put my head done every day. Knew I
had to keep fighting every day and go to work
and get better.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Last question, what are you up to now? And how
has football impacted your career.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I mean, I think it's made me. It makes all
of this players who we are today. Is as you know,
the grit and the adversity that you face over time.
You know how to deal with situations. You know, for
off the field, you know you face the situations you
face on the field were by far more. You know
how to keep you disciplined than you know, handle that adversity.
And when you get off the field, it's the same situation,
(12:18):
but you got to handle the same way, and you're
already prepped for it.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
I got three kids now, a family. We live back
in Pittsburgh. Really have taken since I've been done playing
in twenty nineteen, I've been uh, you know, just spending
time with them, coaching all their teams. We moved back
to the area where I'm from, so just kind of
like building that up. Looking at different jobs they get
into now, whether it's sales or management. But I think
(12:42):
I'm ready for that now. I think, you know, I've
enjoyed coaching the kids, which I'm not gonna stop coaching them,
but you know, it's nice to kind of spend some
time away from football, get away, give my mind to
break and move on to the next thing.
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