:Elmer Barbour

{{Short description|American football player (1919–1993)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Elmer Barbour

| number = 6

| position = Back

| birth_date = {{birth date|1919|02|02}}

| birth_place = Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1993|02|10|1919|02|02}}

| death_place = Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 200

| high_school = Durham
(Durham, North Carolina)

| college = Wake Forest

| draftyear = 1945

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 10

| pastteams =

• New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1945}})

| highlights =

• First-team All-SoCon (1944){{cite news|title=Tinsley Picked On 2nd Elite Eleven|work=The Spartanburg Herald|agency=Associated Press|date=December 5, 1944|page=9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4VYsAAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA5|access-date=July 31, 2024}}

| statlabel1 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue1 = 1

| pfr = BarbEl20

}}

Wesley Elmer Barbour II (February 2, 1919 – February 10, 1993){{cite web|title=Elmer Barbour|publisher=Pro Football Reference|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BarbEl20.htm|access-date=November 9, 2011}}{{cite book|title=The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia Second Edition|publisher=Sterling Publishing|year=2007|location=New York City|page=58|isbn=978-1-4027-5250-6}} was an American professional football blocking back and linebacker who played for the National Football League (NFL)'s New York Giants during the 1945 season.

After attending Durham High School in Durham, North Carolina, Barbour played college football at Wake Forest for four years. He captained the team in 1943 (as a co-captain) and 1944, his junior and senior years. Barbour was an all-conference team selection in both years, and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocking back in the Southern Conference as a senior. The Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inducted him in 2003.{{cite web|title=Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame 2003 Inductees|publisher=Wake Forest University|url=http://www.wakeforestsports.com/trads/hof-2003.html|access-date=December 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202012834/http://www.wakeforestsports.com/trads/hof-2003.html|archive-date=February 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}

In the 1945 NFL draft, the Giants took Barbour in the first round with the 10th overall pick.{{cite web|title=1945 NFL Draft|publisher=Pro Football Reference|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1945/draft.htm|access-date=November 9, 2011}} Barbour became the first player from Wake Forest to be selected in the opening round of an NFL draft.{{cite web|title=Wake Forest in the NFL Draft|publisher=Wake Forest University|date=April 22, 2020|url=https://godeacs.com/news/2020/4/21/football-wake-forest-and-the-nfl-draft|access-date=June 1, 2025}} He played in three games for the Giants in 1945, starting in each and recording one fumble recovery. The Giants did not bring Barbour back in 1946 following an offensive formation change by head coach Steve Owen. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed him,{{cite news|title=Fife Injured In Steeler Drill|work=The Pittsburgh Press|date=August 17, 1946|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oL4cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4442,2701090|access-date=November 9, 2011}} but he did not appear in any games for the team. Following his playing career, Barbour became a head coach at Durham High School,{{cite news|title='Cats Meet Durham Bulldogs Here Tonight|work=Star-News|date=November 9, 1951|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HF5gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K3INAAAAIBAJ&pg=1748,1327507|access-date=November 9, 2011}} then joined Wake Forest from 1956 to 1960 in an assistant position. He was later an assistant at South Carolina.{{cite news|title=Bass Opens Grid Drills At Carolina|work=The Sumter Daily Item|date=February 6, 1961|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BgIvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xqkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1087,2406146|access-date=November 9, 2011}}