50 games/46 starts
• Joins Kevin Williams and Erasmus James as 1st-round picks along the Vikings defensive line.• Ranks 6th in Vikings history for sacks by a rookie with 5.0, tied with Doug Martin and Dwayne Rudd and trailing Carl Eller (5.5), Alan Page (8.5), Kevin Williams (10.5) and Keith Millard (11.0). • Ranks tied for 2nd in Vikings history for starts by a rookie DE with 15, trailing only Kevin Williams (16 in 2003). • Became the 4th rookie DE to start the season opener vs. Dallas (9/12), joining Carl Eller in 1964, Al Noga in 1988 and Kevin Williams in 2003. • Acquired by Vikings with 20th overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft. • Joins Browner, OT Ron Yary (1968) and OT Steve Riley (1974) as 1st-round picks by the Vikings from USC.• The 4 USC players drafted in the 1st round are the most from any school in Vikings history.
• Tied career-high with 5.0 sacks in 2007 and tied for Vikings team lead. • Helped Vikings rank #1 in the NFL against the run for the 2nd straight season. • Caught Kyle Orton vs. Chicago (12/17) on Monday Night Football for 5th sack of the season. • Notched a fumble recovery vs. Detroit (12/2) off Jon Kitna, returning the ball 37 yards. • Notched season-best 4 QB hurries @ NY Giants (11/25). • Had sack in back-to-back games when he caught Eagles QB Donovan McNabb vs. Philadelphia (10/28). • Recorded 2nd career sack against McNabb, who he had the 1st sack of his career against in 2004. • Caught Cowboys QB Tony Romo for a sack and forced a fumble @ Dallas (10/21). • Posted career-best 9 tackles and a tackle for loss @ Kansas City (9/23). • Notched final sack of the day vs. Atlanta (9/9) when he caught Joey Harrington on the final play of the game.
Consensus All-America choice as a junior when he was named National Defensive Player of the Year by NFL Draft Report and Pigskin Club of Washington DC…Tied for NCAA lead in 2003 with 16.5 sacks…The 1st USC defensive lineman to earn All-America honors since Tim Ryan in 1989…Helped USC to a shared national championship, earning the #1 rank in the final Associated Press poll after the Rose Bowl victory over Michigan…Part of remarkable USC turnaround under former Vikings assistant coach Pete Carroll that culminated with national title…Earned 1st-team All-Pac-10 honors as a junior and was named USC’s Defensive Lineman of the Year as a junior and as a sophomore…Named to Freshman All-America 2nd-team and Freshman All-Pac-10 team by The Sporting News…Redshirted as a true freshman in 2000.2003 Everybody's All-American after tieing for NCAA lead with 16.5 sacks...Earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors from The NFL Draft Report and the Pigskin Club of Washington, DC...Finalist for Hendricks Award as college football's top DE...Named 1st-team All-Pac 10...Earned team's Defensive Lineman of the Year honors for the second straight year...Started all 13 games...Selected as Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Week for performance against Stanford when he had 4 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and blocked a FG attempt... Recovered a UCLA fumble in the endzone for his lone career TD...Had 4 tackles with 1.5 sacks against BYU...Posted a 6 tackle, 2 sack day against Notre Dame.2002 Started every game for the Pac 10 champions...Helped lead team to 11-2 mark and top Iowa in the Orange Bowl 38-17...Named 2nd-team All-Pac 10...Earned USC's Defensive Lineman of the Year award...Notched 7.5 sacks and had lone collegiate interception...Picked off pass against Stanford...Set a USC record with 6 forced fumbles on the season...Blocked 1st career FG against Washington while adding 5 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble...Had 4 tackles for loss, including 2 sacks against UCLA...Notched 5 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery that set up a USC TD against Kansas State.2001 Named to Freshman All-America 2nd Team and Freshman All-Pac 10 team by Sporting News...Honored with USC's co-Lifter of the Year award...Started 10 games...Made transition from DT to DE during fall camp.2000 Redshirted as a DT.
Was one of the most active rookies in the community by adopting Bancroft School in Minneapolis and supporting the school’s reading program with visits and providing numerous game tickets as incentives to the kids…Takes part in youth mentoring and working with students at the elementary school in Los Angeles where his mother is a teacher…Comes from family of educators as sister is a teacher in Atlanta…Participated in the Vikings High School Coach of the Week program at Minneapolis South High School…Made appearance with 2004 inductee and fellow DE Carl Eller at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in May 2005 as part of the Hall’s Best of Yesterday and Today series that features alumni stars and present players from a franchise…Older brother, Thomas Barnes, attended the University of St. Thomas and law school at the University of Minnesota…Younger brother, Echezona, attended Carleton College in Northfield, MN…Kenechi means “God’s love will always be with me” in Nigerian…Has a collection of antique and replica swords…Majored in sociology at USC...