Mike Barber ( tight end ) Mike Barber ( born June 4 , 1953 in Marshall , Texas ) is the leader of " Mike Barber Ministries " , a religious charity with which he and his wife DeAnne engage in a full - time , nationwide prison ministry , and which they began in 1987 . On his television program " PRO - Claim " , shown on Trinity Broadcasting Network , his wife sings , as he holds services and ministers to inmates in their cells . Early life . Barber attended White Oak High School , where he played Quarterback , passing for over 4 , 000 yards , and graduated in 1972 . He then attended Louisiana Tech where he was converted to Tight end . He was selected in the second round of 1976 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers . He played for the Oilers for six years , and then finished his career playing four years for the Los Angeles Rams . He then retired to work in ministry . High school coaching career . During the mid - 1990s , Mike returned to football , of sorts , when he took a voluntary coaching position at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill , Texas . He coached for two years with Trinity , and then left amid a minor dispute to join Arlington ' s Grace Prep Academy , where he coached or was involved with coaching between 1998 and 2005 . Grace Prep was successful while Barber was the coach ( in various guises , including head coach ) ; during his eight - year tenure there , the team had a winning record every season , and won the State Championship in their division five of those years . However , he was suspended for a year in 2001 , and was fired from the Head coaching position in May 2006 after a dispute with school administrators . He has since focused his efforts on his ministry . Controversy . While associated with the Grace Prep football program , Barber was given " one of the sternest sanctions ever administered " by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools . According to TAPPS , he had offered athletes " improper inducements " . He was suspended from coaching for a year , and the school ' s program placed on three years ' probation . Because several prominent players transferred to Grace Prep along with Barber ( for some of whom he was accused of improperly paying tuition , a claim he denies ) , TAPPS instituted what is informally known as " The Mike Barber Rule " : players who follow a coach to another school are ineligible from playing for a year . In July 2006 , the " Dallas Morning News " published an article titled " Barber Prison Ministry Spreads The Word - - And The Wealth " , which took a somewhat accusative tone , discussing in detail Barber and his various relatives ' notably high incomes from his non - profit organization . According to " The News " , " Two years ago , the high - profile charity paid its founder $ 236 , 500 in salary and benefits , one of the highest pay packages in the nation among similar religious charities . His wife , who worked part time , received $ 118 , 000 . The ministry also pays three other members of Mr . Barber ' s family . " Also according to the article , " [ a ] mong officers at about 4 , 000 groups that filed returns , Mr . Barber ' s 2003 pay package ranked 13th highest . . . " and they note that the average pay was " about $ 97 , 000 " . In his only quoted response in the article , Barber defends himself simply : " I give so much of that away , " Mr . Barber said of his pay . " If somebody wants to judge me for that [ salary ] , go for it . "