Kyle Whittingham Wears ‘That’s My Pig Farmer’ T-Shirt During Post-Game
Nov 4, 2023, 6:54 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham rolled into his post-game press conference wearing a “That’s My Pig Farmer” t-shirt.
The shirt elicited some giggles amongst the media and is now making the rounds on social media.
Whittingham has not been shy of showing his support for his quarterback, Bryson Barnes, who in fact grew up on a pig farm before he joined the Utes in 2020. Barnes has backed up Cam Rising through those years but was forced into permanent action when Rising was not able to come back to play in 2023.
“That’s My Pig Farmer” @UtahCoachWhitt #GoUtes #LighttheU pic.twitter.com/CEumuFfLbz
— Stevenson Sylvester (@SSylvester55) November 4, 2023
Kyle Whittingham Debuts The Pig Farmer At The 2022 Rose Bowl
The college football world first became aware of Barnes during Utah’s first Rose Bowl appearance in 2022 after Rising suffered a concussion against Ohio State.
The game was already entertainment gold to that point with both sides in a shoot-out after the Utes had jumped to a sizable lead early in the contest. Barnes’ entrance into the game pushed it a notch further.
Most teams reel when their leader goes down the way that Rising did, but the Utes under Barnes were undeterred and wasted zero time putting the Buckeyes on notice.
Unfortunately for Barnes and the Utes there was too much time left on the clock and tOSU was able to kick a game-winning field goal to win the game, 48-45, but it didn’t change the fact a legend was born.
Where Is Bryson Barnes From?
Part of what has peaked college football fans’ curiosity about Barnes is the fact he hails from a very small town in Utah called Milford.
Located in the south-west corner of Utah in Beaver County, Milford boasts a population of 1,431 according to the 2020 census. It also mainly boasts farmland which brings us to our next point.
Why Is Barnes Called “The Pig Farmer”?
Barnes’ High School Football Record
Anyone that has spent a lot of time around football or knows anything about running a farm understands the time commitment involved which in turn makes Barnes’ story that much more impressive.
On top of raising pigs growing up, Barnes was also a very good quarterback at Milford High School setting the Utah state record for career touchdown passes at 137. That record still stands.
Utah football opened up their 2023 season hosting the Florida Gators at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes were unfortunately without starter Cam Rising who was still recovering from an ACL tear earlier in the year against Penn State at the Rose Bowl.
In Barnes’ second career start, he wasted little time letting everyone know Utah would be ok under his leadership dropping back and launching a 70-yard touchdown pass to receiver Money Parks in his first play of the game.
The Utes went on to beat the Gators, 24-11, and Barnes was given a scholarship for his efforts after having participated on the team the previous two years as a walk-on.
Bryson Barnes Tells His Story On College GameDay
Utah Football fans know they have a pig farmer at quarterback and they’re proud of it. That farmer is Bryson Barnes.
They also know their pig farmer is from a tiny town in Utah called Milford.
But, on College GameDay ahead of Utah’s matchup against Oregon, Barnes shared his journey from the perspective of a story he wrote in elementary school.
Before Utah QB Bryson Barnes was tossing the pigskin, he worked on a pig farm.
A farm with 12,000 pigs to be exact 😳🐷 pic.twitter.com/7xiRlwEVhb
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 28, 2023
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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