Former Duke offensive lineman [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag] threw the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays’ Monday night game against the Boston Red Sox.
Barton, the first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was picked 26th overall in April’s NFL draft. After three years at left tackle in Durham, Bucs general manager Jason Licht said Barton will move back to center for Tampa Bay, the position he played as a freshman.
He became Duke’s eighth first-round NFL draft pick in program history and the third since 1987.
Barton didn’t seem overly interested in lighting up the speedometer with his opening throw, a lazy curveball above the strike zone, but he came off the mound with a big grin on his face. Knowledgable baseball fans will also appreciate that Barton took care to not step on the foul line as he came off the field, taking a big step over the chalk line to follow the sport’s superstition.
That looked like a strike to us @grahambarton53 🤷♂️
Via @realrockriley pic.twitter.com/o2seV2R2dV
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) May 20, 2024
Barton’s first NFL game against the Washington Commanders starts on September 8.