Marion Barber III's family doesn't know cause of death, memorial service planned for later this month

The family of former Gophers football star Marion Barber III doesn't yet know the cause of his death, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The family is planning a memorial service in Minneapolis on June 22, said his father, Marion Barber Jr.

Barber III was found dead inside his apartment in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday. He would have turned 39 next week. Barber III played for the Gophers from 2001 to '04 and spent most of his pro career with the Dallas Cowboys.

His father and two of his brothers, Dominique and Thomas, also played for the university.

Barber Jr. told the Fort Worth newspaper, "They are just using tissue as they dig further into the cause of death. They are ruling out things. They haven't seen any trauma, no foul substances in his body. His lungs were in working order. The heart and veins around the heart were good. They are ruling things out. Right now, we are just waiting."

He added that the coroner investigating the death hopes to have more information by Sunday. Barber III might have been dead for several days before his body was found by police doing a welfare check, his father said.

In his will, Barber III stated that he did not want his brain to be studied for research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition thought to stem from repeated blows to the head. The condition can only be diagnosed after a person has died.

"He was real specific in his will that he didn't want that," Barber Jr. told the Fort Worth newspaper.

Arrangements for the memorial are being made as plans continue for Thomas Barber's wedding next weekend. Thomas Barber was recently hired as a graduate assistant by the Gophers after being an assistant coach at Augsburg.

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