1977 Profile: Jerome Barkum

Wide Receiver
No. 83
Jackson State
"Took him a year to do a day's work last season but it wasn't his fault. A leg muscle pull kept Barkum out of 10 games and he didn't show much after his return, catching just five passes. He's healthy again, and if the Jets can find somebody to throw the ball, he could return to top form. Barkum averaged 40 catches the previous three years and is at his best against Baltimore
Barkum's size and strength make him tough on small cornerbacks. He lacks blazing speed but is quick and has good hands. He's a good blocker for a wide receiver.
Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Barkum is nicknamed 'Gee.' He once had 30 rebounds in a high school basketball game. He caught 128 passes as a four-year starter at Jackson State."

-Rich Kucner, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1977 Edition

"Barkum was sidelined for 10 games last year with a severely pulled hamstring suffered in the fifth preseason game. He played in the last four games but caught only five passes for 54 yards with one touchdown.
Prior to last season Barkum was always considered among pro football's premier wide receivers and has excellent size and strength for his position. An added dimension is his blocking.
In 1972 Jerome was off to a late start in his rookie year as he was late to sign but had a 19.0 average on 16 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns. He came into his own in 1973 with 44 catches for 810 yards and an 18.4 average with six touchdowns. In 1974, Jerome added 41 catches for 524 yards, a 12.8 average and three touchdowns. He led the Jets in receiving in 1973 and 1974 and earned a Pro Bowl appearance after the 1973 season. He followed that with another good season in 1975 with 36 catches for 549 yards, a 15.3 average and five touchdowns.
His career totals show 143 receptions for 2,241 yards, a 15.7 average and 17 touchdowns. Barkum ranks seventh among all-time Jet career leaders in receiving yardage and ninth in receptions. He had his best yardage day against Denver in 1973 with 111 on four catches, and his most catches in a day were eight against Cincinnati in 1973.
Jerome caught 128 passes for 2,130 yards and 27 touchdowns in his four-year college career, notching 10 touchdown receptions as a senior. He was a teammate of the Jets' Richard Caster and played in the Senior Bowl and the East-West Game. Barkum was an AP Little All-America and All-SWAC for two years, and a Pittsburgh Courier All-America.
Nicknamed 'Gee,' he's the cousin of Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions. His brother Melvin was a quarterback and running back at Mississippi State. Jerome holds the high school record of 30 rebounds in a basketball game.
Jerome spent the off-season working in the recreation program at Diamondhead Resort near New Orleans. He enjoys working with kids and relaxes by swimming and fishing. His birthplace and hometown is Gulfport, Mississippi."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide