Ex-NFL star testifies on behalf of former Arlington pastor convicted of sexual assault
Some sports fans may never have heard of Mike Barber or the Houston Oilers, one of the NFL teams where he was a star tight end.
People who recently arrived in North Texas may not have known of prosperity preacher Terry Hornbuckle, who was building a $1 million home with his wife when he was charged and then later convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault.
But Barber, an NFL professional for 10 years who also played for the Los Angeles Rams and who now operates a prison ministry, told jurors that Hornbuckle was a godly man and that he was proud to speak on his behalf. In a civil commitment trial this week in Fort Worth, Hornbuckle is staring down a possibly long-term stay at a locked treatment center in Littlefield, designated for violent sex offenders with the potential to re-offend.
Three other character witnesses have testified on Hornbuckle’s behalf, two of whom also operate prison ministries. The witnesses told jurors that if the ex-pastor wanted to use their platforms to reach out to other inmates, they would be supportive of those efforts.
Barber said something similar.
“Whatever Terry wanted to do ministrywise I would support,” Barber said. “If he wanted to come in with me and testify about what Christ has done for him, I would support that.”
Hornbuckle has already served most of the 15-year sentence handed down to him in 2006 for sexually assaulting women connected to his church.
Hornbuckle, 58, is days away from his projected release date from prison, at the end of August. If he is not assigned to the state’s program for treating violent sexual offenders before he has completed his sentence, state law says he must be released.
Barber estimates he has met with more than 1 million inmates since he started his prison ministry six years before retiring from professional football.
He has vouched for only three in his 40 years of prison work, Barber said.
“This is not my lane,” Barber said. “This is not what I want to do. But you always have that few who touch your heart. Terry is one of those and I’m honored to be here for him. I want to see things turn around for him.”
Hornbuckle is the only inmate in Texas that he has vouched for, Barber said.
He was my good friend
Barber testified that he has known Hornbuckle for more than 20 years and had visited Agape Christian Fellowship, the Arlington church Hornbuckle founded with his ex-wife, Renee.
“We knew some of the same people,” Barber said. “He was my good friend.”
Hornbuckle boasted that he knew many famous athletes and that he was a spiritual advisor for the Dallas Cowboys.
Representatives of the Cowboys have denied that Hornbuckle was ever in their employ, according to published reports.
A letter to a Tarrant County grand jury written by Dallas Cowboy running back Emmitt Smith and introduced into evidence during a previous trial referred to Hornbuckle as honest, trustworthy and a model for Smith’s family, according to ESPN reporting.
Barber testified that he has been impressed with the positive relationships that Hornbuckle seemed to have with others while he was outside of prison, and with inmates and corrections officers while he was inside prison.
“He’s a man who has made mistakes,” Barber said. “But he’s incredibly smart and as good a teacher as you could meet.”
Inmates and prison chaplains speak highly of Hornbuckle, Barber told jurors.
Before he went to prison, Barber said, he believed Hornbuckle was a godly man, a great leader and a great teacher. Barber testified that he is not a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, sex offender therapist or counselor, but his positive opinion of Hornbuckle has not changed.
Barber said he does not condone the acts a jury decided Hornbuckle committed and said that if he did sexually assault women Hornbuckle should confess his guilt.
But Barber said he believes people should be granted second chances.
“I absolutely believe in second chances,” Barber said. “I am a man who has been given second chances. There’s a price to pay when you do wrong, without a doubt. But that doesn’t mean that he’s somebody that you throw away. He’s touched a lot of men inside that prison. If I did not believe in him, I would not be here. He’s a great man with a great purpose, and I’m totally convinced God is ready to use him in a great way.”
The place where Texas wants to send Hornbuckle, the Texas Civil Commitment Center, opened a locked facility with 184 clients in September 2015 in Littlefield, which is about 110 miles south of Amarillo, after the passage of a new law, according to an official with the Texas Civil Commitment Office. The Littlefield facility now provides housing and treatment for 367 clients.
Eight people have been released from the Texas Civil Commitment Center since its opening, said Jessica L. Marsh, director of program operations. Another two clients are near release, but the process has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulty of finding jobs and housing during the coronavirus pandemic, Marsh said.
Hornbuckle’s trial is expected to resume Thursday.
This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 5:22 PM.
