University of North Carolina Athletics
A Sibling Rivalry
July 12, 2012 | Football
By Jared Burleyson, UNC Athletic Communications
Growing up in an athletic household was never easy for Casey Barth.
"In every sport we played, he would always beat me because he was the older brother," Casey said of his competitive childhood with former Carolina place-kicker Connor Barth.
However, this fall Casey has a chance to earn permanent bragging rights and erase a lifetime of second-place finishes.
After sitting out the majority of the 2011 football season due to a leg injury suffered in the win over Virginia, Barth is back at 100 percent and just four successful kicks shy of breaking his brother's record for the most made field goals in Carolina history.
"I think it helps me to know that I can really make a name for myself," Casey said. "Not saying that I dislike being known as Connor's little brother, but I think it just helps me establish myself a little bit more."
After playing soccer since the age of five, Connor was asked to kick for the Hoggard High School football team in the Barths' hometown of Wilmington, N.C. Naturally, that sparked the same desire in Casey.
"How we were growing up, we were always competitive. I saw him do well, so I might as well try it too, and it just kind of worked out."
He again followed in his older brother's footsteps by choosing to come to Chapel Hill, and both Barths have left distinctive marks on Carolina football. Connor kicked a 42-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give the Tar Heels a 31-28 victory over third-ranked Miami during his freshman year of 2004. Six years later, Casey kicked a 39-yarder on the final play of regulation of the 2010 Music City Bowl to send the game into overtime and then a 23-yard game-winner to give the Tar Heels their first postseason victory in nine years.
Asked which kick was better, Casey actually gives credit to his elder.
"I was always so jealous of his because it was at home. I think that was huge, and they were No. 3, so I'd have to give it to Connor. I think mine was awesome, but he was a freshman too, and that was pretty unbelievable."
As younger siblings tend to do, Casey will turn to Connor for solid brotherly advice, despite his competitive nature.
"I missed about three in a row at the beginning of my sophomore year, and I talked to my brother about visualization because that was his big thing when he had a slump."
Connor's advice clearly worked, as Casey missed just once the rest of the year.
While advice can be passed verbally, just as much can be shared by example, and Connor has held up that end of his brotherly duties as well.
"[Connor] didn't get drafted, he was a free agent, and he was really good out of college," Casey said of Connor's new 4-year, $13 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a deal that puts his base salary among the top 10 in the NFL for kickers. "It shows me that even if you don't get drafted, keep your head up because you can still have a really good career."
Perhaps all of his guidance has set Connor up to be surpassed by his brother in Carolina's record books, and Casey should have plenty of opportunities in new head coach Larry Fedora's system. Last year Southern Miss kicked 25 field goals to lead Conference USA. Carolina was last in the ACC with a total of seven field goals in 2011.
"It's huge because we move the ball so much," Barth said of Fedora's new system. "Obviously, 25 field goals is a lot. I'm pretty excited about that."
However, Casey insists that breaking his brother's record had no effect on his decision to redshirt last season.
"I think it was more of just having a complete season more than reaching the record. I just wanted to get a nice complete season in and I couldn't get healthy enough to do that."
As Casey enters his final year of college and Connor enters year five in the NFL, the two still maintain their youthful competitiveness.
"Even now we'll kick together and still compete and get in each other's heads. It's funny."
Ah, brotherly love.
