The Bucs made Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft late Thursday night.

Then, as the clock hit midnight, Duke Football posted a heartwarming video narrated by Barton’s parents, Heather and Philip Barton.

The video gives a look into Graham Barton’s upbringing, complete with pictures of a young Graham as he played a variety of sports — including lacrosse — and began to develop his love for football at a young age. After Barton’s parents describe their son and his journey from high school prospect to Duke standout, they finished with a heartfelt message.

A letter from @grahambarton53‘s parents pic.twitter.com/iaabTa06Wi

— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) April 26, 2024

Bucs OL Graham Barton – Photo by: USA Today

“Graham, Dad and I have a few things to say to you. Keep following your dreams,” Heather Barton said. “You have demonstrated you can achieve anything that is important to you. You have always said Duke is hard. Football is hard. But you also say it’s the best decision you have made yet in your life. You have made your own luck, choosing a great school, and now you are drafted into the NFL.

“It’s a testament to your gifts, but also your talent, perseverance and your character. It’s a testament to your choices. It’s recognition of the countless hours you have worked, both methodically improving your skills and pushing yourself to greatness.”

“Graham, no one has ever had to tell you to stay humble and true to yourself,” Philip Barton continued. “It’s our favorite thing about you. We have watched you grow as an athlete and as a person of great character. Your determination, commitment and compassion for others have always made you special. It’s very much who you are and what people love about you. We cannot wait to see all the amazing things you accomplish in the NFL and beyond.

“For us, you have provided our family with many wonderful and amazing memories and have introduced us to so many great people along the way,” Heather Barton said. “Football pulls people together. Players, students, teams, families. It has been a spectacular time for all of us, our family and our many family friends.”

“With that, Graham, please continue to live your dream with all your passion and determination,” Philip Barton said in closing. “The professional world is yours for the taking, and we have no doubt that you will leave your mark on it both on and off the field.”

With Graham Barton, Bucs Continue Building Culture Around High-Character Players

There’s so much to like about Graham Barton as a player, from his positional versatility and athleticism to his tenacious playing style and sound technique. But the fact that he’s such a high-character guy certainly sealed the deal for the Bucs.

Under Jason Licht and especially in recent years after the arrival of the Bruce Arians regime, the Bucs have continued to build their culture around high-character players who have all the right traits to be leaders.

Bucs OL Graham Barton – Photo by: USA Today

“I think we’ve done a great job – I’ve done a better job myself as well – of going after the right kind of guy and avoiding the temptation to go after the talent and not necessarily the whole person,” Licht said earlier this month. “I think we’ve done a great job, my staff has done a great job of identifying that with our character grade. We put a lot of stock into that. When we see players getting into trouble, suspended, or whatever, I’ll look it up, and yep, we had a ‘do not touch’ grade [on them].”

Licht and the Bucs are after leaders of all kinds. What matters most is their character, passion for the game and work ethic.

“Leaders, but leaders that can come in a lot of different shapes and forms,” Licht said. “Doesn’t have to be an alpha leader. We want guys that are passionate about the game, want guys that are resilient and can deal with adversity. We have a lot of those guys.”

The Bucs appear to have added another one of those guys in Graham Barton. His parents aren’t the only ones with high praise for him, of course, and Licht isn’t alone in his praise of the player. Former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard (now at Notre Dame) once called him “arguably the hardest football player that we have, [the] hardest worker on the field and off the field.”

And as Barton continued to build up his profile as a future NFL first-round draft pick, he further grew into a leader in his final year with the Blue Devils.

“True leaders walk the walk — they truly show up every day and do the work,” Barton said last year.

Yeah, it sounds like Graham Barton will fit right in from the moment he steps into the Bucs locker room.