Barnes, while an NFL player with the Philadelphia Eagles, was caught by
the University of Oklahoma spying on their practices being held in
Biloxi, MS, just prior to the 1950 Sugar Bowl in which they were to play
against LSU. They were tipped off by an LSU, fan of all things, and a
six-man posse including a photographer and a Biloxi policeman caught
Barnes with two ladders, a 4x6 between them to stand on, a canvas tarp to
hide under, a camera, a notebook and some binoculars in his possession.
They took a photo of him for posterity, which still hangs at Owen Field
to this day. Barnes ran away and hid in the home of another former LSU
player. Whether or not LSU knew anything about it has been denied by
LSU and debated for over 50 years, but it apparently didn't help anyway--Oklahoma beat LSU 35-0. Barnes denied it was him in the photo his
entire life and took it to his grave.