Kevan Barlow (born on January 7, 1979 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a player in the National Football League. He is currently the starting running back for the San Francisco 49ers. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted in the 3rd round (80th overall) by the 49ers in the 2001 NFL Draft. After enjoying a breakout 2003-2004 season behind a reliable run blocking line in which Barlow had a 5.1 yard per carry average and 1024 yards, the 49ers gave him the starting job by releasing Garrison Hearst. 2004-2005 was an underachieving year for Barlow, where he didn't reach the 1000 yard mark even though he was the primary back. At one point he was demoted to second string by Coach Dennis Erickson in favor of Maurice Hicks. In the 2005 NFL Draft the 49ers selected Frank Gore to be the backup running back behind Barlow.
The 2005-2006 season seemed to mark a rebound in his running game. He had 420 yards on 102 carries for a 4.0 average through 7 games but finished the season with just 581 yards on 176 carries for only a 3.3 rushing average after missing the final 3 games of the season.
