Born October 5, 1937, in Crossett, Arkansas, Barry Layne Switzer grew up under difficult circumstances, losing his mother to suicide in 1959 and his father to murder in 1972. He accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Arkansas, where he played center and linebacker, joined Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and served as a "Tri-Captain" during his senior season in 1959. He led the Razorbacks to a 9-2 record, a share of the Southwest Conference championship, and a victory over Georgia Tech in the 1960 Gator Bowl, finishing ranked ninth nationally in head coach Frank Broyles' second season. After graduation and a brief stint in the U.S. Army, Switzer returned to Arkansas as an assistant coach under Broyles.