Saquon Barkley’s former Giants teammate: Eagles star ‘meant a lot to me’ after tragedy

PHILADELPHIA — When people argue Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s achievements this season, mention that Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season or talk about Barkley’s reverse leap over the Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback. Jarrian Jones in Week 9, a move other NFL players can’t pull off.

But those moments don’t sum up everything that makes Barkley great because his accomplishments go beyond statistics.

According to teammates and coaches, Barkley’s selfless nature, his ability to inspire confidence in young players and his positive mindset during difficult situations have helped the Eagles once again become one of the NFL’s Super Bowl contenders.

In the Eagles’ NFC wild card game at home against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Barkley could rush for a ton of yards and score touchdowns, but the way he motivates his teammates in the most challenging part of the game could be just as important. .

NJ Advance Media spoke with a former New York Giants teammate and several Eagles over the past week to get his perspective on Barkley’s impact beyond the numbers. Interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

running back Matt Breidawho played two seasons (2022-23) with Barkley in New York:

“Two days after our playoff game against the Vikings (in 2023), my mom passed away. The first time Saquon and I talked about it was after I finally got to talk about it at OTAs (that spring). He was just telling me, ‘Hey, let me know if everything’s going to be okay.’ God has a plan.’ He was there for me in that moment when I needed to talk to him about it, which was very difficult for me because my mom was a big part of my life. I was adopted. “She and my dad gave me everything I had up to that point.”

“It meant a lot to me because those are things, especially in life, that you never prepare for. Especially with something as serious as death. I feel like most people generally handle it one of two ways. A: They can move pretty quickly. B: It takes a while to move on.

“To me, on the outside I probably looked good, but on the inside I wasn’t. Allowing myself to be able to express that to him (sometimes I have a hard time expressing emotions with certain people) was helpful. He always made him well known, no matter what someone needed, he was always there. That was the case ever since. The most important thing for me was the fact that he was able to sit there and listen to me when most people think that football players are not affected in the same way by death. He does it. “We are all human beings.”

wide receiver Parris Campbellwho was Barkley’s teammate with the Giants last year and is currently on the Eagles’ practice squad:

“Even in my situation in New York when I was benched and this year I was cut (by the Eagles twice), he’s always been a voice of reason for me. He always checked on me to make sure I was okay mentally. That helps a lot, especially when we are grown men. We both have our own families and our own things. That he is a close friend and that he is good to me just cheers me up.

“We have open and honest conversations, keeping them as real as possible with each other. That’s something about him too. He will always stay at his best and you can appreciate that as a friend and teammate. Off the field we talk about our children. Actually, our two oldest children go to the same school and are very close friends. We usually hear a lot of things that happen between them at school and sometimes we talk about it at work. His (partner) and my wife are close friends. “They are a good family, good friends.”

Eagles wide receiver Ainías Smithwho has faced criticism as a rookie:

“(Saquon) has told me to be humble, keep my feet on the ground, keep faith in God and work hard even when people have something negative to say. People will always have something to say. In New York they called him all kinds of names. Yes, he was doing well, but all the stories he had told me about his time in New York (have helped me deal with the criticism).”

Eagles long snapper Rick Lovato:

“Saquon and I were talking today about Pro Bowl long snappers. The fact that he was even having that conversation with me (was special). He came up to me and asked, ‘How’s the Jaguars’ AFC Pro Bowl long snapper doing?’ I said, ‘He’s great.’ He has achieved it consecutive years. He and his punter are going together this year, which is really cool.” He’s just curious about where everyone stands. Not many people ask the long snapper about AFC and NFC long snappers who made the Pro Bowl ”.

eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean:

“When I first got here, he was one of the guys who was always checking on me. I wondered how he was doing every day because he was pretty quiet. Everyone sees him as a great superstar on the football field. But off the field, he’s just one of the guys, one of us, which is awesome. When you have one of your best players on your team looking out for you as a rookie and making sure you’re doing well and there to answer your questions, it makes you feel great knowing that he’s on your side.”

Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell:

“Before each game, he always comes up to me and gives me a little message or a little nugget. It is a motivational message. It’s something different every week. But when we’re doing offense versus defense, a little warm-up, he comes up to me and tells me. “He has my back and I appreciate that.”

Eagles rookie guard Trevor Keegan:

“Wow, there was one time I was watching film before a game, and he just touched me and said, ‘Your time is coming.’ I was like, ‘Oh (expletive). That’s great.’ That will stay with me for a while, for sure. It gives you a little confidence in yourself. When times are tough, you start to think a little. A little encouragement from time to time, that helps a lot.”

Eagles backup safety Tristin McCollum:

“Several times throughout the season, when I had opportunities or was put in a starting position, he checked on me, making sure my mind was good and focused on the game. He just asks me if I’m okay. If I’m not good, he says, ‘Just be honest.’ Embrace everything. The NFL comes with a lot of emotions, so don’t run away from them. Hug them. “The quicker you do it, the quicker you can start playing football with a clear mind.”

“It helps me trust myself. I know I’m good enough to be in this league and he lets me know that. It gets me out of my head from overthinking and I can stay in the moment.”

Eagles offensive tackle Darian Kinnard:

“A couple weeks ago, we had a play in practice and I blocked it a little clumsily. He came up to me the next day and said, ‘I saw what you were trying to do with that block.’ I’m going to do this and that to get it set up and done right. Don’t worry about trying to take this particular angle. He’s paying attention to guys, even if he’s not a starter. “He just wants to get better and he wants his linemen to get better.”

Eagles backup tight end Grant Calcaterra:

In the off season, hanging out with guys like me to play golf. Just be a good guy. I feel like a lot of times superstars or high-level guys wouldn’t do that.”

Eagle Center Nick Gateswho spent five seasons (2018-22) playing with Barkley in New York:

“He tries to take care of us. Sometimes we used to go play golf in New York. We even do golf stuff here. It’s nothing too crazy. It’s always competitive. “He’s always trying to win.”

eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers:

“Just the little things around the building (to me they stand out). If you’re in (Saquon’s) way in the training room, he’ll move out of the way and let you take his seat. It makes you want to return the favor and help people.”