New York Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley reminisces on his remarkable first season in the National Football League.
It was a phenomenal rookie season for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. He surpassed the 2000 scrimmage yard mark and made his first Pro Bowl.
Barkley, to say the least, was everything Giants fans were hoping for him to be, and more.
Now that his first regular season in the NFL has concluded, Barkley spoke with the Giants official website this week, reminiscing on his inaugural campaign in the pros.
When speaking on his teammates, the Big Blue running back emphasized the time that’s spent off the field with them.
“I’m a big believer in if you spend quality time outside of football and you understand people outside of football, you’re going to just play ten times harder for each other,” Barkley stated.
From the start, Barkley also noticed a huge difference from his college days to his early days in the pros.
“Talent is the biggest difference,” Barkley said. “And the thing that stood out to me is that every game is going to be a close game. Every game is a dog fight and every game could go down to the wire and you got to come out ready every single game.”
One of the more important and helpful aspects for Barkley coming into his rookie year was being able to play with Giants quarterback Eli Manning. With 15 NFL seasons under his belt, Manning acted as a mentor towards the young running back.
Barkley mentioned that the relationship with his quarterback has done nothing but improve.
“It grew a lot, [Eli’s] been a tremendous help to me,” Barkley mentioned. “I don’t think I say that enough to him, how much I appreciate him and what he’s done for me this year.”
Many believe Barkley’s success will only carry over and improve into his sophomore campaign next year. The former first-round pick is on his way to becoming a premier running back for years to come.
