New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley doesn’t care what the fans or the critics expect out of him on the field.
Saquon Barkley is heading into his sophomore campaign in the NFL, and it’ll be a tough task to top his rookie season. The New York Giants star running back led the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage, leading the way for him to win the Pepsi Rookie of the Year and the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The expectations for the Penn State University product are definitely high, but Barkley doesn’t even pay attention to them. He makes it known that he sets his own goals on the field.
“It was pretty much Rookie of the Year or bust [last year],” Barkley said, per Danny Abriano of SNY. “And even when I won Rookie of the Year, people still try to say that I’m a bust or not a great pick or whatever. I don’t really care about other people’s expectations. I set my own expectations. I have my own standards. We have our own standards here as a team.”
The Giants recently named Barkley a team captain for this year. It was a great honor for Saquon, who’s only 22 years old. He knows improvement within this organization in 2019 is goal No. 1, but for now, he’s grateful for the nod.
“That shows you how they feel about me — especially being a young guy,” Barkley said. “It doesn’t put any more pressure on me, I’m not gonna change. Like I said, I don’t need a ‘C’ on my chest to be a leader on this team. Even though I have a ‘C’ on my chest, I’m not gonna try to go outside of myself.”
The Giants and Dallas Cowboys will kick off in their opening Week 1 matchup at AT&T Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
