Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles’ running back, was inspired by a clip of Barry Sanders serving his teammates. The clip, which showed Sanders handing out refreshments to his teammates, left a lasting impression on Barkley.
Team-First Mentality
Barkley demonstrated his team-first mentality by sitting out the final regular-season game when he needed 101 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s record. He also told his coach to let other backs get some carries after he had already rushed for 176 yards against his former Giants teammates.
Barkley finished with an NFL-record 2,504 combined rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs. He credits his parents, Alibay Barkley and Tonya Johnson, for instilling in him an unselfish mindset.
Barkley’s first season in Philadelphia after playing his first six with the New York Giants couldn’t have been scripted any better. He followed up his All-Pro campaign with 1,140 yards rushing in 2025 behind a banged-up offensive line.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.