Saquon Barkley believes teammate's alma mater played a role in his draft rise

USA Today

22-05-2025

Saquon Barkley believes teammate's alma mater played a role in his draft rise During a recent appearance on Exciting Mics, Saquon Barkley credited one of the hosts' alma maters for elevating his draft stock.
Fans and the media outlets pick on them a lot, but as strange as it sounds, Philadelphia Eagles fans everywhere owe the New York Giants a debt of gratitude. You can never prove theories like the following, but hear this one out. This one is interesting and worth tossing around.
Had Big Blue not taken Saquon Barkley second overall during the 2018 NFL Draft, he would have never wasted so many prime years there. He probably would have never crossed paths with Joe Schoen. That means last year's offseason debacle by the G-Men never takes place, and if it doesn't, Barkley never makes it to Philly's roster.
Sure, other factors are also at play. Howie Roseman had to determine that he finally felt comfortable paying a running back. It may not seem like it now, but this arrangement felt like a slight gamble at the time.
It paid off (and still is), but those familiar with Saquon's story know his meteoric rise began long before Philly and Gotham. From what we understand, things began 'paying off' when he tackled a teammate's alma mater at the NCAA level.
Saquon Barkley credits Cooper DeJean's Iowa Hawkeyes for raising his draft stock.
So, here we are, living in a world where the Philadelphia Eagles are the defending Super Bowl champions and there are too many podcasts to count. It can be irritating trying to navigate the terrain and find the handful that are actually worth listening to.
Here's one you can certainly place on the list: Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship's Exciting Mics. It's new, but both episodes have delivered the goods. The second featured the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Saquon Barkley.
The highlights of this one include Saquon calling teams wanting to ban the tush push 'soft' and Mr. Barkley ranking the 2024-25 Eagles as one of the five best Super Bowl-winning teams of all time, but here's another nugget.
He credits Cooper DeJean's Iowa Hawkeyes for catapulting him into one of the top prospects of the 2018 NFL Draft class. He went crazy during the 2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football season in a road game during his junior season:
Just in case you're curious, Saquon's game against the Hawkeyes, which he is referencing, was one to remember. He ran for 211 yards and scored a touchdown on 28 carries.
He added another 94 yards on 12 receptions, but it would take everything Penn State had to put Iowa away. The Nittany Lions pulled this one out in heartstopping fashion as Trace McSorley hit Juwan Johnson on the game's final play to secure a 21-19 victory.