Saquon Barkley reveals the sources motivating his drive to succeed

USA Today

13 hours ago

Eagles' All-Pro RB and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year shares some of his primary motivations.
It's pretty impressive to walk into an NFL game, take in the atmosphere, and see the high-profile individuals who are there. Who knew? Many of the athletes, actors, and politicians we admire often find their way to a Philadelphia Eagles game to unwind and have some fun.
Maybe competition entertains competitive people. Perhaps people we admire are sometimes fans themselves, but that makes sense. Somewhere, there's an actor who wishes he could perform a reverse hurdle. Somewhere, there's a kid in the backyard, football in hand, and he or she wants to rush for 2,000 yards like Saquon Barkley.
Eagles star Saquon Barkley shares his inspiration
If Saquon Barkley never played another down for the Philadelphia Eagles, his place in this great organization's history and framework is secure. His first season with the Birds doubles as one of the most riveting in franchise history.
Saquon is a Super Bowl champion now. That can never be taken away from him. He's the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He should have been given the MVP trophy.
No disrespect is intended to Josh Allen, but somewhere deep down, he has to know that. Nothing we saw during the most recent pro football season compares to what we saw from Saquon.
How did he do it? Where does one of the greats draw his inspiration from? Recently, he provided some behind-the-scenes access while hanging out with one of the most popular people in the YouTube golf space, Grant Horvat. He credits his Christian faith, a relationship strengthened by new surroundings.
During their chat, Saquon also shared that he, too, is a fan. He revealed that he is a fan of golfing legend and 11-time PGA Tour Player of the Year, Tiger Woods. Studying one of the great athletes of an era has added to his fuel to be the best on the NFL gridiron.
"I've been trying to learn so much more about Tiger," Barkley told Grant Horvat via CBS Sports. "I had a really good season last year. But just like how dominant he was, his mentality. So in 2000, [he had an] amazing year. But 1999, he had an amazing year too, right? To be able to stack years like that. There's never been a back that's rushed for 2,000 yards twice, and definitely not back-to-back.
Tiger was the man. There's no doubt about it. If one is looking to reach the pinnacle of excellence in their field, he's a great person to look to and study. Perhaps Barkley says it best.
I think it's just the confidence. I think when you have the year like I had last year, I'm coming into this season, and to my training,it's not a fluke. I watch film. And, people talk about what I did and what I accomplished, but in my mindset, it should have been even more. When you have that confidence and you play with that swagger."
Well said Saquon. Here's to another dominant season in 2025.