Latest news with #APOffensivePlayeroftheYear
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Ex-Teammate, Packers Running Back Says Jets Have 'Next Derrick Henry'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Jets drafted Braelon Allen in the fourth round of last year's NFL Draft, and he has a chance to break out in his sophomore season. Last year, Allen had 334 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in 92 attempts. He and Breece Hall figure to both play a role this season in the Jets offense, now being led by Justin Fields. Allen was a superstar for the Wisconsin Badgers and has always been praised for his athleticism. One of his former teammates, Israel Abanikanda, will be suiting up against him on Saturday as a member of the Green Bay Packers. MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 08: Braelon Allen #0 of the New York Jets warms up prior to playing a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Miami... MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 08: Braelon Allen #0 of the New York Jets warms up prior to playing a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. MoreAbanikanda was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but was waived in December of last season. He shared some time with Allen and had the ultimate praise for him. "Braelon gonna be a great running back," Abanikanda said, per WFRV's Kyle Malzhan. "To me, I don't know what people say; I say he can be the next Derrick Henry. That's what I say, and that's what I told him." Henry is putting together a Hall of Fame career behind his rare combination of size and speed. Allen does not quite stack up to Henry's size, but he does have a great combination of size and speed. Henry is a five-time Pro Bowler, former All-Pro and the 2020 AP Offensive Player of the Year. He has over 11,000 yards in nine seasons and has led the league in rushing touchdowns three times. If Allen can turn into that kind of player for the Jets, the team will have no problem moving the ball this season. More NFL: Bills Predicted to Cut Son of Legendary Former Running Back, Future Hall of Famer
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley declines invitation to join Trump's sports council
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has declined an invitation to join President Donald Trump's council on sports, fitness, and nutrition, which is being revitalized under an executive order that also reestablishes the Presidential Fitness Test for American children. Barkley, the 2,000-yard rusher for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, was on a list of sports personalities that included golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Nelly Korda, WWE executive Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and retired New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera. Barkley said Monday following Eagles' practice that he had actually declined the invitation. 'A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council,' Barkley said. 'So I'm not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I am going to be super busy. Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I'm assuming it's something great, so I appreciate it but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.' Trump last week reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. 'This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back,' Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration. The executive order also reinvigorated the national sports council that could have included Barkley. Barkley won AP Offensive Player of the Year last season after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history, in his first season with the Eagles. Barkley has golfed with Trump and former President Barack Obama over the last year and the running back attended the White House celebration of the champion Eagles while some teammates — notably star quarterback Jalen Hurts — skipped the ceremony. Barkley visited Trump in April at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and caught a ride with the president to Washington on Air Force One and then to the White House on Marine One. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'He loved it,' Trump said then of Barkley's short flight on the presidential airplane. 'He's a great young guy and an incredible football player. Saquon had a season for the ages, running behind the most powerful offensive line in the NFL.' Barkley, meanwhile, pushed back on social media criticism following the visit. He noted that he had already golfed with Obama, a Democrat. 'Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,' Barkley posted on X. ___ AP sports:
NBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- NBC News
Saquon Barkley says he declined a spot on President Donald Trump's sports council
PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley has declined an invitation to join President Donald Trump's council on sports, fitness, and nutrition, which is being revitalized under an executive order that also re-establishes the Presidential Fitness Test for American children. Barkley, the 2,000-yard rusher for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, was on a list of sports personalities that included golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Nelly Korda, WWE executive Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and retired New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera. Barkley said Monday following Eagles' practice that he had declined the invitation. 'A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council,' Barkley said. 'So I'm not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I am going to be super busy. Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I'm assuming it's something great, so I appreciate it but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.' Trump last week re-established the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. 'This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back,' Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration. The executive order also reinvigorated the national sports council that could have included Barkley. Barkley won AP Offensive Player of the Year last season after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history, in his first season with the Eagles. Barkley has golfed with Trump and former President Barack Obama over the last year, and the running back attended the White House celebration of the champion Eagles while some teammates — notably star quarterback Jalen Hurts — skipped the ceremony. Barkley visited Trump in April at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and caught a ride with the president to Washington on Air Force One and then to the White House on Marine One. 'He loved it,' Trump said then of Barkley's short flight on the presidential airplane. 'He's a great young guy and an incredible football player. Saquon had a season for the ages, running behind the most powerful offensive line in the NFL.' Barkley, meanwhile, pushed back on social media criticism following the visit. He noted that he had already golfed with Obama, a Democrat.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley declines invitation to join Trump's sports council
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has declined an invitation to join President Donald Trump's council on sports, fitness, and nutrition, which is being revitalized under an executive order that also reestablishes the Presidential Fitness Test for American children. HT Image Barkley, the 2,000-yard rusher for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, was on a list of sports personalities that included golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Nelly Korda, WWE executive Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and retired New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera. Barkley said Monday following Eagles' practice that he had actually declined the invitation. 'A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council," Barkley said. "So I'm not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I am going to be super busy. Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I'm assuming it's something great, so I appreciate it but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.' Trump last week reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. 'This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back,' Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration. The executive order also reinvigorated the national sports council that could have included Barkley. Barkley won AP Offensive Player of the Year last season after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history, in his first season with the Eagles. Barkley has golfed with Trump and former President Barack Obama over the last year and the running back attended the White House celebration of the champion Eagles while some teammates — notably star quarterback Jalen Hurts — skipped the ceremony. Barkley visited Trump in April at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and caught a ride with the president to Washington on Air Force One and then to the White House on Marine One. 'He loved it,' Trump said then of Barkley's short flight on the presidential airplane. 'He's a great young guy and an incredible football player. Saquon had a season for the ages, running behind the most powerful offensive line in the NFL." Barkley, meanwhile, pushed back on social media criticism following the visit. He noted that he had already golfed with Obama, a Democrat. 'Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,' Barkley posted on X. ___ AP sports:
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Rams star Todd Gurley eligible for Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026
Gurley is only 31 but he's already eligible for the Hall of Fame Todd Gurley retired from the NFL much earlier than most fans expected, calling it a career after just six seasons as a pro. He spent five of those years in St. Louis and Los Angeles with the Rams before signing with the Atlanta Falcons for one season in 2020. Gurley officially announced in October of 2022 that he was done playing football but because his last game came in 2020, he's already eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's one of several strong first-time candidates in 2026, including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Jason Witten, Philip Rivers and Frank Gore. In his career, Gurley rushed for 6,082 yards, 67 touchdowns and caught 243 passes for 2,254 yards and another 12 touchdowns. He led the NFL in scrimmage yards once in 2017 (2,093 yards), which was his first year with Sean McVay. He also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns in 2017 and 2018, scoring a total of 40 times in those two years combined. In 2017, he won AP Offensive Player of the Year, was a first-team All-Pro, finished second in MVP voting and sixth in Comeback Player of the Year. It was a true breakout season for the star running back who had already won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 despite playing only 13 games. Gurley's candidacy for the Hall of Fame is tough because his peak was phenomenal in 2017 and 2018, but he likely didn't have enough sustained success to be a real contender for Canton. That being said, he was a generational talent whose career was unfortunately cut short by a balky knee that dated back to his college days.
