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Saquon Barkley left the NFL world in a daze Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Philadelphia Eagles running back showed he comes equipped with backward hops. That's right, he can take to the air and hurdle over people, as seen on Sunday.
The veteran running back first slipped by an arm tackle, then busted a spin move to evade the second attempt. But then, with his left foot on the Jacksonville 35-yard line and Jarrian Jones incoming, Barkley pulled the unthinkable.
And his backwards hurdle had fans losing their minds.
Even opposing players raved about Barkley's stunning backwards hurdle.
“Nah you really ill,” said Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Former Eagles tight end Clay Harbor was another dazzled in amazement.
“Saquon Barkley is an actual video game. I have never seen anything like this before. Wow,” Harbor posted on his X account.
Even the CBS Sports broadcast team of Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, and Jason McCourty marveled at the play. Included was a dig at Barkley's former NFL team, the New York Giants.
“Poor Giants fans that are just at home watching as Saquon Barkley is doing what he does,” was overheard after the play.
Barkley exited New York in highly-publicized fashion during the offseason. Though he shared he holds “no grudge” against the Giants.
The running back ended the game with 159 rushing yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Philadelphia earned a 28-23 victory, moving to 6-2 on the season.
Is Saquon Barkley a former track and field athlete?
The backwards hurdle heard around the world left the NFL world in a doozy. But the play raised one more question: Does Barkley have a past life as a track and field athlete?
Barkley indeed laced up the track spikes. He starred for Whitewall High School in Whitewall Township, Pennsylvania.
The 27-year-old emerged as a star sprinter in the 100 meter dash. However, he surprisingly never competed in the hurdles, despite showing his closet hurdling side.
The now 6-foot, 232-pounder performed a different kind of jumping. He competed in the long jump for his high school. Barkley leaped to 19′ 6″ in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championships his senior year.
Barkley is now the RB1 for the Eagles' attack. His presence immediately gives head coach Nick Sirianni the confidence to run the rock.
His backwards hurdle move ended up becoming a spontaneous maneuver. Barkley never had a hurdler past. Still, he pulled off an athletic stunt rarely seen ever in the league. And it's the kind of move that left former and current amazed, plus created a new argument for 2024 play of the year.
