Saquon Barkley Q&A: From his favorite Penn State traditions to his desire to be ‘the next Michael Strahan’
The Eagles’ star running back talks about everything from his boxing background to his future in broadcasting.
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On the latest episode of The Inquirer’s Eagles podcast, unCovering the Birds, Saquon Barkley joined host Jeff McLane to share some of his favorite Penn State spots and traditions, his boxing background, his golf game, and his future aspirations.
Here’s McLane’s “Pick Six” with Barkley, which went a few questions more than six …
Q. I know you and your family have a boxing background. Did that have any impact on your NFL career, being around that and doing that?
A: I think it probably, definitely did. I started when I was really young. I didn’t follow up with it too much. I started playing football at a young age, but since I can remember, my dad had boxing gloves on my hands since I was a little kid. It teaches you coordination, teaches you foot speed, footwork. It’s stuff that I use now, and that’s part of my offseason training this year, especially before I signed over here to Philly. When I was still living in New Jersey, I would drive up to the Bronx with my little brother, train with one of my uncles, and use it for conditioning. I would even go in there and spar, just to get the competitive juices flowing.
It makes you think. it makes you work when you’re tired, so you get comfortable in the heat. I think it’s big. I think if I could advise a young kid growing up who wants to be a football player with something else they could do to become a better football player outside of the stuff you could do on a football field, I would say take up boxing. I think it correlates.
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Q. Who’s your favorite boxer right now?
A: I’ll definitely say Shakur [Stevenson] is my favorite. I know he’s probably not the fan favorite right now because they say he’s not knocking people out. But if you look at pure boxing and what he’s able to do, he’s special.
Q. Do you have a favorite fight of Shakur, or anybody?
A: I’ve watched my uncle [Iran Barkley] fight [Thomas] Hearns twice. I wasn’t alive, honestly, but I’ve seen them on YouTube. Those are pretty good fights. The biggest one to me that I remember is because I was in college, was Conor [McGregor] and [Floyd] Mayweather. That was a big one, and then all Mayweather fights. It seems like when Mayweather had his run, whether it was Shane Mosley or Miguel [Cotto], all those guys, I just remember it would bring the family together, and we would all get together and watch.
Q. So, Penn State. I’m a grad, so I know a bit about everything about it. So what I’m going to do is I’m going to throw a couple things out at you, one or the other, and you say what’s better. All right, so first one would be like, what’s the better establishment? Or what’s better: the ice cream at the Creamery or the sticky buns at the Diner?
A: That’s tough, really. I think Creamery is really good, but it’s one of those things where it’s like, everybody loves the Creamery. It’s like, when you come, you’ve got to eat it. You’ve got to go there. The sticky buns are underrated. I would say the Creamery ice cream is the best ice cream I’ve ever had, but just because I think the sticky buns are underrated, I’m gonna go with sticky buns.
Q. Better landmark: Mount Nittany or the Nittany Lion Shrine?
A: The Nittany Lion Shrine.
Q. Better event, the White Out or THON?
A: You set me up on that one. That’s a tough one. Wow. That’s a tough one. Man, I don’t think I can. I think I’m gonna be wrong either way, or I’m right either way. That’s a tough one. THON is a special experience. I’m about to go White Out.
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Q. Better tradition, the “We Are” Penn State chant, or the blue-and-white playing uniforms with no names in the back?
A: I would say the “We Are” chant, because what it comes from and how they went down there, and the SEC schools weren’t trying to play us. They came up and said we are playing together or we’re not [playing]. We are one team.
Q. The last one, just bear with me here: “LaVar Leap,” or, we called it the “Barkley Bounce.” That was something that me and my friends, the one against Iowa, it was a hurdle —
A: I think that’s probably, when I look at my college career, probably one of my more impressive plays. It was a critical down, third-and-6, so, yeah, I would say that. “LaVar Leap” is definitely up there.
I’m going to change my answer ... to “LaVar Leap” ’cause I don’t even have a name [for the play]. I didn’t even know it was called the “Barkley Bounce.”
Q. You were a broadcast journalism major. I was actually an English major at Penn State, but I spent a lot of time in Willard Carnegie. Do you still imagine a career post-football in broadcasting?
A: One hundred percent, that’s a passion of mine, but not for just football. I want to do something — everyone asks me this question, “What you want to do?” I want to be the next Michael Strahan. Besides being a New York Giant for his whole career and living that part, but on Fox on Sundays talking about ball, still having that side. But then also on Good Morning America, crossover. I want to do that stuff. That’s something I want to do. I’m really fortunate to basically have Strahan be a mentor of mine, and any time I have had questions or someone I can reach out and talk to, and I really appreciate that.
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Q. You’re a golfer. What’s your favorite club you’ve played in the Philly area? What would be your No. 1?
A: I’m going to go Manufacturers. Am I biased? Yeah. I would say it’s underrated. When you talk to a lot of people from the [Golf Association of Philadelphia], it’s not mentioned a lot. Hidden gem. It’s beautiful. I love when you drive in and how you’re like, “Where the hell am I?” You turn in, and then you see the whole course, and it’s beautiful. The vibes are amazing there. Every time I’m there, I have a good time. The people are great there, and the course is beautiful and has one of the best par 3s, I think a top-100 par 3, I know in the country, I don’t want to say the world, but I know for sure the country.
Q. What’s in the bag?
A: TaylorMade. TaylorMade everything. I’m going to look the part. I’m going to dress the part. I’m going to have the equipment. I might not play the part — but I have blades right now, and I think I’m coming to reality that I’m not that good, and I’m not good enough for the blades.
To listen to the full episode of unCovering the Birds, check it out here.