Saquon Barkley wrapped up his debut season with the Philadelphia Eagles in the grandest style after making an incredible statement in what remains one of the most impactful debut seasons in NFL history. He did not only tie his personal best record of 15 touchdowns, but he also surpassed the 2,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career and topped his season off with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. With even more emphasis this time, the running back reveals a major factor that contributed to his immense success last season, and it’s nothing related to American Football.
In an interview with Saquon Barkley for his Break 60 series, Grant Horvat–a golf social media influencer on Youtube–among other questions, asked Saquon Barkley about his devotion to his faith. Barkley’s response was quite typical of devout Christians who never hesitate to connect their faith to their success in other endeavors.
“I just became a Christian not too long ago,” Barkley said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the best year I had in my career, I found my faith. It gives me some clarity in life.”
While many will argue about his association with the Philadelphia Eagles as the reason behind his success, with Saquon Barkley’s claims, we realize that perhaps, it takes more than skill, hard work and the right environment to do the extraordinary. Barkley believes there’s a supernatural input that is induced by devotion to one’s faith.
Ahead of Super Bowl LIX in February, Saquon Barkley made similar claims about his faith, referencing his agent Ed Berry–a pastor–whose devotion to God influenced him and improved his relationship with God.
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I know the Bible, like, in and out,” Barkley said.
“It’s something I’m learning, I’m challenging myself to get better at it with my family and my friends. I’m really lucky to have my agent–he’s a pastor–and I’m able to have Bible studies with him. I’m just growing, and I think that’s the beautiful thing about it, and I think that’s what religion and faith is, is having a relationship with God and understanding who Jesus is, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do this year. I’m going to continue to try to get better at it.”
Getting into the new season, the Eagles can count on not just Saquon Barkley’s skill, but his faith as well, to influence their pursuit for a second consecutive Vince Lombardi Trophy. Perhaps with more devotion to his faith, we can expect an even better sophomore year from the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
