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Saquon Barkley grew up a huge fan of the Jets

By Luis Tirado Jr.

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks on the field during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks on the field during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Star college running back Saquon Barkley of Penn State grew up a fan of the New York Jets. Boy, it would be amazing if he ended up playing for Gang Green if, by some miracle, he ends up being selected with the No. 6 overall pick.

When it comes to the 2018 NFL Draft, anything and everything will happen. One never knows when a star player drops depending on what roster needs are for each team that holds a top-ten draft pick. Ideally, star running back Saquon Barkley is projected to be a top-ten pick in this year’s draft but ironically enough, he grew up watching and loving the New York Jets.

In an article written by SNY for The Jets Blog, they confirmed that Barkley grew up idolizing the Jets and admired everything Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin brought to the table. As a matter of fact, Barkley is so good at what he does, many consider him to be a once-in-a-decade kind of athlete.

In three years at Penn State, Barkley totaled 3,843 rushing yards, 671 rushes, and 43 touchdowns. Barkley also doubles up his impact on the field by being a lethal receiving option out of the backfield. As a receiving option, Barkley totaled 1,195 yards, 102 receptions, and eight touchdowns.

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Could Barkley ever have a career that compares to the legend of Martin when he was on the Jets? Obviously, it remains to be seen but right from the start, Barkley knows that it’s not easy being a Jets fan, especially during the time he grew up watching them win, and well, lose when it mattered most.

Here’s what Barkley said about what he’d answer if general manager Mike Maccagnan asked him what he would bring to the Jets if drafted, as written in that same article by SNY for The Jets Blog:

“I’ll probably be a little more shy ’cause I was a Jets fan growing up, a true, true Jets fan,” Barkley tells Steve Serby of NY Post. “There’s been some rough years, there’s been some good years, been really close a couple of years with the Mark Sanchez Era, two years in a row AFC Championship, falling short.”

At the end of the day, Barkley considers playing on the Jets as a dream come true, since he was born and raised in the city that never sleeps. Make no mistake about it, he is a game-changing running back that if by some miracle does end up being drafted by the Jets with the No. 6 overall pick, has the skill-set to take the NFL by storm. If he’s selected, Barkley will undoubtedly have a big part in turning the franchise into contenders again in the future.

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