Whether it's his freakish feats in the weight room, or his game-breaking plays during a three-year career at Penn State (during which he scored a school-record 53 touchdowns), the 6-foot, 233-pounder earned another distinction when he was selected second overall by the Giants in the draft last month instead of a quarterback.
In a QB-driven league where an every-down back is an endangered species, Barkley was the highest running back drafted in more than a decade.
The next hurdle for the Bronx, New York, native? Tempering expectations that he'll become the Giants' hometown hero.
"I don't see them," Barkley said. "I know a lot of people try and set expectations for me. No offense to you guys, but I set my own expectations."
Which will start by using the same mentality he's always had.
"I have to believe in myself, set goals for myself, set expectations for myself and continue to work for those goals every single day," Barkley said. "Just to continue to come in, be humble. I don't want to be that guy that thinks he is a high draft pick and that he has it all. Nothing is given to you. Everything is earned. You have to have that mindset that you have to work every single day. Learn every single day. Be a student of the day, learn from the guys and the coaches. The Elis (Manning) and the Odells (Beckham Jr.) on the field and off the field. Just work. Hard work got me here."
Like the highest running back taken since Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush in 2006, Barkley is more of a do-everything player than a conventional running back, returning kicks Authentic Shaquem Griffin Jersey , including two for touchdowns last season, one of which was 98 yards.
Citing Ezekiel Elliott and Le'Veon Bell as examples, Barkley talked about how valuable versatile running backs can be.
"I am not a guy that just lines up in the back field and is going to bang his head, bang his head, bang his head," he said. "I am a guy that is willing to do anything for his team. Whether it be a kick returner or a punt returner, running down on kickoffs, lining up in the slot, running a dummy play or a fake play, whatever it takes. I want to be an athlete, not just a running back. Obviously, I play the running back position, but I want to be an all-around guy and an all-around player."
While coach Pat Shurmer senses the Giants drafted a quick study, he knows Barkley has to dive into the playbook before he can truly assess that.
"He needs to be everything he thinks he can be and then we'll worry about that (expectations) later," Shurmer said, adding: "I'm certainly high on Saquon . If you ask him Youth Josh Sitton Jersey , he'll tell you he wants to learn what he's doing and compete at a high level and regardless of what my expectations are for him."
The expectation among fans and some in the media is that Barkley makes an immediate impact, which would result in a potent offense featuring wide receivers Beckham and Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram, as long as 37-year-old Eli Manning can return to his two-time Super Bowl MVP form.
For now, Barkley, along with the other players at the Giants' three-day rookie minicamp this weekend, will get the first taste of what NFL practices are like, and what it's like to not only be an NFL player but a New York Giant.
"We're going to put them through the paces for three days here and try and teach them," Shurmer said. "I think what's important is and I've talked to the staff, I've talked to our current players, we want to teach our rookies the right way from the very beginning 鈥?here is your iPad, here is your locker, here is where you need to be, here is how you need to dress, here are the fields, 'please' and 'thank-you' work, push in your chair. We want to really train these guys in the New York Giants' way and I think it's every facet of their life and then Authentic Justus Annunen Jersey , certainly what is most obvious, football."
A mentality to which the well-polished Barkley is looking forward.
"It is an honor to play for this franchise. Right when you walk in the building, you see the four Lombardi Trophies and you already know what the standard is for this team and this program," Barkley said. "I am just happy to be a part of it."
A little rest did Kris Bryant a lot of good.Bryant ended a 24-game homerless drought, the longest of his career, and Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber also went deep as the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 13-5 on Friday night.
”I know that there’s probably going to be plenty more times in my career when that happens and it’s all part of the journey,” Bryant said about his power outage. ”As much as we hate it as players, everybody goes through it at some point in their careers. It’s nothing new to me, so on the surface everything has been peachy and pretty easy for me, but it never felt easy.”
Bryant drilled a 448-foot, two-run shot to left field off an ineffective Michael Wacha in the third inning for his first home run since May 14. The 2016 NL MVP capped a six-run fifth with an RBI single and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. His four RBIs were a season high.
Bryant had been hitless in his four previous games. Cubs manager Joe Maddon sat the All-Star slugger on Wednesday and Thursday.
”It looked like the ball was coming (off his bat) hotter,” Maddon said. ”I thought KB looked good. He looked good. I loved the base hit, I loved the sacrifice fly.”
Jon Lester ran his scoreless streak to 17 innings before giving up a solo home run to Marcell Ozuna in the fourth as the Cubs won for the first time in four tries at Busch Stadium this season. Lester (8-2) allowed two runs in six innings to earn his fourth straight win.
”That might be the best stuff he’s had all year from my angle,” Maddon said. ”That velocity was there. He just continues to trend in the right direction.”
Lester helped himself at the plate, too, driving in a run on a bunt in the fourth and reaching on catcher Yadier Molina’s throwing error that led to a second run as the Cubs extended their lead to 5-0.
Anthony Rizzo had three hits Cassius Marsh Jersey 49ers , was hit by a pitch and scored a run. Schwarber launched a three-run homer that traveled a projected 465 feet to straightaway center in the fifth, the third-longest homer by an opposing player in Busch Stadium III history.
Happ led off the third with a home run to right field. His first homer since May 22 snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak for the Cubs.
”We hit homers but we also did the little things well, too,” Maddon said. ”We ran the bases well.”
Wacha (8-2) allowed a career-high nine runs, eight earned, in a season-low four-plus innings. The three home runs he gave up tied a career high.
”I was just falling behind in the counts,” Wacha said. ”A lot of 1-0, 2-0s and just too many mistakes and they didn’t miss too many of them.”
Matt Carpenter homered in the sixth and drove in two runs, but the Cardinals lost their third consecutive game.
”Bottom line, we lost and it wasn’t pretty,” manager Mike Matheny said. ”And it’s a matter of trying to conserve arms, trying to get a couple guys off their feet and figure out a way to have some individual things that are done well and build on and have some confidence that will put us in a better spot tomorrow.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps tendinitis) threw a 35-pitch bullpen. He is scheduled to throw another one when the team returns home next week.
Cardinals: 1B Luke Voit was recalled from Double-A Springfield and RHP Matt Bowman (right hand finger blisters) was activated from the 10-day disabled list. 1B Jose Martinez was placed on the paternity list and RHP Daniel Poncedeleon was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.
UP NEXT
Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-6, 3.48 ERA) starts Saturday night against RHP Carlos Martinez (3-2, 2.96). Hendricks has dropped three straight decisions for the first time in his career. Martinez has walked 12 over 7 2/3 innings in two starts since returning from a lat strain.
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