Saquon Barkley was pretty certain Thursday\u2019s visit to Lancaster was his first.<\/p>\n
Just to be sure, he looked for, and received, confirmation from someone who was accompanying him.<\/p>\n
There will be hesitation the next time he thinks of the Red Rose City.<\/p>\n
It apparently made a huge impression on the Philadelphia Eagles running back during his appearance as the featured guest at the United Disabilities Services Foundation Gala at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I have a gala, some of you are all getting an invite,\u201d the former Penn State star said as he walked off the stage following his roughly 30-minute fireside chat with Eagles insider Dave Spadaro that was part celebration, part inspiration and part reflection on his and the Birds\u2019 Super Bowl championship season.<\/p>\n
His night \u2014 he had to leave for another event in Philadelphia \u2014 began with a VIP meet-and-greet, left fan and Lancaster city resident Amber Remash in tears after he signed her Kelly green No. 26 jersey and ended with a live auction. Barkley signed a football, a helmet and a jersey, and each subsequently went to the highest bidder.<\/p>\n
Sam Lombardo, of Lititz, won the ball for $6,000 and the helmet for $25,000, before the jersey went for $14,000.<\/p>\n
Barkley stood on the stage, smiling \u2014 something he did often and easily Thursday \u2014 and seemingly in disbelief over the bidding.<\/p>\n
But before he was sent off with a standing ovation and an E-A-G-L-E-S chant that he videoed with his phone \u2014 the second of the night by the nearly 750 in attendance, along with one \u201cWe Are \u2026 Penn State\u201d chant \u2014 he provided plenty of insight and perspective.<\/p>\n
He put up a season for the ages in 2024 after signing as a free agent with the Eagles following six seasons with the New York Giants.<\/p>\n
A quick recap: Barkley was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for a franchise-record 2,005 yards, just 101 short of breaking Eric Dickerson\u2019s single-season league record.<\/p>\n
He ran for an NFL record 2,504 yards in the regular season and playoffs, breaking the mark set by Terrell Davis (2,476) in 1998 with Denver.<\/p>\n
He scored 15 touchdowns, including seven on runs of at least 60 yards.<\/p>\n
And he became a leader for the Birds.<\/p>\n
In the waning moments of the Eagles\u2019 40-22 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, quarterback Jalen Hurts told Barkley that he didn\u2019t understand the difference he made on the team.<\/p>\n
\u2018It came naturally\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it came naturally,\u201d Barkley said Thursday of his ability to fit in with a new team, \u201cbecause a lot of guys like to compete and a lot of guys like to play golf. I\u2019m not great at golf, but I\u2019m good at competing. And I just came from the mindset of \u2018We have all these leaders and all these great players, Lane (Johnson) and AJ (Brown), working out. What can I bring to the team?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing that I do is compete. So when you compete and show people that I might have the accolades or have this name, but I\u2019m willing to put the work in, you kind of just gain that respect naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were so many highlights for Barkley \u2014 he ticked off the NFC Championship Game vs. Washington and the Super Bowl \u2014 but the one thing he said stood out, and ultimately led to the team\u2019s success, was a meeting held during the bye week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were 2-2; 2-2 in Philadelphia is not acceptable,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve learned that. But we had a moment during the bye week where we kind of all came together as a team, stated in our minds that we\u2019re super-talented, that we\u2019re too good to lose games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just got embarrassed by the Buccaneers (in a 33-16 loss on Sept. 29), and it was a cool moment, because all of us came together as a group, as a whole, and we just ripped off 10 straight (wins). That was probably the most memorable thing \u2014 there was a lot of plays \u2014 but just how we came together as a group, as a team. And without that moment that wasn\u2019t on TV, we wouldn\u2019t have won the Super Bowl.\u201d<\/p>\n
To a lot of fans the highlight, at least in the regular season, was Barkley\u2019s reverse leap in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in November, a play he said he really didn\u2019t get to enjoy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was hurting, actually,\u201d Barkley said. \u201cWhen I landed, one big defensive tackle took a good shot at me and my back kind of locked up. So, I didn\u2019t in the moment get to realize what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barkley, 28, also used Thursday\u2019s platform to talk about using his physical gifts to benefit others, in one answer talking about when he\u2019s done with football in a few years.<\/p>\n
For the record, he received a two-year contract extension in March that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. That deal, which runs through the 2028 season, is worth $41.2 million with $36 million guaranteed.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod has blessed me with unbelievable talent,\u201d Barkley said. \u201cFootball\u2019s cool, but when it\u2019s all said and done, and God willing I\u2019ll be 32, 33 years old, I still have the rest of my life, I want to be known as someone who made an impact and saved lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realize it may only be one, might only be 10, it might be thousands, but when I\u2019m on my deathbed I want to be able to say I used God\u2019s gift, my talent, to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n
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