
In the second episode of Exciting Mics, Saquon Barkley joins Cooper DeJean & Reed Blankenship to talk his thoughts on the tush push, signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Super Bowl victory and parade, becoming the highest-paid RB in the NFL, and more!
Loading summary
Saquon Barkley
I firmly believe when you look at our team that we had last year, I think we're a top five team of all time.
Jalen Hurts
Of all time. That's.
Unknown Host
That's.
Saquon Barkley
Big teams really stood no chance. You've seen that in the Super Bowl. Like, I mean, the score finished what was 40 to 20 something, but in reality, it was. It wasn't. It wasn't even really a game.
Unknown Host
Welcome back to the exciting mics presented by Vanda Pharmaceuticals.
Jalen Hurts
Today we are joined by Mr. Saquon Barkley. The Saquon Barkley 2K SE, the only other player in the NFL to win a Super bowl on his birthday. Saquon, thanks for joining us.
Saquon Barkley
It was a great birthday for us.
Jalen Hurts
It was.
Unknown Host
How does it feel to be the first guest on the pod?
Jalen Hurts
I'm excited.
Saquon Barkley
Yes.
Unknown Host
A lot of excitement, right?
Saquon Barkley
1. I think it's cool. Anytime you could just chill with your teammates. I feel like this helps us in the future when we're grinding in camp or in those big games. But it's an honor, man. I'm happy that you guys are doing this. You. You guys are inspiring a lot of people, especially kids. So I'm happy to be on here with my guys and talking ball, talking anything, talking everything.
Jalen Hurts
Everyone will talk about, you know, first guest. We're still. Still kind of working through the kinks.
Saquon Barkley
I'm excited, too. I'm getting to see like a different.
Unknown Host
Different, like, once we start whatever, our personalities are showing a little bit, you.
Saquon Barkley
Know, I see you. So it's crazy though, because, like, I see your personality more like this guy. Like, when he first came, he was quiet, wasn't he? Quiet as hell. So, like, to see him doing this and like, you gotta get him out.
Unknown Host
Of the show, man. You gotta get him out of.
Jalen Hurts
Show me on my shell. All right. What is exciting you this week?
Saquon Barkley
You got the NBA playoffs.
Unknown Host
You got a team?
Saquon Barkley
No, not really. I never even like, once Kobe left the league, I never really had a team. I was a Kobe and a Lakers fan and I was a Derrick Rose fan. But right now, Pacers beating the Cavs in five. I mean, Tatum, obviously, it's not. You're not excited about that. But you didn't hoop growing up, though, did you? Nah, I played in high school. I used to watch basketball. Like Kobe and stuff like that, like that era. But Tatum, like, feels awful for him. Like Achilles, anytime you see anybody go down. But a guy of that stature, how good of a player he is, like, just enough.
Jalen Hurts
Such a freak thing, too. Like, he wasn't even happened. He Was just going for the ball and then it happens, which is crazy. Who do you think's gonna win the playoffs, though? I like the Thunder, I think. Yeah, they got Shay. Do you watch. Have you been watching the NBA?
Unknown Host
Not really, man. I'm not a big NBA guy.
Saquon Barkley
Nah, Thunder's nice. I just don't like. I got a weird feeling right now, I think. Momentum. The Knicks have a weird momentum and they're playing great. And Jalen Brunson's a dog.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, he's going crazy, especially once that fourth quarter comes around. You know, it seems like he's. He's built different. Built for those moments when. When the clutch moments come around. So it's fun to watch. He's on one.
Unknown Host
Yeah. Said I'm on schedule. Release day was or is today?
Jalen Hurts
Today. Filming it today. We got the Cowboys.
Unknown Host
Cowboys.
Jalen Hurts
Opening night came out a little early. Got any early thoughts on that one?
Unknown Host
No thoughts. I'm not a guy looking in the future like that, but, I mean, it's gonna be slam packed. I mean, have you ever been to the Link on opening? Oh, we was in Brazil. So you haven't either?
Saquon Barkley
No.
Jalen Hurts
Are we doing the banner?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, that's what a banner.
Jalen Hurts
Banner falls. Week one, they got a new, new receiver. George Pickens. Picked him up from the. From the Steelers. That'll be a. It'll be a good challenge for us. I mean, him and CD Lamb.
Saquon Barkley
Healthy deck.
Jalen Hurts
Healthy, healthy deck. Yeah, we didn't. We didn't really play. We didn't play Deck last year.
Unknown Host
We didn't.
Jalen Hurts
He was hurt both times.
Unknown Host
Be a good game.
Jalen Hurts
It'll be a good matchup. They'll be a lot better than they were last year. Yeah, I know that for a fact. OTAs are back. The boys are back in town, back in Philly. When do you think, do you think when OTAS comes around, like, does it feel like football's back, like the season's coming? Or you think you're still. You're still.
Unknown Host
I don't know, personally. Now you might be different, but personally, I feel like once OTAs are over and you transition to the summer workouts, that's when it's all right. That's like not saying that there's a switch that changed in OTAs, but I don't know, it gets kind of more. I don't know, I get juiced for it a little bit.
Saquon Barkley
I like it more for the routine. I feel like. Like we get back on schedule.
Unknown Host
So, like, this is your first time, right? To. To go as far as we did like, was there. Was your body ready to get back in your routine? Or, like, when did you start training again?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. So for me, it was tough because I had a lot of touches and a lot of yards, which is. Which is a good thing. But you got to, like, train yourself in the mind to allow your body to recover. So I probably did. No, the bare minimum, to be completely Honest, coming into OTAs, I didn't run until I got to OTAs, but it kind of aligned with what coach was saying, what my trainers were saying, because I got to let myself, Let my body recover. So I'm not, you know, that's how you let the wear and tear, Wear and tear, just pound on top of each other. So it was just really. Just chilling and just happy to be back in the routine and getting the flow of things.
Jalen Hurts
You gotta let your body recover and also build, build back into it. I feel, like, a little bit, which.
Saquon Barkley
I used to do different, though, which. It's crazy. Like, and every time anybody asks me about you, I say, like, it's. The unique thing about you is, like, you have, like, a crazy routine and a different, like, perspective on it already. Like, when I was a rookie, like, I was on Go Mode. Like, I was on Go, Go, Go, Go. So I was, like, playing in New York, you know, we didn't have too many successful seasons, so it was like, all right, how can I get better? What can I do? When I'm in the weight room? I'm doing it. I never let my body get time to heal and recover. And for you to say that at 22 years old is. It's. Yeah, pretty good if you got to.
Unknown Host
Figure it out pretty fast.
Jalen Hurts
It's also because, you know, we got a lot of older guys around us, too.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
Like, in our. In our. In our locker room. So getting to learn from them. All right. Hamstring strength test on Instagram. I guess it went viral. The. The nor. What is it called?
Unknown Host
Is the Nordic curl.
Jalen Hurts
Nordic curls.
Unknown Host
The camera just finds you, bro.
Jalen Hurts
You know, everybody.
Saquon Barkley
I don't know.
Jalen Hurts
I think it was, like, 600 something. Just got to make sure that the hamstrings are. Are prepped and. And ready to go.
Unknown Host
There's a lot of stuff that goes into it scientifically.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
Above my pay grade.
Saquon Barkley
I think the biggest thing about that, though, is what's cool is it can tell you which hamstring is stronger than the other.
Unknown Host
Yeah. Do you have, like, a stronger hamstring?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, so my left side is stronger than my right.
Unknown Host
My left side's weaker.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, So I got 700 today on my left side, and I got, like, six. Something on my right side.
Unknown Host
Oh, my God.
Saquon Barkley
But, like, that's kind of common right now because we're in May. We're just starting up, so with 700, that's not. I've had. I've got better on that, to be honest.
Unknown Host
What's your highest, then?
Saquon Barkley
Got an eight.
Jalen Hurts
Eight on both.
Saquon Barkley
Oh, my gosh.
Jalen Hurts
Wow.
Unknown Host
What do you do?
Saquon Barkley
Wait, just train?
Unknown Host
No, you know, you got eight on.
Jalen Hurts
Both, so that they were, like, perfectly even.
Saquon Barkley
Well, like, I've been. I've been in the league a little longer than you guys, so.
Unknown Host
But usually they don't matter, though.
Saquon Barkley
We've been doing this test for a long time, so.
Jalen Hurts
So you know how to work it a little bit.
Unknown Host
You're not having an Iowa.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah. We did it.
Unknown Host
Okay.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. Well, I was like, imagine, like, I always wonder, like, what it is, like, because when we go there, we play there, which is actually one of my favorite stadiums to ever play. Yeah. Because we go into, like, a pink locker room. The stadium is beautiful. I love, like, the little thing when we went.
Unknown Host
The tradition.
Saquon Barkley
I love that.
Unknown Host
Phenomenal.
Saquon Barkley
But I always wonder was, like, what the hell goes on in Iowa?
Jalen Hurts
You talking about, like, just at school, at the school or, like, the state.
Unknown Host
What is there. What is there to do?
Jalen Hurts
I mean, where I grew up, there's.
Saquon Barkley
Not a whole lot.
Unknown Host
Well, we're not talking where we grew.
Jalen Hurts
Up in Iowa City. There's a lot to. To do in Iowa City. They got some good food.
Unknown Host
It's like a college town. Good college.
Jalen Hurts
Good college town.
Saquon Barkley
How do you recruit someone to Iowa, like, on an official visit, like, because it's hard. Like, even Penn State. Like, Penn State's in the middle of nowhere. And, like, usually recruiting recruits come up. It's snowing, the weather is awful. Like, we can have fun.
Unknown Host
Is there, like, a lot of Florida guys, you think?
Saquon Barkley
No.
Unknown Host
Shit. There's no shot.
Jalen Hurts
No, there's. There's a few, probably. I mean, it's. It's a good college town, though.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
I think you go there, you can have a lot of fun. I think it's also the, like, the staff we have, like, the stability.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
Same thing with Penn State. Our head coach has been there for 20. This will be his 26th season.
Unknown Host
Man, we played, y' all. What was it, 20, 19?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah. I was watching Penn State play Iowa at Iowa's night game my last year, my junior year. And you.
Unknown Host
What. What was your record against him?
Jalen Hurts
He went crazy.
Saquon Barkley
I got paid because of Iowa. I ain't gonna lie. My. My.
Unknown Host
Really.
Saquon Barkley
My two games against Iowa after college, though, yeah, helped me. It helped my, like, my. If you go watch my film against Iowa, it's probably breaking tackles. Exact reason why I got drafted high.
Jalen Hurts
It's one of the jumping over dudes.
Unknown Host
Seriously?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, it was.
Saquon Barkley
Almost lost that game now.
Unknown Host
So what. What year was that?
Saquon Barkley
17.
Unknown Host
Yeah, I watched you in high school my freshman year. So, like, 17 is your senior year, right?
Saquon Barkley
My junior. Junior. My last year.
Unknown Host
Yeah. Dude, I remember watching him when I was in high school.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, I know.
Unknown Host
It's crazy. Crazy to think about, like, you're not, like, old.
Saquon Barkley
How old are you?
Unknown Host
26.
Saquon Barkley
How old are you?
Jalen Hurts
I'm 22.
Saquon Barkley
I'm 28.
Unknown Host
Yeah. I mean, he's a young one.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
So what's the most you've ever squatted?
Saquon Barkley
The most I ever squatted, I think was like six. Six something.
Jalen Hurts
Six something.
Unknown Host
When. What. How old were you?
Saquon Barkley
Probably not that long. 22, 23 years old.
Jalen Hurts
What is. What's on the bar right here? We got. We got Saquon, Barkley, 595.
Saquon Barkley
585.
Unknown Host
585.
Saquon Barkley
Six plates.
Unknown Host
I was there. You can't see me. Right, Right there. You see me?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
You see me?
Saquon Barkley
Left corner, left corner.
Unknown Host
Yeah, yeah. But, dude, it's just. It's crazy to see the bar before you even pick it up. It's bending, it's freaking. This looks like it's gonna break.
Saquon Barkley
This was dumb because I should listen to Eddie. He wanted me to warm up, so. Nah, like, we were just jumping high. We had. Remember if you remember, we had team meeting, like, in 10 minutes. So I was jumping weights, like, So I went 3, 15, 405, 495, 585. I didn't allow myself.
Unknown Host
But I mean, still, like, did. Were you hurting after that?
Saquon Barkley
Nah, I wasn't hurting after that.
Unknown Host
Because you do three.
Saquon Barkley
I could have been three.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
How many reps you think you could do with that? 5,85.
Saquon Barkley
On a good week, I can do a lot more. I mean, this is the same week I was in F1, on the weekend I had met Gala. It was a busy week for me travel. But I like that this is here. But I kind of got away from this training and, like, I do it here and there just to touch it. Like, you can compete in the weight room, but like, only lifts that go viral is, you know, lifts like that. But in reality, I've been focusing more on, like, mobility stuff and just, you know, preparing my body for the grind and the wear and tear of a season, especially with the mindset that we have of playing 20, 21 games. Let's.
Jalen Hurts
Let's talk about last season, playing 20, 21 games.
Saquon Barkley
I like how you coop.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
Okay.
Jalen Hurts
2K, say.
Unknown Host
2K.
Jalen Hurts
Say NFL Offensive Player of the year. What were your expectations coming into last season? Like, would you. Obviously you knew. You knew the O line that we had.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
All the talent around you. But what were. What were your expect expectations coming in?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, I mean, coming to the season, I knew I was able to have a special year. That's a big reason why I made the decision to sign to Philly. I had obviously other teams, but me and my family and my friends felt like coming to Philly will give us the best chance to win. And I felt like my legacy and the type of player that I wanted to be can continue to happen if I came here. And the O line, tight ends, the coaching, so much goes into rushing for 2,000 yards. Like, it's not an accident. Why there's only been nine players to ever do it. You know, it gets, you know, can't be great without the greatness of others. We don't beat that in our head. And I truly believe in that. So it's like coming here. And I knew that AJ Brown, devontae Smith, Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goddard, and that old line, it would just only help me. And so I wasn't. I didn't come in with the mindset of, like, oh, I'm gonna rush for 2000 or I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. I came in just with a clean slate and just focusing on buying in, submitting myself to whatever coach asked me to do. And all that just came out to be a hell of a year.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Unknown Host
I was gonna say, like, everybody, like, wants to follow you too. Like, you obviously, like, I played against you for what, two, three years maybe? Yeah, two years. And like, you were that star player. You know, we gotta worry about you everywhere you go. And now you're. You put us. Put you on our team and it's like, hey, two six out there, we should be good, man.
Jalen Hurts
You know, I think it. I think it elevates everybody else.
Unknown Host
Absolutely.
Saquon Barkley
I firmly believe when you look at our team that we had last year, and I know we're not looking too far into the past, but our team last year, I think we're a top five team of all time. And I tell my boys this all the time. Like, we started off two and two and we lost To Washington. Jalen got hurt that game.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
But if you really look at the season outside the first four games, like, it was belt to assume it was dominant and like from the. How we were. How dominant you guys were on defense and how dominant we were on offense and special team. Like, people, People don't realize how great of a team that actually was.
Unknown Host
We were working together.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Like, it's. It's cool.
Jalen Hurts
It's crazy to see the turnaround, like, after, you know, those first four weeks because I don't think, like a lot of us didn't even play in the preseason. So I think you guys got like one drive. So those first four games were kind of, you know, everybody just.
Unknown Host
We're getting used to everything together. And obviously you have training camp, but like, it's kind of different when it's just in game. Like how your coach really is, like, how's he calling the game? Like, getting used to that and kind of getting used to the guys you play with. But yeah, after. I mean, after the bye week, I.
Saquon Barkley
Like, we just all bought in.
Unknown Host
We just bought in.
Saquon Barkley
I think we always bought in. And like, you hear like the outside noise and expectation. Like, we didn't care how it looked. Only thing we cared about was winning football games. And when you have the talent and the skill that we have in our team mixed with the coaches, we all play together. Like, how we played, like, teams really stood no chance. And you've seen that in the playoffs and you've seen that in the Super Bowl. Like, I mean, the score finished what was 40 to 20 something. But in reality it was. It wasn't even. It wasn't even really a game.
Jalen Hurts
Top five team of all time. That's.
Unknown Host
That's big.
Saquon Barkley
Listen, I really think when we look back on it 10 to 15 years and we're all old and we're reflecting on our glory days, you know, 10, 15 years, hopefully next year, the year we're in right now. But the, the year that we had last year, people don't give us enough credit.
Jalen Hurts
I'd probably have to agree on that. Do you have. Do you know who else would be in that conversation?
Saquon Barkley
I mean, you got the ravens, 2,000 ravens. You got the Dolphins when they went undefeated. Would you put the.
Jalen Hurts
The Chiefs teams that went back to. Back in there or not?
Saquon Barkley
Maybe you got to put one of the Patriots in there.
Unknown Host
Yeah, yeah.
Saquon Barkley
You got to put. If you're going to do it, you got to put one in Chiefs. And then where it would be like, I think Patriot and the Chiefs we can switch. And you got the Bears. The Bears had a year when they went 15 1. So those three teams, for sure. And then one of the Chiefs within their dynasty and one of the Patriots within our dynasty in a year that we had. If you. It's interchangeable, in my opinion.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
So five or six. I'll say that.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah. Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
Put y' all through a little history lesson.
Jalen Hurts
To be honest. Let's talk about the super bowl. And just one time playing. Playing on our birthday was. Was a pretty cool.
Saquon Barkley
Pretty cool moment, I think, for me. Like, the birthday. Like, it don't matter if it was on your birthday or not. It made it better. Like, afterwards. Yeah, it made it better. Like, but if you. Like, just winning the super bowl is insane. Like, it's.
Unknown Host
Has it, like, hit you, or is it just like.
Saquon Barkley
Bro, I'm not gonna lie. It's. It's like, it sucks. It's just. It's something that you dream about as a kid, and you. You practice that moment in your head so many times. You live that moment in your head so many times. And when it happens, it's. It's. It's amazing feeling. You're like, I've reached mountain verse. I reached the top. And then, like, two days after, I couldn't sleep because now you're just like, how do I do it again?
Jalen Hurts
Do it again.
Saquon Barkley
So it's crazy.
Jalen Hurts
That's the same way.
Unknown Host
It's the climb. Like, I hope people understand, like, the chant, like, the 2 and 2 when we were 2 and 2 when we had the bat, our backs against the wall. That was the exciting part. And then obviously everything after that, like, getting to that point, playing in the snow. I played in the snow for the first time against LA and just winning. I mean, they were, what, on the 25? And then Jalen got a. Jalen Carter got a set.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, we had to grind that one out.
Unknown Host
Grind that one out. But, like, I don't know, like, I agree. I totally agree. But I'm not taking it away from the super bowl or anything. It's just. It's part of. You figure it out. Yeah, you have to figure it out.
Jalen Hurts
Like, I think it makes you hungrier, like, trying to do it again. Absolutely. I can. For me, being a rookie, like, you don't know anything.
Saquon Barkley
Oh, you know. You know the recipe, though. Like, that's, like, the cool thing. You know what it takes now. Before, like, it was blind faith. You were putting all the work and you will grind. And everyone, every team, no matter if you have the first Pick in the draft or you're the super bowl champs, like everybody team. When you start the next season, the goal is to win a Super Bowl. And if you don't have that mindset that you're fighting and you're competing to try to win super bowl, then you're probably not going to last long in the league. But now it's not blind faith. You're like, okay, like, I know what it takes to get there. Now it's like, it may look different. It may not be a 2,000 yard season. It may be, you know, I might have to catch the ball more. I might have to do. There's so many. We're all going to have different. Our roles is going to expand. You're going to have to take more of a leadership role. You're going to have to take more of the leadership role. I'm having to take more of a leadership role. But it's like, you know what it takes. And like, that's the beauty of it. It's like, all right, I did it, now we got to go do it again. And how do we do it again? And it's going to look completely different.
Unknown Host
That's. That's the fun thing about football, man.
Jalen Hurts
You got to bring the young guys in. Rely on some of those young guys and, you know, get them to buy in, too.
Unknown Host
I feel like we got a good group, though. Yeah, like, we, we did good. And they work hard. They work hard. You ain't got to ask them a whole lot. You can tell them to slow down. I'd rather tell them to slow down than speed up.
Saquon Barkley
It's also the culture that we're building and that you guys built already before I got.
Unknown Host
Well, even before Fletch, like all them bg.
Saquon Barkley
You have no choice.
Unknown Host
Have no choice.
Saquon Barkley
You got to get in line or you're gonna. If you fall out of place, you're gonna be. You're gonna be behind. It's gonna be curtains for you.
Unknown Host
So it's a good way to put it.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
You think, you think the super bowl was, was your, your best birthday moment of all time? Where would you compare it on? Amongst other birthdays.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, it's probably the best one.
Jalen Hurts
It's gotta be the best one, right? You never played another game on.
Saquon Barkley
I, I mean, to be honest, like, I always. You know, it's funny, I was in Vegas because the super bowl was in Vegas the year before. And when I was flying back, we were watching the game because I was a Walter Pay man of the Year nominee and I You're supposed to go to the game. But I never wanted to go to the game until I was in the game myself. And my little brother and his best friend Javon can tell you this. I'm not lying. I was like, I don't know how, but I'mma be in that game next year. And it happened to be on the super bowl, and we happened to be on our birthday.
Jalen Hurts
So that's pretty crazy, bro, speaking it into existence. And then you go from the Super Bowl. Then we got the parade six days later on Valentine's Day.
Saquon Barkley
I think the parade was the best part of it all.
Jalen Hurts
I think it was, too.
Unknown Host
I thought it hit me. I thought that moment hit me, like, oh, we. We are the champs. But it was cold as freezing, bro. Freezing.
Saquon Barkley
I had, like, a moment where when I was with Amate and we were sitting on the stairs, and, like, you looked out and you just saw, like, all the people that came to support. And then you realize, like, it's not like, just a team. It takes. It takes a city, you know? I mean, it takes a whole city. And, like, especially this city, like, how much they buy in, they pour into any Philly team, but especially the Philadelphia Eagles. And, like, in that moment, you're like, you get it again. You're like, wow. Like, okay, I am a super boss.
Unknown Host
This is not just for us. This is for everybody. Everybody gets rings, you know, type thing.
Jalen Hurts
So did you get out and walk the parade at all?
Saquon Barkley
I was probably out a little too much. I had a little too much fun. You know, I did go to Penn State back in my day, which is a party school, so I let my party boy side show a little bit. I was taking drinks from random people.
Unknown Host
Sorry.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. But there's one clip. Like, there's a. They give me a Hennessy bottle, and I pull the Hennessy bottle and you think I drink it and, like, I just run away and I'll just say, no, I never. I cannot. I cannot.
Jalen Hurts
That's probably got to be one of the best days of my life. That's the parade.
Unknown Host
The. The railing, the flimsy railing, you know, that keeps everybody back. I almost got fell on, like, twice, bro.
Saquon Barkley
They jumped at one time, like, in the beginning of Broad street when I went over. Like, I, like, came over and take pictures and blah, blah, blah. Like, they jumped. At one point, I was surrounded by, like, 40 kids.
Unknown Host
Was that after you took our ball boy out?
Saquon Barkley
Was it?
Unknown Host
Aiden, what you say, you remember when you took.
Saquon Barkley
No, that was before. That was before. That was before. And I should have did that a little different. He a grown ass man. Like I should have just put.
Unknown Host
It's probably that Hennessy.
Jalen Hurts
I think, I think us walking.
Saquon Barkley
Hennessy was spit out.
Jalen Hurts
I could have walked the whole parade. I think walked, walked along the railings. If the railings almost collapsed like I.
Unknown Host
Told you, they collapsed twice on me.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, it was a great day.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
Great day in Philadelphia.
Unknown Host
Great day. Vanda Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company with headquarters in Washington, D.C. leading from.
Jalen Hurts
Our nation's capital, Vanda was founded 22 years ago to develop innovative therapies to improve the lives of many. Utilizing technology including genetics and genomics to inform drug discovery and development.
Unknown Host
Vanda's commitment is to challenge the status quo and propel innovation forward in the pursuit of happiness.
Jalen Hurts
From groundbreaking therapies to players making history, we know that excellence is derived from from exceptional people coming together as a team.
Unknown Host
A true maverick in the pharmaceutical space, Vanda Pharmaceuticals is proud to be the title sponsor of this podcast.
Jalen Hurts
Vanda Pharmaceuticals innovate in the service of people's pursuit of happiness.
Unknown Host
Acme is your store from the city to the shore and the official supermarket of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jalen Hurts
Acme saves you time and makes your grocery shopping easier than ever with their convenient delivery or drive up and go.
Unknown Host
When you shop at Acme online, you can count on pickup or delivery when you need it.
Jalen Hurts
They treat every online order with care, which means your groceries are selected and packed with the same attention to detail you'd shop with.
Unknown Host
Guaranteed fresh or your money back.
Jalen Hurts
You'll get the same prices, deals and rewards as in store, so you get.
Unknown Host
The groceries you need when it's convenient for you.
Jalen Hurts
And you can get your shopping done without ever leaving the house.
Unknown Host
Order for flash delivery or pickup and get your order in as soon as 30 minutes.
Jalen Hurts
Shop now@acme markets.com or in the Acme app.
Unknown Host
Yeah, so we saw you interview on espn, right?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Talking about the tush push and people banning it. So like, what's your thoughts on that? I know this is kind of new to you, but.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, for me personally as a player, I know if I don't want to do a tooth, especially on the 1 yard line, make sure I score. I think I got tackled at the 1 yard line like 11 times this year.
Jalen Hurts
You already know what's coming, a couple more touchdowns.
Saquon Barkley
But the banning thing of it, I think it's kind of. I think it's soft to be honest. And like the teams that want to ban it because everybody can do it like it's not like a play that, like, we only can do. Everybody can do.
Unknown Host
It's not, like, trademark.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. And there's just. We happen to have one of the best and biggest O lines. And Jalen hurts can squat 600 pounds. Like, that's not our fault. Like, Josh Allen is super big. They're not successful as it. Lamar Jackson is one of the best running quarterbacks of all time. They're not successful. So it's not something that, like, everyone can't do.
Unknown Host
Right.
Saquon Barkley
So, like, them try to eliminate it. It's just like, I think that's kind of lame.
Jalen Hurts
Even if they did eliminate it, though.
Unknown Host
Like, there's still other ways you can probably do it.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Or they have to.
Jalen Hurts
I don't know why.
Saquon Barkley
What they're going to try to do is eliminate pushing in general. So you know how, like, so you can't pull. You know how you can't pull the pile?
Unknown Host
Right.
Saquon Barkley
And you know how you can push a pile if it's not a. It's alignment, pushing the pile? So it's like, yeah, they're gonna try to eliminate that. That's the only way that they're gonna.
Unknown Host
Did they say that they were gonna do that?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, because they backed out. So they try to ban it at first. And a lot of teams wasn't getting along with, like, you know, anybody can push.
Unknown Host
I don't know how you're gonna.
Jalen Hurts
How are you gonna ban pushing the pile? Like, how are you gonna. How are you gonna kill.
Unknown Host
Same way you can pull, like, if you can't pull. So somebody.
Saquon Barkley
So if you. If I was running, you two were holding me up, and Lane came and pulled me.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
Pull me in so, like, he can push me right now.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah. If you come and push them, they're just gonna blow it dead. Throw a flag.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, right there.
Unknown Host
Yeah, right now. Is that okay? Okay, I got you.
Saquon Barkley
That's gonna be like. That's. That's, like, probably the other angle that they're going to do. There's no way the teams that want to get rid of it. There's a team that got to see us two or three times a year. So there's no, like, yeah, coincidence.
Jalen Hurts
It's like, how are you going to ban it, though? Like, how are they going to ref that?
Unknown Host
Like, well, same thing.
Jalen Hurts
You can just say you're coming to. To block one of the players that's holding him, holding him up, trying to tackle them. No.
Unknown Host
Like, what kind of flag? Like, unnecessary roughness.
Saquon Barkley
I don't know if it was a health Issue thing. I would get it.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
So eliminate the quarterback sneak in general.
Unknown Host
Nah, we ain't gonna.
Saquon Barkley
I'm saying they're not going. It's just another way you can do the quarterback sneak.
Jalen Hurts
When did that start? Like, when did it originate?
Saquon Barkley
When that got there?
Unknown Host
Yeah. I mean, I don't know. Before you were here? I was here in 22.
Saquon Barkley
I mean, I've been playing the Eagles for a long time and they've been doing. For a long time. Really? Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
How come? How come? It's like, I feel like it's just now becoming a big thing, like the past couple years. We got a little scenario for you here. You're on an elevator with Roger Goodell. You got 30 seconds to pitch him. Why the tush push shouldn't be banned.
Saquon Barkley
I mean, it's going to be less than 30.
Unknown Host
All right, well, it's going to be less than 30.
Jalen Hurts
Let's hear your pitch. Why the tush push shouldn't be banned.
Unknown Host
Sell me.
Saquon Barkley
Ready? It's not going to be a sale. Everybody can do it. There's no health issue. And while we talking about the tush push, let's make sure everybody's contract is guaranteed. That.
Jalen Hurts
That'll be my thing. That's big time. There's.
Saquon Barkley
Wow, that don't bother you guys? Like baseball players and basketball players, like, everything. Their contract is guaranteed.
Jalen Hurts
And like, man, look, I never thought about that.
Unknown Host
You can talk about it.
Saquon Barkley
But like, for you guys, like, who are younger or especially you, who's the youngest one of all of us, like, there got to be a point where, like, we play the hardest sport of all of them. Not saying like, technical wise, I mean physicality wise. And like, there's no reason why, like, we put our bodies on the line, our minds, our brains on the line. Like, it should be fully guaranteed in my opinion.
Unknown Host
Yeah, I mean, I agree. I mean, you can't play, especially if.
Saquon Barkley
You want to go 18 games.
Unknown Host
How many games is like, do the baseball player.
Jalen Hurts
They're trying to add more games too, though.
Unknown Host
Dude, just.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, but I don't. Baseball is playing 100 and some games.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
I just don't understand.
Jalen Hurts
They're not like, they're not putting their body.
Unknown Host
And especially you got like Thursday night games and then we don't.
Saquon Barkley
We play Thursday. We play Monday, Friday, the Mac, you.
Unknown Host
Know, but like, I've never played the game like during the week like that.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Unless I was probably in middle school, but not even that.
Saquon Barkley
I lowkey love the Friday night games. I'm not gonna lie.
Unknown Host
Friday Night's cool.
Saquon Barkley
Friday night in Brazil was. It gave me like, I was in high school.
Unknown Host
It was like a mini bottle.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, true.
Unknown Host
But you need that because it's like A. What, 10?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. And we go earlier next year.
Unknown Host
That's like, that's. That's over there, you flat earth. That's over there.
Jalen Hurts
We had some good conversations in the training room this morning about some conspiracies.
Unknown Host
What's one of the wildest things that you. You said.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, but you've seen, like, a round globe. But you've also seen, like a.
Unknown Host
Like a map. Yeah, like.
Jalen Hurts
Like laid out.
Unknown Host
Yeah, yeah. Because, I mean, why would you draw a circle?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, but like, that's.
Unknown Host
You can't put everything on.
Saquon Barkley
But like, the way they would draw the map, like, it would be like, you know, our continents and then like, there's a. We were talking about this earlier, a wall of like. I think it's like the Antarctic is like an ice wall. And then they believe, like, there's more continents outside.
Unknown Host
Bro, that's crazy.
Saquon Barkley
So, like, if you, like, think about it.
Unknown Host
Blows my mind.
Saquon Barkley
Like, have you ever seen King Kong versus Godzilla?
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
So, like, you go like, in the inner.
Unknown Host
Oh, like the inner.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, I sound nuts right now. You go like, in the inner crust. Like, the inner crust, there's like another. And there's like a whole nother outside. So, like, if you go to, like, some of these walls.
Unknown Host
So you've seen the wall before?
Saquon Barkley
I never seen it. What'd you think, bro? What? Like, how would I get.
Unknown Host
I'm trying to. I'm trying to.
Saquon Barkley
I'm just talking about, like, you know, we all have those nights you can't sleep and you're on TikTok or IG reels and, you know, you go do.
Unknown Host
Somebody starts talking.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. And then, like, you can't. Like, they don't allow you to go so far.
Unknown Host
How do you know that?
Saquon Barkley
Just because I saw it on the real. Like, I can't just be like, you know, my source is Tick Tock. Like, that's not like a good source.
Unknown Host
You just said it.
Saquon Barkley
But like. Like, that's what I saw it on. And it just, like. I don't know. What trips me out, though, is NASA originally started in the water.
Unknown Host
Yeah, I saw that. That's crazy.
Saquon Barkley
So what did they.
Unknown Host
So they're doing. They're. They do more. They have done more space exploration than they had underwater.
Saquon Barkley
So NASA originally.
Unknown Host
What's under there, dude?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, they really started, like, to explore the depth of the oceans in which we Only know, like, what's it, what's the number?
Unknown Host
It's a small.
Jalen Hurts
That's why I don't mess with the ocean.
Saquon Barkley
I almost. Ocean. Like, even if I like, say we're going on vacation and like, you know, everyone jumps off the yacht and I do it. Oh, no, no. I'm in and out that much.
Unknown Host
Now you get, you get out away from shore. I don't, I ain't never been on a yacht. So you have more experience than I do.
Saquon Barkley
You've never been on a boat. You're a Super bowl champion. You know, after this, you know, our OTAs, go take yourself on a weekend. Take your lady out there and go.
Unknown Host
Jump off a boat.
Saquon Barkley
And go jump off a boat, hold her hand. Jump off a boat and get the hell right off. And my. I mean, I can swim. I can't swim, actually. I could swim. Everyone think they know how to swim until you in the ocean.
Unknown Host
Well, you, till you tread.
Jalen Hurts
It's just adrenaline.
Saquon Barkley
Nah, that's OD adrenaline. And then somebody hit your leg and you like, oh, yeah, I'm tripping.
Unknown Host
Hey, I'm telling you, I get that feeling when I'm like five feet, like offshore.
Saquon Barkley
Another thing is my last thing, like, well, we got nine planets, right? But like, there's another planet. It's called like Planet Nibiru.
Unknown Host
Ain't that a moon?
Saquon Barkley
Nah, bro, it's like a planet in our solar system that only rotates in our solar system at a certain time every so many thousand years. And then like, there's like a thing, like people like, they think like, the Anaki's on there and like, it's. I don't know, bro, like, what? It's crazy.
Unknown Host
Like Star wars gods.
Saquon Barkley
Oh, and they were here and they like, help people. They go to crazy.
Jalen Hurts
So like Marvel?
Saquon Barkley
Nah, not like Marvel.
Unknown Host
Thanos.
Saquon Barkley
They like, kind of created the human race.
Unknown Host
No way.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. There is a planet that comes in every so often.
Unknown Host
It's not Pluto, is it?
Saquon Barkley
Nah, Pluto's a night planet, gang.
Unknown Host
No, it's not.
Jalen Hurts
Yes, it is.
Saquon Barkley
It's a night planet.
Unknown Host
But it used to be. Not like they used to be a planet.
Saquon Barkley
No, it was when we were kids. It was, it was. Then we were in high school. It wasn't. And now it is again.
Jalen Hurts
I thought it was just like a star. I. I thought they were saying it was like just a stop, then it was, but now it's a.
Unknown Host
It's a place cold.
Jalen Hurts
It's considered a planet now.
Saquon Barkley
Pluto's not the cold one.
Unknown Host
Pluto is the farthest away.
Saquon Barkley
But it's not the cold one.
Unknown Host
Which one is it?
Saquon Barkley
What's the one that's cold?
Unknown Host
Pluto.
Saquon Barkley
Let's name. Let's name them Mercury. Go ahead.
Unknown Host
Earth is 3.
Saquon Barkley
Earth is 3.
Jalen Hurts
3.
Unknown Host
Mercury.
Jalen Hurts
That's close to the Sun.
Unknown Host
Mercury. No, it's 4. Earth is Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth.
Saquon Barkley
Oh, we look like dumb football players right now.
Jalen Hurts
Mercury, Mercury, Mercury, Venus.
Saquon Barkley
What was a song. It wasn't like a song.
Jalen Hurts
Earth, Mars.
Saquon Barkley
I don't know, bro.
Jalen Hurts
We can make this Jupiter.
Saquon Barkley
Like Jupiter, Pluto, Venus, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Saturn. Saturn, yeah.
Unknown Host
Uranus.
Jalen Hurts
Why did you.
Saquon Barkley
How old are you? How old are you? Uranus is a cold one. Pluto's not the cold one. Pluto's like dark.
Unknown Host
It's the farthest away.
Jalen Hurts
Pluto's away from the sun.
Saquon Barkley
I don't think so.
Unknown Host
Pluto's not a planet.
Saquon Barkley
Hey, man, I don't make the rules.
Unknown Host
I don't know why I'm fighting you.
Saquon Barkley
I don't make the rules.
Jalen Hurts
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus. That's seven.
Saquon Barkley
You gotta grow up, bro. You gotta grow up.
Jalen Hurts
All right, this offseason, we had some big news. Mr. Barkley here became the highest paid running back in the National Football League, a position that was kind of. Didn't have a whole lot of respect contractually. So you kind of. Thank you, thank you. Put some respect on the running back room.
Saquon Barkley
Right?
Jalen Hurts
You know, so how does. How does that feel just to, you know, have that title, I guess, be the highest paid and. Have you spent anything?
Saquon Barkley
No, I haven't spent anything. How does it feel? Feels amazing. Shout out to the Eagles organization, Howie. I think it just sends a message to the guys on our team. You play well and you do things the right way, you're going to be taken care of. And that's not the NFL. You know, a lot of times GMs and organizations have leverage on you and, you know, they can do whatever they want. So real really thankful for the Eagles organization and Howie, but it's cool to, you know, help bring back the running back market. And we were just talking about earlier, you know, Derek Henry, you know, getting extension. It's big, man. Running backs are big. It's. It's a key part to. To teams, depending on the team you have and your. Your scheme. But I like. You know how they say running backs die? It was just a narrative that they was trying to create because they paid Ty Gurley, they paid Zeke, I got drafted high, and they paid Christian. And we all had a time where we were all banged up and getting hurt. But you could do that for like we pay these quarterbacks all these money and you know, Pat Mahomes and winning Super Bowls, like he's only one outside of Jalen this year. So it's like wide receivers get hurt. So it's like anytime like so say the next five wide receiver that get paid high, if they get hurt, you're going to just devalue the position. It doesn't just work like that. It's football. At the end of the day, you got to play great defense and you have to be able to run the football and you need a good quarterback. If you don't have that majority of times or not, you're going to want. You're not going to have a chance to win a Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts
We got a whole line like ours too.
Saquon Barkley
It makes it, I mean, it makes it a lot, a lot easier. Yeah, I'll tell you that. It makes it a lot easier. It's cool too. Like take away like how great they. They block on a football field, which they do a tremendous job. It's more of just like the brotherhood there. Like they actually generally care. I would say, you know, and I'm biased and I would say they're probably the closest group on our team. And I feel like you kind of have to be and it shows. Like if you look at a run we had against the Saints, I broke a long run. They walked Tyron. It kind of brought zero. And the way that Jordan and Landon and Cam and it was Stane and Fred, you know, Makai and Lane were banged up that game. The way that they were able to pass that all off and just set up the scene for me, like, it just shows you that they're in sync. And it starts with style. Obviously. Styles are great, a great coach, but just the brotherhood that those guys have and the respect that they have for each other is the reason why we play at such a high level.
Jalen Hurts
So since, since signing it, you haven't, you haven't made any big purchases?
Saquon Barkley
Nah.
Unknown Host
You going to.
Saquon Barkley
I don't really need stuff like that.
Jalen Hurts
That's not spending any money on your golf game.
Saquon Barkley
I'd spend probably too much money on golf. That's good.
Unknown Host
That's a money pit anyway.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
Did you get new clubs?
Saquon Barkley
Yep, two new clubs. But I know some, some people pretty well.
Jalen Hurts
So, yeah, that's.
Saquon Barkley
I got a good shout out to people, but every time I go to a new golf course, I go in there and I buy. I have too many golf shirts and golf pants and belts.
Jalen Hurts
I need to see I don't have any, like, golf pants.
Unknown Host
I got one pair of golf pants.
Jalen Hurts
I got some shorts. But, like, I need to.
Saquon Barkley
I wear pants because I don't like ticks. I'm like, I'm like, scared.
Unknown Host
Really? Gonna get you thinking. You gotta stay out the woods.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, but like, I mean, I hit a slice here today. I mean, I'm in the woods right away.
Unknown Host
I gotta bring it to chainsaw or something with me every time. Yeah, unfortunately. You left. No. You're right handed.
Saquon Barkley
I'm a right handed.
Unknown Host
Yeah, I'm left handed, man.
Jalen Hurts
When did you start playing golf?
Saquon Barkley
I started playing when I tore my knee. I started taking serious two years ago, and I got a goal for myself to break 80. I've shot 80 at cricket. I missed an uphill putt left to right.
Unknown Host
Like a real 80.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. To break it and to shoot 79. And I haven't came close since. The closest I came was like, 82.
Jalen Hurts
I heard putting's the best part of your game. Someone was telling me that.
Saquon Barkley
Really? Yeah. We have a. Do I claw? No, I. I tried that for like two weeks and I was like, what am I doing? But my short game is what saves me. We have a joke. You can't teach hands and you can't teach heart, and I got both. So my short game, my putting helps me out.
Jalen Hurts
My, like, chipping is pretty solid, but what you can't putt, really.
Unknown Host
So you, you.
Jalen Hurts
My punting's gotten better, but.
Unknown Host
It'S probably my, what, a 56 degree?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, I love it. Yeah.
Unknown Host
It's the first thing I hit. First thing I hit if I'm going to range.
Saquon Barkley
So you go 56. You got a 60, 56.
Unknown Host
I'll just go, I got 56, 56, 52. But like, I don't know, like 60, 56.
Saquon Barkley
I go 60, 54.
Unknown Host
But I see a lot of people have all these clubs and I'm like.
Jalen Hurts
Dude, you're not really into golf, though.
Unknown Host
Yeah, but, like, I understand if you're a. A, like a pro golfer. But, like, I don't need all those numbers. No, you don't.
Saquon Barkley
You do.
Jalen Hurts
Why?
Saquon Barkley
Because if you hit it, if you.
Unknown Host
Hit it close enough.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, but you got to know what club to use to hit it.
Unknown Host
Oh, I know to an extent.
Saquon Barkley
Like, me and my clubs, I have a relationship. If they don't play well, you yell at them, you throw, they're in the back seat, they play well, they're in the trunk with a blanket on it, you know, and they go to bed really well.
Unknown Host
But do you ever like throw them though? Have you thrown?
Saquon Barkley
Yes, I've broke a club before. I kind of embarrassed golf.
Unknown Host
Dude.
Saquon Barkley
No.
Jalen Hurts
Are you just.
Unknown Host
Golf is tough.
Jalen Hurts
Really? What club was it?
Saquon Barkley
I threw a club not too long ago. Throw a cup like two days ago. I'm not gonna lie.
Jalen Hurts
What club did you break though?
Saquon Barkley
I've broken my pitch before and I threw my three wood. I played at Hidden Creek the other day and and I threw my three wood and almost got caught in the tree.
Jalen Hurts
Make this your best season yet with nutritious 2 minute meals from Factor Eating well has never been this easy. Just heat up and enjoy, giving you more time to do what you want.
Unknown Host
Get outside instead of prepping and cooking indoors. Factor Meals arrive fresh and ready to eat. Perfect for any active lifestyle.
Jalen Hurts
With 45 weekly menu options, you can pick gourmet meals that fit your goals. Choose from Calorie, Smart, Protein plus Keto and More.
Unknown Host
Factor Powers your day with satisfying breakfast on the go, lunches, premium dinners, and guilt free snacks and desserts. It's easy to savor more this spring. Factor Meals Pack in the flavor with none of the fuss.
Jalen Hurts
Get started@Factor Meals.com Exciting 50 off and use code Exciting50OFF to get 50% off plus free shipping on your first box.
Unknown Host
That's code Exciting50OFF@Factor Meals.com exciting50OFF for 50% off plus free shipping we've been looking to find the best deal on tickets to see our favorite teams, which is.
Jalen Hurts
Why we want to give the sponsor of today's video, SeatGeek, a huge shout out.
Unknown Host
With over 28 million downloads, SeatGeek is the number one rated ticketing app.
Jalen Hurts
There are more than 70,000 events listed on SeatGeek, including concerts, sports festivals and more.
Unknown Host
The NFL schedule just came out, which means football is around the corner.
Jalen Hurts
The link is going to be rocking this season, so you're definitely going to want to get out to an Eagles game.
Unknown Host
Plus, MLB is back and the NBA playoffs are in full swing.
Jalen Hurts
Seatgeek has your back. Each ticket is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 so you know you're getting a good deal. So look for the green dots. Green means good, red means bad.
Unknown Host
Plus every ticket is backed by their.
Jalen Hurts
Buyer guarantee and you know we came through for you guys. You can use code MIKES10 for 10% off your next set of tickets at SeatGeek.
Unknown Host
That's 10% off any tickets with promo code MIKE'S10.
Jalen Hurts
Make sure you click the link in the description to download the app and have the code automatically Added to your account so you can use it later.
Unknown Host
Thank you. Seatgeek.
Jalen Hurts
You've been up to a lot this offseason, haven't you?
Saquon Barkley
I've been. I've been pretty busy.
Jalen Hurts
Besides golf, like, what's your. What's the favorite thing that you've done this off season so far out of all the events you've attended and everything you've done?
Saquon Barkley
The Met? Probably. Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
What is that, though? Like.
Unknown Host
Yeah, I'm not.
Saquon Barkley
I'm very confused. Yeah, it's like, obviously, there's so much more that goes on to it, but, like, in the simplest way, it's. You go there, you walk the red carpet, blue carpet it was this year. You take pictures, you go inside. It's a cocktail party. You wait for everyone to get in. You mangle, you have drinks, then you go to the next event. You have dinner. The dinner was great. They had a chef. It was really all about black excellence. And they had a chef from the Bronx, and the food was amazing. And then you mingle with. There's brands. So some people go with a fashion brand, some people go with a jewelry brand, like Cartier. I know. I think Joe went with Cartier. I went with Tom Brown. And you have, you know, basically all the top celebrities in the world all in one spot. You eat dinner, and they have a show. The show this year, I've been before. But the show this year was cool. It was Usher and Stevie Wonder.
Unknown Host
Oh, wow.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. And fun fact, Stevie Wonder's only, like, 74 years old. I thought he was, like. I thought he was, like, 85, in his 90s, and he sings amazing. Usher's a great concert or what? So it's a concert. Like, it's a live concert. They had guys go up there, talk, and they basically explained, like, what the whole theme of the night was and how they were celebrating black excellence. And then Usher came out, performed, Stevie came out, and Usher kind of finished it up.
Jalen Hurts
Who's the coolest person you met at the. At the Met?
Saquon Barkley
I would. I wouldn't say. I didn't mean him at the Met. The coolest person I just met the other day was at F1, and I've been a big fan of him for a long time, but Jamie Foxx was probably one of the most genuine people I've ever met in my life. When you have conversation with Jamie, like, one, you forget. You think about him in acting. He started off as comedian, so you forget how funny he is. But, like, he's just. He's just so authentic. He shoots it straight and like, he's just like. He's a guy. Like, you just have. You have fun with him. Have great conversation with him. So it was like. That was cool.
Jalen Hurts
Since Saquon went to the Met Gala, we're gonna rank some of the exciting fits from the Met Gala. So you can. You can start off.
Unknown Host
You mean starting.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, you start us off. All right, Mr. Hurts here.
Unknown Host
Mr.
Jalen Hurts
Hurts and his.
Unknown Host
What do you call it? I believe his hat. You know what it's called?
Jalen Hurts
His hat.
Saquon Barkley
I forgot what it's called.
Jalen Hurts
He's always wearing the hat.
Unknown Host
Did he pull a cigar out?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, I did. See that.
Saquon Barkley
He did.
Unknown Host
Tight.
Jalen Hurts
He loves us.
Unknown Host
No. Yeah. They.
Saquon Barkley
I would say. I would say 10, I think him.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
His wife. Matchup.
Jalen Hurts
I like the little texture or whatever on the suit.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. I forgot what brand he went with, but I think.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
And I think he had, like, a cane, too.
Unknown Host
Did he?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, that is kind of. That's like.
Saquon Barkley
I believe the old school was.
Jalen Hurts
I love it.
Saquon Barkley
Danianism or something like that.
Jalen Hurts
I like it. I give it a 10 out of 10. Jay Jettis.
Unknown Host
What was.
Saquon Barkley
So that fits the theme a little bit more.
Unknown Host
Okay.
Saquon Barkley
I don't think he did too much. I think it fit him pretty well.
Unknown Host
Our dub. Russell Wilson.
Jalen Hurts
Russell Wilson.
Unknown Host
Classic.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
That is for the cane.
Jalen Hurts
That's Sierra.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Sierra.
Jalen Hurts
You know her songs. Come on. Okay.
Saquon Barkley
I think. I think Russ did a great job, too.
Jalen Hurts
So you give everybody attention.
Unknown Host
It's classic, but, like, I feel like, too. This might be off the wall, but, like, your significant other or something.
Jalen Hurts
It's got to go well.
Unknown Host
Yeah. Let her, like, boom.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Like, pop.
Saquon Barkley
Sierra killed it.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
And I think Russ. He did. Yeah.
Unknown Host
I love the classical, the classic look. For sure.
Saquon Barkley
I guess we give everybody tens, right?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, I mean, 10.
Saquon Barkley
Joe Burr.
Unknown Host
Joe Burr.
Jalen Hurts
I've been messing with the double breasted.
Saquon Barkley
Suit, but I was with him the whole night. And, like, his swagger.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
It takes him so much more.
Unknown Host
So, like, the Met was in New York, right?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
And you are, like, from that area. Correct.
Saquon Barkley
I was born. I was born in the Bronx. I moved when I was probably around 5, 6 years old, and then I moved to Lehigh Valley. I lived in Bethlehem for one year, Allentown for one year. And then I grew up basically in Copley or Whitehall.
Unknown Host
So what do you call home? Home.
Saquon Barkley
I call home Pennsylvania, for sure. But, like, when I moved out of New York, I kind of kept going back and forth until I kind of started playing high school football. So I'll spend my summers out there.
Jalen Hurts
So how long did you live in. In New York, though?
Saquon Barkley
I lived until I was five, five, six years old. My mom and dad felt like it would just be, you know, a better lifestyle change for my family and for my siblings. And I think it's. I think it was a great move from. From my family went to high school at Whitehall, Pennsylvania.
Jalen Hurts
Whitehall.
Saquon Barkley
Whitehall, yeah. Whitehall High School. I'm an hour 55 minutes away from my high school and where my mom lives.
Unknown Host
Nice, dude. I remember being that far away.
Jalen Hurts
So where.
Unknown Host
Well, I grew up in Bama.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Small town. And then I went to college in middle Tennessee. So I was like an hour and 40 from home.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Unknown Host
So I was in empty for five years, but then, you know, come up here and out the way, bro. It's had 13 hours maybe.
Jalen Hurts
Not different.
Unknown Host
It's different.
Jalen Hurts
I live. I lived in Iowa my whole life, so it's been like. Went to college there, grew up there. So.
Unknown Host
So like, you grew up small town. And then I was probably the biggest thing since you grew up, right?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Unknown Host
And then you move here.
Jalen Hurts
It's a lot different. Totally different. So many more people, a lot of traffic.
Unknown Host
So much traffic.
Jalen Hurts
Like in my. My hometown or like anywhere around my area. Like, you drive something's 20 miles away, it takes you 20 minutes to get there.
Unknown Host
It's a mile a minute.
Saquon Barkley
Are they nice in Iowa? Because I realized, like. Because I've been in the Northeast my whole life, like when I travel or say if I would train and you know, in the south, like, super nice. Like you'll hold the door for somebody. I'm saying, like, I've, like anytime I went in Florida.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
Or I haven't really been like, I guess the south, what you guys would consider the south, like, bam. Yeah. I mean, Florida. It's out. Florida.
Unknown Host
I mean, Florida, geographically. Yes.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. But I don't think. Yeah, I know what you're saying.
Unknown Host
I know.
Saquon Barkley
Like, I was what, Mid, Midwest. Midwest. Like, what are they like?
Jalen Hurts
I was. They're like some of the nicest people you ever met, I think. Yeah. Like growing up Iowa, nice.
Unknown Host
Yeah. It's like a saying, like growing up too is like if somebody's sick or something happens to another family, like, my mom would always fix a. A dinner or something for them.
Jalen Hurts
Same or like, you know what I'm saying?
Unknown Host
And bring it to their house.
Jalen Hurts
Might just be small towns.
Saquon Barkley
This might be small towns, but from a small town. We didn't do that.
Unknown Host
Yeah. So like.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, well, I'm in Copley, Pennsylvania. Like, God, please. Not big at All.
Jalen Hurts
How many people?
Unknown Host
What do you think?
Saquon Barkley
I don't know. I don't know the exact number. Do you know how many people were in here?
Jalen Hurts
Like 980.
Unknown Host
Mine was 100, some 200.
Saquon Barkley
Wow.
Jalen Hurts
Did you have stoplights in your town? Yeah, of course we'd have stoplights in. In my town we had stop signs. Stop signs, Stop signs rolling styles, one gas station, a couple bars. Yeah, so it was, it was pretty, pretty small. But coming out of like, has anybody else came out of Whitehall?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. So we have. In the NFL right now.
Jalen Hurts
No, that's played in the NFL.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. So my jersey got retired a year or two ago. And we have Dan Copeland and Matt Millen. Dan Copeland, I think is the only center to snap for Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, super bowl winner. So he's a one in Super Bowl. And Matt Millen won like. I think he won like four. I think he won some as a player and I think as a gm he came close or something like that. Four Super Bowls. Yeah. So we have. In my town, in my school, we have three super bowl winners.
Unknown Host
Wow.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
That's insane.
Saquon Barkley
How many you guys got?
Unknown Host
I think I'm up. I could. I don't know, I think I might just be the only one.
Jalen Hurts
NFL players.
Unknown Host
No, like super bowl winners. But like in NFL. I think I was the first one from my school in 50 years.
Saquon Barkley
We definitely had more. I believe that could have. That probably made it. But only three that come to my mind is the three super bowl winners.
Unknown Host
Crazy, man.
Saquon Barkley
So all the jerseys I retired at my high school, all super bowl winners. That's.
Jalen Hurts
I was, I think I was the first one from my town, from my town, from my school. There was one other guy who played the NFL for I'm not sure how long, seven or eight years.
Unknown Host
So like how recent?
Jalen Hurts
Not very recent.
Unknown Host
Yeah, it's been a while. So you were drafted in New York too? And you were drafted in 2018.
Saquon Barkley
2018.
Unknown Host
2018. That class stacked. Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
Dogs. We got Josh Allen, MVP, myself, officer player and rookie of the year. Lamar Jackson, two time mvp. Quentin Nelson, all Pro. Derwin, All Pro Dallas. God is a Super bowl champion in that class.
Unknown Host
Dakota State, right?
Jalen Hurts
South Dakota State, Jackrabbits.
Saquon Barkley
Jordan Malada is in that class.
Unknown Host
Is he really?
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
Joe Malata got drafted and never played.
Unknown Host
His highlights are crazy though. His rugby highlights.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah. And now look, he's one of the best tackles in the NFL.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Saquon Barkley
I mean, and then you got, you got three MVPs. You got three MVPs. An offensive player of the Year and offensive rookie year, Baker brought Cleveland to the playoffs for the first time in a long time. It was fun. It was fun. Me and Baker actually had like a. A bet because we're pretty good boys. Who's gonna win? Austin rookie year. And we had to make a chain made for each other.
Jalen Hurts
You still got it?
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, I got it.
Jalen Hurts
So, like, what's, what's on the chain?
Saquon Barkley
Quads. Bust down quads. And like when I was a kid, like, I like. Because when I first came into the league, like, everyone was like, oh, say quads. Or it really happened. Like, I had skinny jeans on. And this is like when skinny jeans was in and the jeans were probably a little too tight. And Odell, being Odell, made a joke and kind of called me, say quads, and tweeted it. And then everyone started calling me. Like, it's like, it was weird. Like, in Penn State, no one talked about how big my legs were. And then I got to the NFL and I got to New York and Odell tweeted quads one time and everyone's been obsessed about my quads.
Jalen Hurts
And now we got you and A.J. dillon.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, in the same. A.J. has bigger quads than me, though. We had actually we did like a, A measurement contest. Not like someone in New York, I forgot what reporter, but they were doing. We were playing Green Bay that week and they were doing just a report on legs. And like the biggest ladies, I think were like Earl Campbell and like they had to, they, like we all, we had to like wrap our measurement tape measure. And AJ has bigger quads than me, but I didn't know he's like 250. Like I'm only 230. Like, he's, he's. He has 20 pounds on me.
Unknown Host
Good lord.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, that's some, some hard nosed downhill running for our offense. You know what I'm saying? And that's a wrap with our first ever guest on the Exciting Mics podcast, Saquon Barkley. Thank you for being here. Thank you for joining us. Yeah, I appreciate it. It's great to. Great to chop it up.
Unknown Host
I see you in the locker room, man.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah, see you in the locker room.
Jalen Hurts
See you tomorrow. And we are back with another segment of Exciting Eats. Today we are going to be trying Angelo's. Everybody knows them for their cheesesteaks. But today we're going to try some pizza.
Unknown Host
Pizza.
Saquon Barkley
Exciting Eats.
Jalen Hurts
Let's go.
Unknown Host
Thank you, grandma.
Jalen Hurts
Pizza.
Saquon Barkley
Enjoy.
Unknown Host
Thank you. So what we got a little pepperoni right here on this side, a little cheese on the Other with the basil, too. Basil.
Jalen Hurts
Don't forget the basil. Let's try it out.
Unknown Host
I don't know what I want. Like.
Jalen Hurts
Let's try it out.
Unknown Host
Corner. I want a corner piece.
Saquon Barkley
I'm gonna go for this one right here.
Unknown Host
Yeah, you got to. I might as well do the same thing.
Jalen Hurts
Might as well.
Unknown Host
Well, you know what? I'm gonna do the pepperoni side.
Jalen Hurts
This is the cheese with the basil.
Unknown Host
Got a little basil leaf on there too. No more moaning.
Jalen Hurts
The bite.
Unknown Host
I love how it's like cupped pepperonis.
Jalen Hurts
You see that grease on his face right there?
Unknown Host
Yeah, on my face. Surviving out here, the cup pepperoni is, I think, slept on.
Jalen Hurts
Slept on.
Unknown Host
It holds it.
Jalen Hurts
So I tried the. I tried just the regular cheese with the basil. I like it. I liked. I like the crunch of the pizza. For sure. Like it already on the cheese. Probably 7.9 on the cheese pizza.
Unknown Host
I was around probably 7, 7, 6. 7, 7. On pepperoni.
Jalen Hurts
On pepperoni. I'd probably go there for the pepperoni as well. For a place that's not known for their pizza, I thought. I thought it was a really good pizza.
Unknown Host
Yeah, I think so too.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah.
Unknown Host
No, thank you so much. Angelo's. Angelo, thank you for this pizza. Wish I didn't take it home with me.
Jalen Hurts
And we got some cheesesteaks waiting for us, though.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
All right. Live on the show is our first ever fan Q and A. We got our boy Rory here. Rory just turned 14 yesterday. Welcome to the show.
Unknown Host
Welcome to the show.
Jalen Hurts
Excited to. Excited to answer your questions. Let's. Let's give it up for Rory.
Unknown Host
Yeah, yeah. Rory.
Saquon Barkley
Yeah.
Jalen Hurts
You got. You got some hard hitting questions for us?
D
I think so.
Jalen Hurts
Let's. Let's get into it. Let's do it.
D
All right. If you could play another sport, what would it be?
Jalen Hurts
If I could play another sport, it'd.
Unknown Host
Probably be basketball and be good at it and be like really good at it.
D
Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah. Oh, really good at it.
Unknown Host
I'll play golf. Dude. What?
Jalen Hurts
Golf? Yeah.
Unknown Host
That's not a. That's really.
Jalen Hurts
That's good. Yeah.
Unknown Host
Golf. Golf, yeah.
Jalen Hurts
Why golf?
Unknown Host
Because I'm not that good at it right now. I just feel like it's cool. It's cool to be outside.
Jalen Hurts
I'd have to pick basketball. Basketball was my. Basketball was my first love.
Unknown Host
So do you see his highlights?
D
No, I would love.
Jalen Hurts
They're not that impressive. You don't gotta watch.
Unknown Host
He's dunking over folks.
Jalen Hurts
You're not gonna watch them. But basketball. Basketball would be my. My choice of another Sport.
D
What is your favorite stadium that you played in, like, ever, ever?
Jalen Hurts
Outside of our. Outside of our home stadiums?
D
Yeah, exactly.
Jalen Hurts
Favorite stadium outside of our home stadiums. I got to play in. I got to play in the Penn State Wideout game. That was. That was pretty cool. And I also. We played in. We put in SOFI Stadium out in LA last year.
Unknown Host
That's pretty nice.
Jalen Hurts
That's probably the coolest stadium I played in.
Unknown Host
One stadium we're gonna get to play in is Green Bay. I've always wanted to play there. Why? I don't know. I guess the history behind it or just the historical part. But, like, I hope it's snowing. Like pouring snow. Cold, cold. Free. Like the. Get. Give me the true. Was it Wisconsin? Right? Yeah, Wisconsin weather.
Jalen Hurts
Man.
D
I turned 14 yesterday, and I'm getting a new kidney soon. Have you ever been through something hard? What would you say to a kid like me who is trying to stay strong?
Unknown Host
Well, to answer the first part, saying 2019, I had a compound fracture in my left leg, and it was a very. It was a very tough process mentally and physically. And obviously I wasn't able to walk on it until maybe the next year. So that's when 2020 was. And Covid was a thing. And in that time, that's when, you know, the Power 5 schools were deciding whether or not football should even be played that year. And, you know, you're sitting there, like, looking at it. I have a bum leg. I'm just trying to get back. And you're just. You don't know if you're going to be able to play this sport this year. And obviously advanced my career to the NFL. And looking back now, I feel like it's. It's gotten me to this point. It's made me a lot stronger. And to answer your second part, just find that support system. You know, I wasn't doing it alone. I always had somebody in my corner. My corner was my parents at the time. And they. They helped me through it all. You know, I was. I was able to be real with them, shed tears with them, just tell them exactly how I was feeling. But that was always, you know, that positive support system. And, you know, they're. They're still here. Here to this day doing the same thing. So I was blessed for that.
Jalen Hurts
Yeah, I think mine's. Mine's kind of similar. I had an injury the end of my junior season right before. It was like, three games left in the season, and it was right before, like, I was going to decide whether or not to go to the NFL draft or go to. Go back to college. So it was a big, big time in my life, you know, and I had the injury, and it was.
Saquon Barkley
It was.
Jalen Hurts
It just, you know, took a toll on me. But like Re said, it's. It's about the people that are around you and, you know, just being with them and being with the people you're most comfortable with and talking. Talking through whatever you need to talk. Talk through with them. The people. The people you trust the most. And, you know, most. Most importantly, as you're going through that rehab process, or it's about believing in yourself, too, believing that, you know you're going to be all right and you're gonna. You're gonna make it through. That's really for anything in life, just believing in yourself, you know, no matter what you're going through. I think that's the key, you know, and I'm sure the people around you believe in you as well, and. And that's the best part about it, you know, just lean on them. They believe in you, you believe in yourself, and, you know, nothing's gonna. Nothing's gonna hold you back. So. Yeah. Appreciate you joining us, man. That was. That was awesome. Happy, happy belated birthday.
Unknown Host
Maybe a little good luck, man.
Jalen Hurts
Hopefully we can. We can meet up with you sometime or we'll. We'll send you something in the mail.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
D
Thank you guys so much for having me.
Jalen Hurts
Absolutely.
Unknown Host
Thank you.
Jalen Hurts
We're glad you got to. Got to join us today.
D
Thank you so much.
Jalen Hurts
First one.
Unknown Host
First one, too, yeah. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of exciting mics.
Jalen Hurts
Remember to, like, comment and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Drop your questions in the comment section below and you could be joining us on the show next week to ask us live in the episode. We appreciate your love and support, and we will see you next week.
Exciting Mics Episode 2 Summary: Saquon Barkley on Tush Push Ban, SaQUAD Nickname, & Playing For The Eagles
Released on May 22, 2025, "Exciting Mics" is the official podcast of Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship. In Episode 2, special guest Saquon Barkley joins the hosts to discuss a range of topics from NFL strategies to personal experiences.
The episode kicks off with Jalen Hurts welcoming Saquon Barkley, highlighting his unique achievement of being one of the only NFL players to win a Super Bowl on his birthday.
Saquon Barkley [00:00]: "I firmly believe when you look at our team that we had last year, I think we're a top five team of all time."
Barkley reflects on the team's outstanding performance in the previous season, emphasizing their dominance both offensively and defensively.
Saquon Barkley [13:57]: "We started off two and two and we lost to Washington. Jalen got hurt that game. But outside the first four games, it was dominant across all facets."
He passionately asserts the team's legacy, comparing it to historical greats.
Saquon Barkley [14:38]: "Our team last year, I think we're a top five team of all time... people don't give us enough credit."
Discussing the nickname "SaQUAD," Barkley elaborates on the synergy between teammates and the importance of a strong offensive line.
Saquon Barkley [35:02]: "It makes it a lot easier. The brotherhood and respect among the offensive line are why we play at such a high level."
Barkley shares the surreal experience of winning the Super Bowl coinciding with his birthday, highlighting the emotional significance of the moment.
Saquon Barkley [16:12]: "Winning the Super Bowl is something you dream about as a kid... It's an amazing feeling, reaching the top."
He also recounts the celebratory parade, emphasizing the city's support and camaraderie.
Saquon Barkley [20:25]: "It takes a whole city. Especially Philadelphia, how much they buy in and pour into any Eagles team."
Barkley discusses his offseason pursuits, notably his attendance at the Met Gala and interactions with celebrities like Jamie Foxx.
Saquon Barkley [41:23]: "At the Met, it's all about black excellence. The dinner was amazing, and meeting Jamie Foxx was one of the most genuine experiences."
He also delves into his newfound passion for golf, sharing humorous anecdotes about his struggles and achievements on the green.
Saquon Barkley [37:16]: "I aimed to break 80 in golf. My closest was 82, but my short game and putting save me."
A significant portion of the episode centers on the proposed ban of the "tush push" play in the NFL. Barkley and the hosts debate its implications, feasibility, and impact on the game.
Saquon Barkley [23:31]: "The banning thing of it, I think it's kind of soft to be honest. It's not like a play that only we can do."
They explore the technical challenges of enforcing such a ban and its potential effects on gameplay strategies.
Unknown Host [25:21]: "How are you gonna ban pushing the pile? Like, how are you gonna kill it?"
Barkley humorously pitches why the play shouldn't be banned, intertwining it with broader NFL contract discussions.
Saquon Barkley [26:22]: "Everybody can do it. There's no health issue. And while we're talking about the tush push, let's make sure everybody's contract is guaranteed."
The episode features a heartfelt Q&A with Rory, a 14-year-old fan who recently turned 14 and is preparing for a kidney transplant. Both Barkley and Hurts share personal experiences with overcoming adversity and offer words of encouragement.
Jalen Hurts [59:02]: "Find that support system. Believe in yourself, and lean on those who believe in you."
Saquon Barkley [59:34]: "Talking through with them, the people you trust the most, that's the key."
Wrapping up, the hosts and Barkley engage in a light-hearted segment tasting pizza from Angelo's, sharing their preferences and humorous interactions.
Unknown Host [53:25]: "I love how it's like cupped pepperonis. It's slept on but holds it perfectly."
They conclude with plans for future episodes and express gratitude to their listeners.
Notable Quotes:
Saquon Barkley [00:00]: "I firmly believe when you look at our team that we had last year, I think we're a top five team of all time."
Saquon Barkley [14:38]: "Listen, I really think when we look back on it 10 to 15 years... people don't give us enough credit."
Jalen Hurts [59:02]: "Find that support system. Believe in yourself, and lean on those who believe in you."
Conclusion
Episode 2 of "Exciting Mics" offers an in-depth look into Saquon Barkley's views on team dynamics, NFL strategies like the tush push, and personal moments that shape his career and life. Through engaging conversations and candid reflections, Barkley, alongside Reed Blankenship and Cooper DeJean, provides fans with an authentic glimpse into the lives of Philadelphia Eagles' stars.