dailynewsnblog
Huff first saw Barkley’s obsession with precision while at Penn State, where Huff would hold competitions in meetings with offensive players over who could diagram plays most accurately. Barkley could nail small details on the greaseboard, from the depth a receiver would break his route, to the protections on the offensive line. Only quarterbacks were technically required to know that level of detail.
“And that was the moment you’re like, ‘OK, this kid gets it,’” Huff said.
Barkley also became engrossed with Kobe Bryant’s obsessive focus after reading Bryant’s 2018 book, “The Mamba Mentality,” Huff said.
But Barkley’s college coach was quick to say that Barkley was not driven by “personal gain,” an assessment that was supported in October, when Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni asked whether Barkley, who was 13 yards shy of his single-game career-high, wanted to re-enter a blowout win against the Giants to set a new career best. Barkley declined, in a moment caught on camera.
“He’s a guy that he hasn’t said it, you know, publicly, but I believe he’s a guy that would rather win the Super Bowl than have the rushing title because the Super Bowl is a team accolade,” Huff said.
“He could care less if he carried the ball every play or no play, as long as the team wins, you know. And I think that’s why he was so affected by the decision that New York made, because he gave a lot for the team, and he gave a lot for the organization and a lot for the city and the community and, you know, just like any of us, when you get those things and you don’t get the return, it’s kind of like, you know, you feel slighted a little bit so, but that’s who he is. He’s extremely humble. He is extremely competitive. He wants to be the best. He will work his tail off to be the best.”
If Barkley spent his last offseason regaining full confidence in his knee, the process may have been made easier by the teammates surrounding him. The Giants’ offensive line was ranked worst in the NFL in 2023 by Pro Football Focus; the Eagles this season ranked No. 1 for a third consecutive season.
