Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley shocked everyone when he hurdled over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones while facing backward. Now, it’s been revealed that this hurdle was so impressive that the NFL immediately drug tested Barkley!
Barkley’s Amazing Hurdle
First, check out the hurdle for yourself in the video below. Yep, that’s an all-time highlight.
While appearing on the Air It Out podcast, Barkley revealed that the NFL drug tested him immediately after the Eagles’ 28-23 victory.
He also admitted it was probably a bad idea to jump up in the air backwards with a 200 pound man running 20 miles per hour at him.
“I got drug tested right after the game,” he admitted. “I ain’t trying to do that again, to be honest with you. It’s not a safe play… I can’t really give this a name because I have no intentions to ever do that again. If it happens again, it happens.”
It should be noted that random drug testing is common in the NFL, but the timing is obviously humorous.
Barkley also said that the play was pretty much an accident.
“So, when I spun, I went to spin again, and I just — it’s probably gonna take away from how cool the play is — I really thought was going low, so I was like ‘I’ma be cool if I just jump up’ but my body just kind of took over,” Barkley said.
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Eagles Coach And Players Praise Barkley
Even Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was left speechless by what Barkley did.
“It was the best play I’ve ever seen,” Sirianni told ESPN. “What I think is so cool, there’s going to be kids all over the country and all over Philadelphia trying to make that play and talking about that play and simulating that play as they play backyard football or peewee football.”
“They ain’t going to be able to make it — I believe he’s the only one in the world that can do that,” he later added. “I’m speechless. It was unbelievable.”
Barkley’s teammates were also left stunned by his move.
“I don’t know what [he] ate today,” Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell told CBS Sports. “I don’t think no one has seen that before. That was one of a kind.”
“God has blessed Saquon with some special things,” added Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. “I really genuinely pray that he continues to use those things in the fullness of him. That’s special stuff that he’s capable of doing. We just need him to continue to be that kind of player.”
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Barkley Gives ‘Credit To God’
As for Barkley, he gave credit for the move to a higher power.
‘I’ve got to give credit to God, man,” he said. “I’m not going to lie … I feel like God gave me the ability to play this position and gave me some instincts. Sometimes you’ve got to let go and let God and your instincts take over.”
Barkley finished his game with 199 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. He is just the second player in Eagles history to record 1,000-plus scrimmage yards and eight-plus touchdowns in only eight games. The first player to accomplish this was LeSean McCoy, who was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame last week.
Barkley’s hurdle truly was incredible! It will certainly be interesting to see how the rest of the season goes for him and the Eagles.