When New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley took the field on Thursday for the first practice of training camp, he was immediately met with ‘MVP’ chants — chants he heard loud and clear.
“That’s a first. I have never really heard that chant before,” Barkley told reporters. “I’m just grateful for the fans who come out and show support. It’s just fun being out there and playing football again. Obviously, you get to interact with the fans and sign stuff for them, especially the little kids. The MVP chants, that’s cool and all, but I was just more happy to be out there with my teammates and kick the season off.”
Although he’s not an early favorite, Oddsshark did list Barkley at +5000 to win the 2019 MVP award, so what does the sophomore running back think about his chances?
“I think anything is possible. I am a big believer in that, but my mindset is not just that trophy. Obviously, I am not going to sit here and say ‘I don’t want to win the MVP,’ or ‘I don’t want to win this or win that.’ But I am a big believer. I take care of the little things and focus on (the) team first. It’s a team first mentality and all of the individual awards will take care of themselves,” Barkley said.
As a rookie, Barkley proved that anything is possible, gaining over 2,000 yards from scrimmage behind one of the worst offensive lines in football en route to the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
But even more than his success on the field, Barkley has established himself as an MVP off of the field.
“I think he’s got a generational spirit,” Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said Thursday. “It shows up on game day, it shows up in the locker room, it shows up behind the scenes. He leads by example, but he’s also willing to say things that are important to him. If he keeps the mindset of trying to learn and get better, then he’ll continue to have a great career.”
Whether or not Barkley wins the 2019 NFL MVP Award, he’s already viewed as an MVP in New York and has officially become the face of the franchise.
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