Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley is not just the face of the New York Giants, he’s the football face of the sports apparel giant Nike as well.
Barkley, who received a four-year deal worth roughly $25 million from Nike last year, wants his shoes to mean more than just the normal flash and dash.
“I’m a person that didn’t come from much financially, but I worked my [expletive] off to get where I want to be,” Barkley told The Post in a recent interview. “I’m going to continue to do that. That’s what I want not just my shoe, but my whole life, to represent.”
Barkley wants his image to be one of a working class hero and not one of an elite snobby sports superstar. He displays that every day with his down-to-earth approach on and off the field.
Heading into his third NFL season and poised at the precipice of possible greatness, Barkley is taking his role with the Giants seriously. He is one of the team’s leaders now and don’t let the shoes throw you, he’s ready to ground and pound.
“I keep the main thing the main thing — football and trying to be the best I can be to bring a championship to this city,” Barkley said. “But the same way I’m trying to learn to be a better player, I’m trying to learn to become a better businessman. This game is going to be taken away. For me, it could be at 30, 32, 33. It’s a short time I have with football, and I’m going to take advantage of it.”
The Giants would love nothing more than to see the 23-year-old Barkley play into his thirties. And, of course, win some championships.
