RB Saquon Barkley -- October 24, 2019
Q: They are listing you as practicing fully today. That has to be a pretty good feeling to be able to go full in light of what you’ve been through.
A: Yeah, it definitely felt good to go out there and practice. I’m just loosening up. Anytime you’re good to go out there with your teammates, any type of opportunity, you’ve got to take full advantage of it. I think we got a good day’s work in, a great practice, and we have one more day on the field to get ready for Detroit.
Q: Pat (Shurmur) said we might see you limited a bunch moving forward to just sort of rest on certain days during the week. Is that alright with you and do you think it’s needed?
A: I mean, is that alright with me? As a competitor, you want to, not just only in the game but in practice, go out there every single day. But whatever is going to benefit the team and benefit me, I guess, to help my team on Sunday. So that’s the way that Coach believes is going to help. Like I said, continue to be open minded like I was when I had the injury. Be open minded and just take it day by day and continue to try to prepare myself to be ready.
Q: How much do you feel like your body needs it though— or do you not?
A: Everyone needs it probably, to be honest (laughter). When you’re playing in the NFL season, I don’t know what week it is, but it’s getting to that point where…
Q: 8…
A: Week 8— where it’s a grind. It’s the grind part of the season, so everyone probably needs it. But if that’s the case where they believe I need it, then I’ll do whatever it takes.
Q: When you watched the film from the last game, did you look like yourself?
A: Yeah. The only thing I felt personally, in the beginning I think I tried to do a little too much, I went back to my college habits, my old habits a little bit. But I guess that was just more excitement. But as the game went down, I felt like I settled down in the run game, but I didn’t make enough plays to help my team win. That happens, so you go back and you watch it, you learn from it and move on. Now you get ready for Detroit on Sunday.
Q: Can you describe the challenge of competing against Snacks (Damon Harrison), who is regarded as the best run stopping defensive tackle in the league?
A: Yeah, he’s a heck of a player. He’s a great player. I know personally, he wanted to get his hands on me since I got here last year, so he’s going to actually get that chance. But not only him, Romeo (Okwara), all of those guys that we’ve got over there right now, they’re heck of players. I wish nothing but the best for them, but this week I just hope they don’t play to the level that they are capable of.
Q: Has he told you that he wants you?
A: I remember last year he said something like, in the beginning when I first got here, that he can’t wait to hit my ‘you know what.’ He always used to joke around here and on Twitter and stuff like that. But he’s Snacks, he’s a great dude. When he was here, he was someone that I was able to go to talk to for advice, just how to handle yourself throughout your career. He’s been playing at a high level for a really long time. He’s well respected, so I’m really excited to get to go play against a guy like that.
Q: Do you expect to have a little soreness on gameday?
A: No, I don’t expect that at all. Your body reacts differently on gameday. Especially when you’re actually out there and you have adrenaline, your mind is just focused on different things. It helps you fight through anything if there is any pain. I think we’re doing a really good job so far throughout the week, not only on the practice field but in the training room, with rehabbing it. I’m excited for this week to be able to go out there and get another opportunity to play with my brothers.
Q: Is that scary in any way last week when you had to limp off?
A: No, it’s football.
Q: You knew it wasn’t serious?
A: No, it was football. The probability of him actually landing like that again on me is probably not high. I was a little upset that, more upset to the fact that it happened again. That’s football, that happens when you have a high ankle sprain. There are going to be times when you feel a little bit of pain, but you also have to be a man and know where you’re able to toughen up at. I think in that spot and in those areas, I am able to.
Q: How much is that something that you’ll maybe have to deal with going forward here in the next few weeks and maybe at times it is going to bother you?
A: If it’s anything like it was when I had it in college, I don’t want to put a time on it, but it didn’t last a whole season in college. The rest of the season in college I felt it for a little bit, but the more time you give to relax it and treat it, the better it feels throughout the year. But nothing that I’m concerned about.
