Running Back Saquon Barkley
Q. What was the team's reaction when you guys found out that it was going to be (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) at quarterback this week and not (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor)?
A: I mean, I guess it's kind of like the talk of the town right now with the decision to go with Tommy over Tyrod. I think Tyrod is handling it well, being a professional, kind of like we knew he was going to be. Both of the guys have got nothing but confidence (from) everyone on the team. Whether they went with Tommy or went with Tyrod, we're just trying to keep the main thing, the main thing. Like I said, we've got confidence in both of them, and they made the decision to go with Tommy. Now, our focus is on Green Bay.
Q. What does it mean to you to be nominated for the NFL [Walter Payton] Man of the Year by the Giants?
A: Awesome. This is my second year being nominated. It's an honor. One of 32 men in the NFL to get nominated for that award, it's truly a blessing. Being a running back, being a fan of the history of the game, learning about (Hall of Fame running back) Walter Payton, knowing his legacy on the field and off the field, and getting to spend time with some of the Payton family last year because I was nominated. Like I said, it's truly an honor and it's a good thing. It's a good thing to be – you want to win that award but it's a hard award to win because it's 31 other guys doing just as good as your doing. When you've got 32 guys, and even more, doing spectacular things in the community, it's not a bad thing.
Q. Why is it important to you to do those things in the community? Particularly with, it seems like, at-risk youth or homeless youth.
A: I would say, especially with the homelessness, I can kind of relate to that a little bit more. Battling that when I was a child. My parents did a really good job of making sure that I never even noticed it when I was a kid. But growing up and just hearing the stories, especially what my father's been through, living in abandoned houses and jumping around here and there I had a little stint in my life for a year or two when we were homeless but at the time, we didn't feel it. I could relate to them a little bit more and just trying to find any way we can give back and make a change and that's when we started working with Children of Promise and then going back home in the valley and up here. The same thing we can do is kind of what my foundation stands for, any little thing we can do to give back and make an impact on our community. It's something that I've wanted to do ever since I got drafted into the NFL and it's a goal of mine and I look forward to continuing.
Q. I remember (Giants' legend) Eli Manning saying that he went through the whole Man of the Year process, the idea that it's an award to win but it feels like you already won being nominated. It's one of those things like – you like to do a lot of your work behind the scenes and not put it out there but to be able to bring awareness to the situation you almost have to allow people in. Is that a tough balance that you've had to walk over the last couple of years? The idea of you're not doing it for the attention, but the attention certainly helps the cause.
A: Helps the cause in terms of winning. Then it's an award, you're competing. It is a hard balance, it is weird but for me, I just try to keep it real and authentic. Sometimes I'd just rather do the work with no cameras there or no one taking pictures or no one posting anything about it, but I guess that's kind of how you get nominated. So, it is a tough balance but for me, I just keep the main thing, the main thing. Keep it real, and authentic and I feel like the way I operate, the kids and the organizations that I work with, and the people I interact with, I feel like they can feel that so hopefully they can.
Q. Would 1,000 yards mean something to you this year?
A: Yeah, it would be – any time you can rush for 1,000 yards in the NFL. Growing up, I kind of thought it was easier than when you get into the National Football League and if I get 1,000 this year I would be – what was that paper you showed me?
Q. You'd be like third, I think.
A: Be third, yeah. If I get 1,000 this year, I'd be third (fourth) in franchise history. I can't even sit here and lie to you and say that wouldn't be a cool thing. That'd definitely be a cool thing so pretty much played five years, technically, I guess six but five years and average 1,000 yards a year is not a bad start to the first half or whatever of your career.
Q: And they may not even franchise you next year.
A: (Laughs).
Q: You weren't in the top 10 in Pro Bowl voting for running backs. What do you make of that?
A: I can get why I'm not in the top 10 missing three games and there are a lot of backs that are playing well, and it's the first round of it. So, hopefully, I can finish the season off strong enough to just get myself in there but (defensive lineman) Dexter Lawrence (II) not being in there doesn't make any sense to me. So, I don't care about it too much for myself, but Dex is one of the most dominant defensive players in the league. Him not being in there, you've got to do better Giants fans (smiles), for sure.
Q: What's the goal now? What do you use for motivation say on Monday night or beyond Monday night?
A: We're in this, to be honest. I'm going to keep it real. We're not looking too far, we're not looking in on the hunt or the playoff pictures, but we take care of what we've got to take care of, everyone can say what they want about the season, but it's week whatever and everything we want is still there. So, we don't need any extra motivation. Every game is a critical game no matter what, but especially now.
So, Monday night, you've got a team who's hot. I think they what, won the last three or four games? And we won our last two games. No more excuses. Tommy DeVito is not a rookie quarterback anymore. He's going into his fourth start. Injuries, we've got guys getting healthier. Everything we want is there. So, we were a team last year that was able to find a way to make it into the playoffs, and that's still our goal. Every team's goal at the beginning of the season is to make it to the playoffs and get to the Super Bowl, and statistically and mathematically we're still in it.
Q: Would you have said that two weeks ago?
A: I've been saying it. I've been saying it.
Q: You've been saying it, but you sound like you believe it more than you did then.
A: I've been saying it, and I always believe it. I know it sounds like we talk all the time, and it just sounds like I'm just beating a dead horse when I'm saying it, but I truly, truly believe that. I'm one of those guys that if I'm in a fight and I got my butt kicked for 11 rounds, the 12th round, in my head, if I still compete, if I could knock you out and get the win, then that's how it's going to happen. So, I kept saying until we're completely out of this thing I still believe. Even when you're out of this thing, you've still got a job to do. It's not too hard to look at. I don't think it's too hard to figure it out. That's how I look at it and that's what I firmly believe in.
Q: You've got to win Monday though, right? You can see that.
A: Yeah, from now on—every game in the NFL is a must-win, but knowing what we want to accomplish, yes, it's if you want to say a 'must win.' I don't like putting that label on any games. I go back to (Penn State Head) Coach (James) Franklin. If we're playing Akron or we're playing Ohio State you've got to have the same mindset. You've got to treat practice week the same. But Monday night against a team who's rolling, and we're rolling, and they've got a lot of things that they're fighting for, and we've got a lot of things that we're fighting for. We've got to just keep stacking them one game at a time.
Q: You were asked about Tyrod, but what about Tommy? Now that he's the starter and named the starter, what have you seen in him as he prepares for Monday?
A: Same old Tommy. I mean, I don't see anything different. No matter what, if he wasn't named the starter or he was, I think he should continue to have that confidence, have that mindset of 'F it and go out there and ball.' You're an undrafted kid from New Jersey living the dream. Go out there, have fun and you've got everyone's support. Let's go do this thing together.
