Nothing is given to you. Everything is earned. You have to have that mindset that you have to work every single day. Learn every single day.
Saquon Barkley
Sometimes you just got to settle back and relax and be like, 'All right, Saquon, chill. You know what you're doing. Just do the little stuff.' The little stuff will get you there.
Sometimes in life, you have to make a selfish decision and do what's best for you.
Perfection is impossible, but you don't stop aiming for it.
I know a lot of people try and set expectations for me. No offense to you guys, but I set my own expectations.
My mindset is to go out there and be confident, believe in yourself, visualizing success and visualizing plays you're gonna make in games.
I told my mom, 'I'm gonna buy you a house one day.' I was 2 or 3 years old. I know it sounds crazy, but I did.
Being 230 pounds, a lot of people don't think you can move the way I need to move, so that is just all the hard work I put into my legs and working on my speed and my legs.
I'm a New York Giant, playing football. I've been wanting to do this since I was a little kid, to play in the NFL.
You want to be part of something like that, that's something bigger than yourself, that's something you leave a legacy of being part of something special.
You look at the years that the Giants have been successful, it really wasn't just one star that got it done.
I never want to be like somebody but be my own person, but follow along those lines like a Matt Millen, Michael Strahan. There's so many players that have transitioned to being an anchor or a broadcaster, and it kind of just goes hand-in-hand.
I play video games; I watch Netflix.
When I look at the great athletes, I think of the Kobes and the LeBrons and the Tom Bradys of the world, obviously they take rests and recover, but they also continue to work, too. Working out and keeping up with that, with your conditioning, is another part of health and keeping your longevity throughout the years.
In my mind, every time I touch the ball, I believe I have the ability to score with the help of my teammates.
Any team that's drafting me, you're going to get the same person. You're going to get a competitor, a guy who's passionate about the game and, even though I'm a rookie, a guy who will try to be a leader to the best of my ability.
The spotlight, attention, all that doesn't really matter. You go home to your daughter, even after a loss when you're upset and you don't want to talk to anybody. You see her crack that smile, and it changes your day.
I'll be eager to definitely be in the mix of kickoff return. I did it in college. I was able to help my team out in college in that area.
I definitely respect Kamara's game. He's a different type of player. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can run in between the tackles. Pretty much a do-it-all back.
There's going to be wear and tear on your body; that's just the nature of the sport, no matter if you're a rookie or if you're 10 years deep in the league.
There will be times when I mess up. I'm human, but I want to be a role model for the good things I do and the bad things I do. And the times I do make mistakes, learn from those mistakes.
Everyone loves to praise me on my character, which I'm so thankful for. But that's a true testament speaking to my parents, how they raised me.
I want to be one of the best.
It's not always going to be there; every play is not going to be a 40-yard gain. You just have to take what they give you. When the opportunity comes, you have to split it and make them pay for it.
I love talking about football, and obviously I love playing football, but you may not be able to play football forever, but you can talk about it for a long time.
I kind of think the rookie wall is all in your mind, to be completely honest.
High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was a little smaller, so I decided to gain weight and try to get faster. I wasn't a fan of the weight room. I thought just the God-given talent would take you where you needed to go. Now I understand that you need hard work.
I don't care if I'm drafted one, five, 72, or last pick. I'm going to come in with my head low, ready to work, and that is not going to change me. That's why, whatever team drafts me, you're going to get the same person, the guy that is going to be a competitor, a guy that is passionate about the game.
I wanted to go down as one of the best running backs to ever play at Penn State.
Getting 1,000 yards in the NFL is an amazing accomplishment, and being the first rookie ever for the Giants to do that is even a bigger one. It's big because even though my name might go in the record book, it's not just myself - it's the offensive line play and the guys in the running back room, all those guys have been a tremendous help.
I want to be known as a guy who breaks tackles; that's the whole objective of the game.
You come out every single day, and you want to be perfect. When I mean 'perfect,' not mean a 'perfect player,' but you want to try to go through practice without drops.
Try to be one of the first people in here, work your butt off in the weight room, asking questions, try to prepare yourself like a pro, like a vet. Stuff like that is what sits well with your team.
I wasn't a big Sam Darnold fan after they beat us in the Rose Bowl game my sophomore year, but that's just a competitive thing. We joke around about that all the time. I got to know him a little more.
I'm honored to be compared to some great running backs, but I try to block that out and be myself.
My family has been through so much and made so many sacrifices for my brothers and sisters.
A lot of people think a running back is just a guy who lowers his shoulder and runs people over, and that's not my game.
What do I love about my body? I would say, probably, my legs.
I get a lot of compliments about my legs.
I was a New York Jets fan growing up. My dad said I used to sit there at a very young age and watch football with him and tell him, 'I'm going to play for that team one day.'
I'm very confident in myself.
Whether the ball is on the 99-yard line or the 1-yard line, I'm going to find a way to get into the end zone.
I can do it all. I can go over the top, or I can beat you with speed. I can beat you with some wiggle, or I can run through you.
Andrew Luck is a great quarterback.
From my freshman year to my junior year, I've increased my receptions every year.
You break down the tape of the top five backs, all those guys can catch the ball out the backfield. They're special with the ball in hand. Something I strive to be.
Any team that wants to draft me is a blessing to me.
I've never wanted to be like anybody. That's something that my dad taught me growing up: 'Never want to be like someone; be the next you.' But I am a fan of the game, I'm a fan of the position, and I watch everyone.
There will be plays where you've got to just lower your shoulder and get 1 yard.
Sometimes you watch yourself, and you think, 'Oh, wow.'
