It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley in Super Bowl LIX, but the night ended in storybook fashion – with Barkley hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on his 28th birthday.
As he sat postgame with his two children in his lap, Barkley admired the trophy he had spent years chasing.
“She looks prettier in person, I’ll tell you that,” Barkley said of the Lombard Trophy. “You think about it, it’s better in person than it is in Madden, I’ll tell you, that playing as a kid. It’s everything you dream of. I’m just happy to be able to hold it, give it a kiss, and be world champs.”
The moment marked the culmination of a pivotal year for Barkley.
After six seasons with the rival New York Giants, he joined Philadelphia last March on a three-year deal when Big Blue opted not to meet his asking price.
Though he arrived with something to prove, Barkley credited his new teammates with helping him regain confidence after some difficult seasons.
“I mean, yeah, it took seven years to get here – some ups and downs, some injuries,” Barkley continued.
“But coming here and being a part of this team, I remember the first time I was in the huddle, and I looked to my left and looked to my right and could see all the Pro Bowlers and all the All-Pros on the roster and on the offense.”
Even Philadelphia’s defense surprised him.
“The defense, I ain’t gonna lie, I didn’t know we would have the No. 1 defense. It kind of makes sense now because with all the talent that we had, they gave us hell in practice in camp. But it’s a team effort, so just year one.”
Barkley then went on to ask a question that suddenly doesn’t seem as ridiculous as it once might have.
“Why not start our dynasty now?” he asked…
The Eagles halted the Chiefs’ quest for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat, and if a dynasty is truly forming in Philadelphia, its roots were planted in New Orleans last night.
On the sideline, Barkley and general manager Howie Roseman shared an emotional moment, one that fulfilled a vision set nearly a year earlier.
“I hugged him and I said, ‘Thank you for believing in me,’” Barkley said. “One of our first conversations, he promised me that we were going to be here and that confetti was going to fall down on us, and we’d be smiling and hugging.
“So, I’m thankful to the Eagles organization and everyone in it. But Howie really believed in me.”
For Barkley, the journey to this point had been anything but easy. But under the bright lights of Super Bowl LIX, he was finally able to celebrate as a champion.
Now, the question every is asking is the exact one Barkley alluded to: Will the Eagles become the NFL’s new dynasty?
What are your thoughts on the possibility???
