If you asked kids today who their favorite running back is, many would probably say Philadelphia Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley, and understandably so. Barkley's combination of speed, strength and athleticism makes him a joy to watch, and it also makes him an extremely productive player who set the NFL rushing record for most yards in a single season (including playoffs) in 2024.
But, before he became a running back that fans look up to, Barkley had his own backs that he studied and admired, and one particular player stood out to the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year. During a recent appearance on Hot Ones, Barkley revealed his favorite running back of all time while powering through the gauntlet of increasingly spicy wings.
Saquon Barkley says that Barry Sanders is his favorite running back of all time
For Barkley, that player was Barry Sanders, who led the league in rushing on four separate occasions during the 1990s and was known for being one of the most elusive -- and exciting -- backs ever.
“Man, Barry’s my guy. He’s my favorite running back of all time," Barkley said. "When I was a little kid, I used to wear number 20, and I used to run around and reverse the field and they used to call me, ‘Little Barry.’ At this time, I went to my dad and I’m like, ‘Who are they talking about?’ He made me sit down and go on YouTube, and that’s when I kind of fell in love with Barry Sanders as a running back."
"And then being able to meet him in person and have conversations with him and have a great relationship with him, him sending that out to me, I’m lucky," Barkley added. "Sometimes I look back and I just smile and think how blessed I am.”
In what is probably a surreal situation for Barkley, the admiration that he has for Sanders is mutual, as Sanders was extremely complimentary of Barkley following Philadelphia's run to the Super Bowl.
"What Saquon did, I think he really restored a lot of faith in what the running back position can do," Sanders said in an interview with RG. "He’s a unique individual in that his skill set, the way he plays the game, the situation he’s in, the great team that he’s surrounded by, all those things matter and help with what he’s doing. But, he’s certainly a generational type of talent.”
When it comes to being a generational talent, it takes one to know one, and Barkley is well on his way to joining Sanders in the pantheon of best backs of all time. Plus, Barkley has already done something that Sanders was never able to accomplish: Hoist the Lomardi Trophy after helping his team with the Super Bowl.