TALKING BACK

TOP RB IN NFL DRAFT HITS GROUND RUNNING IN Q&A

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, who is expected to be taken early in the first round of April’s NFL draft, tackles some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. Q: I’m Giants general manager Dave Gettleman. Tell me why I should draft Saquon Barkley with the second pick. A: That’s a great question. You can ask teammates, you can ask people close to me, people around me ... you’re gonna get a guy who’s passionate about the game. I feel that’s very important ... loves the sport of football. I feel like I have a great work ethic ... a leader. Definitely a competitor. I hate losing. A guy who’s willing to do anything to win. I want to be one of the best. Q: Visualize what it would be like playing with Odell Beckham Jr. A: That would be special. I admire Odell’s game. He’s a walking highlight Everyone knows the one-handed plays, but he can catch a slant and take it 80 yards. Not only Odell, [Sterling] Shepard, the tight end [Evan Engram], they’re all special, they’re all talented. If I was fortunate enough to get drafted to a team like the Giants, I feel like if I was able to have the success that I had in college, I feel like that would be a good fit. But there, you add a running game, it’s like, what can you do on the defensive side of the ball? You have a veteran, established quarterback, Eli Manning, who’s proven himself, won two Super Bowls, that you know the guy’s gonna get the job done. It would be special to learn from guys like him and Odell. Obviously, any team that drafts me, I feel like that’s a good fit. Q: Does any part of you as a competitor want to be the firstoverall pick, currently held by the Browns. A: Stuff like that doesn’t matter to me. I’m a competitor when it comes to the game, when it comes to, say we’re playing “Madden” or we’re playing chess. Even when playing air hockey. You can only control what you can control. ... One, 72, 33 or the last pick or undrafted, my mindset’s gonna stay the same: I’m gonna come in with my head low and work my butt off and demand greatness from myself and demand greatness from my teammates. Q: I’m Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, who holds the sixth pick. What would you tell me about what you could do for the Jets? A: My answer would be the same, but I’ll probably be a little more shy ’cause I was a Jets fan growing up, a true, true Jets fan. There’s been some rough years, there’s been some good years, been really close a couple of years with the Mark Sanchez Era, two years in a row AFC Championship, falling short. That answer’s gonna be the same, whether it’s the New York Jets GM, Giants GM, Browns, Colts, Buccaneers and so on and so on. Q: Why would playing on the New York stage appeal to you? A: New York, New York. It’s known all through the world. I wasn’t raised there, but I was born there [Bronx]. It would kind of be like going home. It’s also not that far from my actual home [Coplay, Pa.]. QQ: If you couldld go one-on-one with any linebacker in history, who would it be? A: Oh, wow (chuckle). That’s a good one. Definitely, I would say LT [Lawrence Taylor] from the Giants — not saying I would beat him — or a guy like Ray Lewis. It would be a fun game going against a linebacker like him and LT. I’m not over here calling them out, though, trust me (laugh). Q: What do you know about LT? A: My dad is a fan of football, too, and did a good job of making me understand the history of football. I did a lot of research on my own watching NFL Films and them doing life stories and watching YouTube videos. That guy was a bruiser, man. He was ridiculous. He’ll hit you in the mouth. He was fast off the edge. I remember watching a clip of him beating a tackle so quick, he broke Joe Theismann’s leg. Q: Who was your boyhood idol? A: Barry Sanders. Obviously I wasn’t old enough to see him run and see him play, but I’ve seen highlights of his and how he handled himself as a person and how humble he was — when he scored touchdowns, he’d act like he’d been there before. Growing up my dad told me, “Never try to be exactly like someone, try to be your own person.” So I try to just take take bits and pieces from backs’ games that I admire. And Kobe Bryant is another athlete that I looked up to growing up as a little kid, especially now just learning about him, and learning his mindset and his Mamba mentality that he had, how he demanded greatness from his teammates and demanded greatness from himself. Q: How does your mentality on the field compare with Kobe’s on the court? A: His mindset is different than other people, but that’s something I’m continuing to work on. My mindset is to go out there and be confident, believe in yourself, visualizing success and visualizing plays you’re gonna make in games. On the field ... try to make plays for my teammates, do whatever it takes. I don’t care if I gotta sacrifice my body. Feel like you’re the best player on the field, and you belong on the field and as a running back you have to have patience, but at any given moment, at any given time, you can break a big one and when that opportunity comes you gotta be ready for it. Q: Who are other running backs whose skills you’ve incorporated into your game? A: There’s a lot. There’s guys even in college that I watch their film and I try and take bits and pieces from their game and add it to mine. There’s guys in the NFL, the Le’Veon Bells, the Ezekiel Elliotts, the Todd Gurleys, the [Kareem] Hunts, the [Alvin] Kamaras, so on and so on ... the [Matt] Fortes, Frank Gores. I was a Jet fan growing up — Curtis Martin, Thomas Jones, Leon Washington. I feel like I’m a very athletic back and I’m capable of doing more than one thing. Q: What makes Saquon Barkley unique? A: In college I proved I’m an every-down back. I can pass block, I can catch the ball out of the backfield, I can run physical, I can make you miss, I break tackles, I can run routes. Those are all things that an all-around player is capable of doing, and I strive to be at the next level. I’m gonna continue to work for that. I’m not happy where I’m at in my game, obviously. I’m really excited to see where I’m at my rookie year and to learn from that and grow on it. Q: What was it about Curtis Martin that you liked so much? A: He’s like a hidden gem. A lot of people when you talk about the greatest running backs who ever played, Curtis Martin’s not mentioned. He doesn’t get the attention he deserves. Q: You committed to Rutgers before choosing Penn State. A: I’m so thankful for Rutgers. Without them, I wouldn’t be in this situation right now. They gave me another spark, especially the game of football. They’re the first team to offer me. ... They gave me my shot, they opened the doors for me. ... I kind of jumped the gun. No regrets committing to Rutgers. If I can go back, I’ll do it again. Penn State came, other school’s came ... I just felt like Penn State would be the best decision for me for the rest of my life. It was hard ... but I had to do what was best for me. Q: You plan on buying a house for your mother, Tonya Johnson. A: I promised my mom I would buy her a house at a young age, and I’m gonna stick to my promise. Me and my family have been through a lot, and God blessed me with the opportunity to be in a position to do that. Q: What drives you? A: My family, first and foremost. The love of the game. I want to be one of the best. I want to hold up the Lombardi Trophy. I want to win a Super Bowl. I didn’t get to win a state championship in high school. I won a Big Ten championship in college but I didn’t get the big one, a national championship, so obviously I still have so much more work to do.