Judge’s real pick-me-up gesture gets noticed

IT IS not his job to help a fallen player off the field. Yet there was Joe Judge, springing to action, supporting Saquon Barkley on the left side as assistant trainer Justin Maher aided Barkley on the right. Barkley’s right leg was already dragging, his right ACL torn and meniscus partially shredded. He needed assistance walking across the

Soldier Field grass.

There are many others assigned to do this. Judge jumped in without hesitation and afterward downplayed his involvement.

“That was just simply he’s a big dude and I wanted to make sure we get him over there with the least amount of stress on his leg as possible and tried to just take the weight off,” Judge said.

A hefty teammate could have done it. The sight of Barkley’s left arm draped over Judge’s right shoulder is an embrace that did not go unnoticed. A few former Giants players said they have never seen a head coach do this. Players spot who has their backs and who does not. When Corey

Ballentine looked hurt (he wasn’t) in training camp, Judge was right there, kneeling beside the second-year cornerback. This is Judge’s way and it resonates with players, past and present.

Judge twice in the aftermath of the devastating injury predicted Barkley’s comeback “is going to be a helluva story.’’ Barkley in a singular Instagram post displayed a picture of Judge and Maher helping him off the field with the message “Gonna be a hell of a story …’’

Barkley heard what his coach had to say, just as he noticed how his coach lifted him up, physically.