9 min.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
ONE MOMENT, among all the others, dozens or hundreds or who knows how many moments, from earlier in this Eagles season:
It’s mid-December and Saquon Barkley is visiting the team’s staff therapist. Despite having fashioned a season that would rank among the best ever for an NFL running back (2,005 yards rushing in 16 games, 15 total touchdowns), he wanted more. The therapist directed Barkley toward a visualization routine. “It’s my little mantra, my little go-to place,” he says. “I guess you could say … it’s been working this year.”
The exercise helps Barkley differentiate between positive and negative criticism. “I’ve always had this thought, or vision, in my head,” he says. “Of this strong, powerful panther, whether it’s by itself, or roaring, or whether it’s with me.”
He begins…