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Saquon Barkley takes home ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Saquon Barkley is typically known for breaking through tackles and defenders. On Wednesday night, though, the New York Giants running back was known as a breakthrough athlete.

Barkley took home the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete on Wednesday night. It was the first award presented of the show. He was handed the award by his former teammate Odell Beckham Jr.

In his rookie season, Barkley proved he was worth the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The former Penn State star rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He also totaled 721 receiving yards and four touchdown catches.

At the end of the season, Barkley was named the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, beating out Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. He was also an Pro Bowl selection.

Below is the speech Barkley gave after winning the award:

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB