- Originally a first-round (2nd pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2018.
- Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards as a rookie and 1,003 yards in 2019 to become the first player in Giants history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first 2 seasons.
- On Dec. 22, 2019, Barkley set a franchise record with 279 yards from scrimmage (189 rushing and 90 receiving) in an overtime victory at Washington…The previous record of 276 yards was set by Tiki Barber vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 28, 2002. Barber rushed for 203 yards and added 73 receiving yards…Barkley's 279 yards was the highest total by any NFL player in 2019.
- Barkley, Carolina's Christian McCaffrey and New Orleans' Alvin Kamara were the only NFL players who totaled more than 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in 2018-19.
- In 2018, Barkley had the greatest rookie season in Giants history, one that was capped when he was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year, matching the achievement of wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. in 2014. Barkley and Beckham are the only 2 Giants to win the award in its 58-year history. Beckham was the franchise's first Rookie of the Year since Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor won the defensive award in 1981.
- Barkley also received 2 significant though unofficial honors. He was named the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year, an award that is determined by a fan vote on NFL.com. In addition, he received the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year award. The other finalists were Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year. The FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year awards are a culmination of weekly awards presented by FedEx throughout the NFL season.
- Barkley was the first Giants running back chosen for the Pro Bowl since Tiki Barber made the last of his three consecutive appearances in 2006. He was the first Giants rookie to go to the game since Beckham in 2014, and the team's first rookie running back to be so honored since Tucker Frederickson in 1965. Frederickson was the top overall selection in that year's draft. Running back Ron Johnson was a Pro Bowler in his first season with the team in 1970, but he was acquired in a trade after spending his rookie year with the Cleveland Browns.
- Barkley set Giants rookie records with 1,307 rushing yards, 91 receptions (tying the mark Beckham set in 2014), and 15 total touchdowns (11 rushing, 4 receiving).
- Barkley was the first rookie to lead the Giants in rushing since Andre Williams in 2014 (with 721 yards) and the first to lead the club in receptions since Beckham that same season.
- Barkley was the first running back to lead the Giants in catches since Barber did with 69 in 2003, and the first player to lead the team in rushing and receiving in the same season since Barber in 2003 (1,216 rushing yards, 69 catches).
- Barkley finished 2nd in the NFL in rushing yardage, 127 yards behind Elliott (1,434 yards). The 2nd-place finish was the highest by a Giants player since Barber was 2nd in 2005 with a team-record 1,860 yards – 20 yards behind NFL Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander of Seattle.
- Barkley's 91 receptions were a record for an NFL rookie running back. The former record of 88 was set by New Orleans' Reggie Bush in 2006.
- The 91 catches easily surpassed the previous Giants running back record, Barber's 72 catches in 2001…Barkley needed only 6 games to break the former franchise record for receptions by a rookie running back, which had been 37 by Bobby Duhon in 1968.
- Barkley set a Giants record with 14 receptions (for 80 yards) at Dallas (9/16). The previous record of 13 was set by Barber, also in Dallas (on Jan. 2, 2000). Barkley's 14 catches were tied for the 3rd-highest total ever by an NFL running back.
- Barkley's 14 receptions tied the NFL rookie record, regardless of position, set by Philadelphia receiver Don Looney against Washington on Dec. 1, 1940, and tied by Washington running back Roy Helu, Jr. vs. Carolina on Nov. 6, 2011.
- Barkley led the NFL with a Giants rookie-record 2,028 yards from scrimmage, 27 more than Elliott. They were the only two players in the league with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards. Barkley was the first Giants player to lead the NFL in yards from scrimmage since Barber did in 2005 with a franchise-record 2,390 (1,860 rushing/530 receiving).
- Barkley broke the franchise rookie record for yards from scrimmage that had been held by Beckham, who had 1,340 yards in 2014.
- Barkley's 15 total touchdowns broke the former Giants rookie record of 12 that had been shared by Bill Paschal (1943) and Beckham (2014). It was the 6th time in Giants history a player scored at least 15 touchdowns in a season: Joe Morris (21 in 1985, 15 in 1986), Gene "Choo-Choo" Roberts (17 on 1949), Barber (15 in 2004), and Brandon Jacobs (15 in 2008).
- Barkley's 11 rushing touchdowns were also a Giants rookie record. The former mark of 10 had been held by Paschal since 1943.
- In 3 seasons, Barkley has started all 31 games in which he played…Totals include 2,344 rushing yards on 497 carries (4.7-yard avg.) and 17 touchdowns, plus 149 receptions for 1,219 yards (8.2-yard avg.) and 6 scores.
- Barkley's 2,344 rushing yards are the 3rd-highest total in a player's first 3 seasons in Giants history, behind Rodney Hampton (2,655) and Eddie Price (2,422). His 3,563 yards from scrimmage are 2nd behind Beckham. (4,169).
- Barkley is the 20th player to run for at least 2,000 yards in a Giants uniform.
- Barkley and Beckham are the only players Giants history to exceed 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of their first 2 seasons.
- Barkley reached 2,500 scrimmage yards in his 21st career game, tying former Giants running back Ottis Anderson (21 games) and Billy Simms (21) for the 4th-fewest games to reach 2,500 career yards in NFL history Through 25 career games, Barkley had registered at least 100 scrimmage yards in 17 games, tying Sims for the 4th-most such games by a player in his first 25 career games in league annals.
- Barkley has rushed for at least 100 yards in 11 games, tying him with Eddie Price for 6th in franchise history, behind Tiki Barber (38), Joe Morris (19), Rodney Hampton (17), Brandon Jacobs (13) and Ahmad Bradshaw (12). The Giants are 5-6 when Barkley rushes for at least 100 yards.
- Barkley had at least 1 reception in each of his first 30 games, a record for a Giants' running back to start a career. The streak ended when he did not have a reception at Chicago (9/20). Ron Johnson had the previous record with 26 games (1970-72).
- Barkley's 4 rushing touchdowns of at least 65 yards were the most in the NFL in 2018-19. Tennessee's Derrick Henry was 2nd with 3…In that same span, Barkley had 9 runs of at least 50 yards, 4 more than anyone else.
- In 2020, Barkley played and started in only the season's first 2 games…He suffered a torn right ACL and meniscus on the first play of the 2nd quarter in Chicago on Sept. 20 and missed the remainder of the season…He had 19 carries for 34 yards and 6 receptions for 60 yards… Elected one of the Giants' team captains.
- Because of his injury, Barkley ended the season with 497 career carries. If he had 3 more attempts, his 4.71-yard average would have tied Tiki Barber for the Giants' career record.
- Barkley had 15 carries for 6 yards and 6 receptions for 60 yards in the season opener vs. Pittsburgh (9/14)…It was his 2nd-lowest rushing total in a full game (he ran for one yard at the Jets on Nov. 10, 2019)…His 6 catches tied Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard for the team lead.
- Although he participated in just 8 offensive plays, Barkley led the Giants with 28 rushing yards on 4 carries at the Bears…He did not catch a pass, ending at 30 his Giants-record streak for the most consecutive games with a reception by a running back to start a career in a Giants uniform.
- In 2019, Barkley started all 13 games in which he played. He missed 3 games – the first absences of his career – because of a sprained ankle he suffered at Tampa Bay (9/22). Barkley did not play vs. Washington (9/29), Minnesota (10/6) and at New England (10/10)…Finished the season with team-leading figures of 217 carries for 1,003 yards and 6 touchdowns. Coupled with his 1,307 yards in his debut season, Barkley was the first Giants back with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Jacobs in 2007-08.
- Barkley's 1,000-yard season was the 25th in Giants history.
- Barkley was 2nd on the team with 52 receptions, for 438 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- Barkley rushed for more than 100 yards in 4 games – at Dallas (9/8), vs. Buffalo (9/15), vs. Miami (12/15) and at Washington (9/22). That increased to 11 his number of 100-yard games, tying him with Eddie Price for 6th on the franchise's all-time list.
- Barkley opened the season by rushing for 120 rushing yards on 11 carries and catching 4 passes for 19 yards at Dallas. Barkley's first run of the season gained 59 yards, which was the longest first carry in any season by a Giants player since the 1970 merger. It was also the longest first rushing attempt of a season by any player since Pittsburgh wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey's 60-yarder at Miami on Oct. 16, 2016 (his only rushing attempt of the season) and the longest by a running back since Oakland's Jalen Richard ran for 75 yards at New Orleans on Sept. 11, 2016.
- Rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries, including a 27-yard touchdown on the game's first series, and caught 3 passes for 28 yards vs. Buffalo (9/15)…Became the 3rd player in Giants history to begin a season with two 100-yard rushing games, joining Price in 1952 and Rob Carpenter in 1983.
- It was Barkley's 18th career game and he set several milestones. Barkley rushed for at least 100 yards for the 9th time in those 18 games. The previous high total for 100-yard performances in the first 18 games by a Giants back was 5 by Price in 1950-51. The previous NFL player to rush for 100 or more yards in at least 9 of his first 18 games was Denver's Clinton Portis in 2002-03. Portis had 10 such games…Barkley also had 15 games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, tying him with Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson for the most such performances in the first 18 games in a career. Prior to Barkley, the highest total by a Giants player in his first 18 games with the team was 10 by Ron Johnson from 1970-72…Barkley reached career totals of 1,500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in his 18th game to join Pro Football Hall of Famer Edgerrin James as the only players in history to reach both of those marks that quickly.
- Barkley rushed for a then career-low 10 yards on 8 carries and caught 4 passes for 27 yards at Tampa Bay before leaving the game late in the first half with a sprained right ankle. His foot got caught under safety Mike Edwards after a 6-yard reception. Barkley missed the next 3 games.
- In his return to action, Barkley ran for 72 yards on 18 carries, including a 7-yard touchdown, and caught 3 passes for 8 yards vs. Arizona (10/20)…Totaled 143 scrimmage yards at Detroit (10/27) with 64 rushing yards and a season-high 8 receptions for 79 yards, including a 4-yarder for the Giants' final touchdown…Rushed for 28 yards and caught a season-long 65-yard pass vs. Dallas (11/4).
- Finished with season-high totals of 24 carries and 2 touchdowns vs. Miami (12/15), when he rushed for 112 yards and scored on runs of 1 and 10 yards…Also caught 4 passes for 31 yards to gain 143 yards from scrimmage, tying his 2nd-highest total of the season.
- Barkley set a franchise record with 279 yards from scrimmage (189 rushing and 90 receiving) in an overtime victory at Washington (12/22). The previous record of 276 yards was set by Barber vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 28, 2002. Barber rushed for 203 yards and added 73 receiving yards…Barkley's 279 yards was the highest total by any NFL player in 2019.
- Barkley is tied for 3rd on the Giants' single-game total yardage list. David Wilson is first with 327 yards (227 kickoff returns, 100 rushing) vs. New Orleans on Dec. 9, 2012. Domenik Hixon gained 303 yards (230 kickoff returns, 51 punt returns, 22 receiving) at New Orleans on Oct. 18, 2009. Barkley is tied with Joe Scott, who totaled 279 yards (22 rushing, 35 receiving, 207 kickoff returns, 15 after receiving a lateral) vs. the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 14, 1948.
- Barkley's 189 rushing yards were a career high. He had 22 carries, the longest a 67-yard touchdown run. He set his previous best in his only other game in Washington; on Dec. 9, 2018, he ran for 170 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown.
- Barkley rushed for 359 yards in 2 games in Washington. That is the highest total by an NFL player in his first 2 road games vs. an opponent since Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson ran for 401 yards for the Rams vs. the Cardinals (1984-86).
- Barkley's 189 yards was the highest total by a Giants running back since Oct. 7, 2012, when Bradshaw ran for 200 yards in a victory vs. Cleveland.
- Barkley had 108 rushing yards on his 4th carry. That was the fewest attempts a Giants back needed to reach 100 yards since Dec. 31, 2005, when Barber did it in 3 carries at Oakland. One of those runs was a team-record 95-yarder. Barkley's previous low number of carries to reach 100 yards was 8, which he did on Dec. 9, 2018 at Washington.
- In Washington, Barkley also caught 4 passes for a season-high 90 yards, including a 51-yarder and a 33-yard touchdown. He was the 2nd Giants player in 2019 to score rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game and both players did it vs. Washington. On Sept. 29, Wayne Gallman, Jr. scored on a 6-yard catch and a 1-yard run. It was the 3rd time Barkley scored rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game.
- The game in Washington was the 2nd in which Barkley had rushing and receiving gains of 50+ yards in the same game. On Oct. 11, 2018, he had a 67-yard run and a 51-yard catch vs. Philadelphia.
- Barkley was the 5th player with at least 275 scrimmage yards and both a rushing and receiving touchdown in a single game since 1970, joining Priest Holmes (Week 13, 2001 and Week 12, 2002), Chris Johnson (Week 2, 2009), Herschel Walker (Week 15, 1986) and Delvin Williams (Week 9, 1976).
- Barkley also joined Billy Cannon (Dec. 10, 1961), Williams (Nov. 7, 1976) and Holmes (Nov. 24, 2002) as the only players in NFL history with at least 175 rushing yards, 90 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in a game.
- While Barkley was setting the franchise record with 279 yards from scrimmage, Daniel Jones threw for 352 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Giants were the first team in NFL history to have a player with 275+ scrimmage yards and a player with 5 touchdown passes in the same game.
- In the season finale vs. Philadelphia (12/29), Barkley rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries, including a 68-yard touchdown, and caught 3 passes for 25 yards for 117 scrimmage yards.
- With his 67 and 68-yard touchdown runs, Barkley became the first Giants player with touchdown runs of at least 65 yards in consecutive games…Barkley's 68-yard run was the Giants' longest of the season. The previous long was his 67-yarder one week earlier.
- Barkley's 68-yard touchdown run was the 3rd-longest score of his career. He scored on the 78-run vs. the Redskins in FedEx on Dec. 9, 2018 and on a 68-yard run in his first NFL game, vs. Jacksonville on Sept. 9, 2018.
- Barkley's 117 yards vs. Philadelphia was his 3rd consecutive game, 7th of the season and the 20th game in his career with at least 100 scrimmage yards, which tied him with Clinton Portis for the 4th-most of any player in his first 2 seasons. Pro Football Hall of Famers Edgerrin James and Dickerson had 27 and 26, respectively, and Billy Sims had 21.
- As a rookie in 2018, Barkley started all 16 games. He was the first rookie running back in Giants history to start every game, the first running back to do so since Rashad Jennings in 2015, the first rookie since Sterling Shepard in 2016, and the first Giants first-round draft choice to start each game since right tackle Justin Pugh in 2013.
- Second-round draft choice Will Hernandez also started all 16 games, at left guard. It was just the 2nd time since the 1970 merger that the Giants had multiple rookies start every game; in 1981, linebacker Lawrence Taylor (first round) and nose tackle Bill Neill (5th round) were the starters.
- Barkley finished the season with 261 rushing attempts for 1,307 yards (5.0-yard avg.) and 11 touchdowns, and 91 catches for 721 yards (7.9-yard avg.) and 4 scores. All but the receiving touchdowns were team-high totals.
- Barkley's 1,307 rushing yards was the 7th-highest total in Giants history…He was the Giants' first 1,000-yard rusher since Bradshaw ran for 1,015 yards in 2012.
- Barkley and Denver's Phillip Lindsay (1,037 yards) were the 57th and 58th rookies to rush for at least 1,000 yards since the NFL went to a 16-game season in 1978…Barkley's 1,000-yard season was the Giants' first since Bradshaw's in 2012.
- Barkley's 1,307 yards were 477 more than the No. 2 rookie on the franchise's list – Tuffy Leemans' previous record of 830 yards, set in 1936.
- Barkley was the 3rd consecutive running back chosen within the top 5 draft selections to rush for more than 1,000 yards in his rookie season. Elliott (4th overall in 2016) ran for 1,631 yards in his debut season, and Jacksonville's Leonard Fournette (4th overall in 2017) ran for 1,040 yards.
- Barkley rushed for more than 100 yards 7 times, a Giants rookie record. Before the 2018 season, Eddie Price had held the mark since 1950, when he hit the century mark 3 times…Barkley was the first Giants back with seven 100-yard games in a season since Barber had 8 in 2006.
- In his NFL debut vs. Jacksonville (9/9), Barkley had 18 carries for 106 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter, plus 2 receptions for 22 yards. He was the first Giants back to run for at least 100 yards in his NFL debut. His 68-yard run was the longest by a Giants player in his first game. And it was the longest run by a player in his NFL debut since Sept. 11, 2016, when Oakland's Jalen Richards scored on a 75-yarder at New Orleans.
- Barkley was the first Giants rookie running back to start a season-opening game since Sean Bennett in 1999 (excluding fullback Shane Smith in 2017; Smith had no rushing attempts that season).
- The following week, Barkley caught a Giants-record 14 passes, for 80 yards, at Dallas (9/16)…Barber held the previous mark with 13 receptions on Jan. 2, 2000, also in a road game vs. the Cowboys. In his first three career games. Barkley ran for 28 yards on 11 carries in the game.
- In Week 3, Barkley rushed for 82 yards on 17 attempts, including a 15-yard touchdown, and caught 5 passes for 35 yards…His 21 receptions are a record for a Giants rookie in his first 3 games and his 27 catches in his first 4 games broke Sterling Shepard's record of 20, set in 2016.
- When he ran for 130 yards vs. Philadelphia (10/11), Barkley became just the 2nd Giants rookie running back in the Super Bowl era to rush for at least 100 yards vs. the Eagles. Barber ran for 114 yards in Philadelphia on Dec. 7, 1997.
- Barkley rushed for 142 yards vs. Tampa Bay (11/18) and 101 at Philadelphia (11/25) to become the 2nd Giants rookie in history with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. The first was Price, who ran for 156 yards vs. the New York Yanks on Dec. 3, 1950, and 103 yards 7 days later at Philadelphia.
- Barkley extended his streak of 100-yard games to a Giants rookie record 4 with 125 vs. Chicago (12/2) and a season-high 170 at Washington (12/9). He was the first Giants back with 4 consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Barber had 5 in a row from Nov. 20-Dec. 17, 2005.
- Barkley's 170 rushing yards at Washington was the 2nd-highest total by a rookie in Giants history. Bill Paschal ran for 188 yards vs. Washington on Dec. 5, 1943. Barkley also has the 6th (142 vs. Tampa Bay), 8th (130 vs. Philadelphia), and 9th (125 vs. Chicago) biggest rushing games by a Giants rookie…Barkley has 7 of the top 12 single-game rookie rushing totals in Giants history.
- Barkley's 170 rushing yards in Washington was the highest by a Giants player since Jennings ran for 170 yards on Jan. 3, 2016, in a loss to Philadelphia.
- In that 40-16 victory in Washington, Barkley rushed for 170 yards on 14 carries, a 12.1-yard average that was the 4th-highest in a game in Giants history – and the largest in a road game (minimum 10 attempts):
14.33 Derrick Ward, vs. Carolina, Dec. 21, 2008 (15-215)
13.30 Frank Reagan, vs. Rams, Dec. 1, 1946 (10-133)
12.23 Tuffy Leemans, vs. Green Bay, Nov. 20, 1938 (13-159)
12.14 Saquon Barkley, at Washington, Dec. 9, 2018 (14-170)
- In Washington, Barkley scored on a 78-yard run that was the 2nd-longest by a rookie in Giants history; Bradshaw ran for an 88-yard touchdown at Buffalo on Dec. 23, 2007. Barkley's 78-yard run was the Giants' longest since Bradshaw's 88-yarder. It is tied for the 4th-longest touchdown run and 7th-longest run overall in Giants history with Barber's 78-yard score vs. Arizona on Dec. 3, 2000.
- Barkley also had a 52-yard run to set up another Giants touchdown in Washington. He was the first Giants back with 2 runs of 50 or more yards in one game since Barber on Dec. 30, 2006 – also in a victory in FedExField. In his final career regular-season game, Barber scored touchdowns on runs of 55 and 50 yards.
- Barkley had seven 40+ yard runs and six 50+ yard runs to lead the NFL in each category. The six 50-yard runs were the highest single-season total by a Giants player since the 1970 merger and were twice as many as any other NFL player had in 2018; Isaiah Crowell of the Jets was 2nd with 3.
- Barkley's 91 receptions tied Beckham's Giants rookie record, were the highest total ever by a Giants player other than a wide receiver, and was tied for the 4th-highest total in franchise history:
101 Odell Beckham, Jr. (2016)
96 Odell Beckham, Jr. (2015)
91 Odell Beckham, Jr. (2014)
- Barkley's 91 receptions placed him 2nd among NFL running backs. Carolina's Christian McCaffrey set a league record for running backs with 107 catches.
- From Oct. 11-28, Barkley had 9 receptions vs. Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington to become the first player in Giants history with at least 9 catches in each of 3 consecutive games. He was the first NFL running back to accomplish the feat since St. Louis' Steven Jackson in 2006.
- Barkley's 721 receiving yards were a record for a Giants rookie running back. David Meggett held the former mark with 531 yards in 1989…The 721 receiving yards are the 7th-highest total ever by a Giants rookie, and just 1 yard less than the team's 2017 first-round draft choice, tight end Evan Engram, had in his debut season:
Odell Beckham Jr. 2014 1,305
- Barkley had a 50-yard run and a 55-yard reception vs. Philadelphia (10/11) to become the first Giants player with a run and a catch of 50+ yards in the same game since Oct. 10, 2004, when Barber had a 58-yard run and a 55-yard reception in a victory in Dallas.
- In that game vs. the Eagles, Barkley almost became the first Giants player in history with 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game. He had 130 and 99.
- Barkley had receptions of 57 (a touchdown thrown by Beckham at Carolina) and 55 (from Manning vs. Philadelphia) yards. He was the first Giants running back with 2 catches of 55+ yards in a season since Barber in 2004, and the first Giants rookie back to do it since Meggett in 1989.
- Barkley's 2,028 yards from scrimmage was the 4th 2,000-yard season in Giants history and the most by Giants players since Barber had 2,127 (1,662 rushing/465 receiving) in 2006, his final season.
- Barkley was the 3rd rookie in NFL history with 2,000 yards from scrimmage:
Name Year Yards Rushing Receiving
Eric Dickerson 1983 2,212 1,808 404
Edgerrin James 1999 2,139 1,553 586
Saquon Barkley 2018 2,028 1,307 721
- Barkley finished with a season-high 229 yards from scrimmage vs. Philadelphia, which was then the 7th-highest total in Giants history.
- Barkley was the 2nd player in NFL history to begin a career with at least 6 consecutive games with 100 or more scrimmage yards. The only other player to accomplish the feat was Kareem Hunt, whose streaks were 7 games and 885 yards.
Player Team Season Yardage Total 100+ yards
Kareem Hunt Kansas City 2017 885 7
Saquon Barkley Giants 2018 812 6
- Barkley had another streak of 6 consecutive 100-yard games later in the season. He is one of 7 rookies in NFL history with 6 consecutive games with at least 100 scrimmage yards, joining Eric Dickerson, L.A. Rams (1983-10 games), Edgerrin James, Indianapolis (1999-9 games), Kareem Hunt, Kansas City (2017-7 games), Kevin Jones, Detroit (2004-7 games), Jamal Lewis, Baltimore (2000-7 games), and Clark Gaines, Jets (1976-7 games).
- Barkley was the first NFL rookie with at least 1,200 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards since Detroit's Billy Sims in 1980.
- Barkley exceeded 100 yards from scrimmage in 13 games, tying Dickerson's NFL rookie record. James had 12 such games.
- Barkley was also the 5th rookie with at least 1,900 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns in a single season in NFL history:
Player Team Season Scrimmage Yards TDs
Eric Dickerson L.A. Rams 1983 2,212 20
Edgerrin James Indianapolis 1999 2,139 17
Ezekiel Elliott Dallas 2016 1,994 16
Billy Sims Detroit 1980 1,924 16
Saquon Barkley Giants 2018 2,028 15
- In 2018, Barkley accounted for 33.5% of the Giants' rushing and receiving yards, the 2nd-highest total by any NFL player:
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas 2,001 5,848 34.2
Saquon Barkley, Giants 2,028 6,055 33.5
David Johnson, Arizona 1,386 4,226 32.8
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina 1,965 6,207 31.7
Joe Mixon, Cincinnati 1,464 5,251 27.9
- With 11 scores on the ground, Barkley was the first Giants back with double-digit rushing touchdowns since Brandon Jacobs in 2008.
- Barkley had 5 touchdowns from scrimmage of 50 or more yards, the most ever by a Giants rookie and the most by any Giants player since Beckham had 5 in 2015. Barkley was the first NFL rookie with five 50+ yard touchdowns from scrimmage since Minnesota wide receiver Randy Moss in 1998. Only Billy Howton of the 1952 Green Bay Packers had more such touchdowns as a rookie (6).
- In the Giants' games vs. Tampa Bay (11/18) and at Philadelphia (11/25), Barkley scored both rushing and receiving touchdowns (on 5 and 2-yard runs and a 6-yard catch vs. the Buccaneers, and a 51-yard run and 13-yard catch vs. the Eagles). He was the first Giants player to score on both a run and a reception in back-to-back games since Elvin (Kink) Richards on Dec. 3 and 10, 1933 vs. Pittsburgh and at Philadelphia. Before Barkley, the last Giants player to have multiple games with running and receiving touchdowns in the same season was Ron Johnson in 1973.
- Barkley is one of 4 rookies in NFL history to hit that double in consecutive games. He was one of 2 rookies to accomplish the feat in November 2018 and one of 2 players to do it in a Giants uniform. Cleveland's Nick Chubb scored rushing and receiving touchdowns in Weeks 12 and 13. Richards of the 1933 Giants and Rodney Culver of the 1992 Indianapolis Colts are the only other rookies to score a rushing and receiving touchdown in consecutive games.
- In the victory vs. Tampa Bay, Barkley was the first Giants running back to score 3 touchdowns in a game since David Wilson vs. New Orleans on Dec. 9, 2012 – but one of Wilson's scores was on a kickoff return (and 2 runs). Before Barkley, the last Giants back to score 3 touchdowns from scrimmage had been Bradshaw, who had 3 one yard runs vs. Buffalo on Oct. 16, 2011.
- The last Giants back to score on a run and reception in the same game had been Bradshaw, who scored touchdowns on a 5-yard run and 10-yard catch against Dallas on Jan. 1, 2012.
- Barkley was the first Giants back with 2 rushing touchdowns in a game since Rashad Jennings at Jacksonville on Nov. 20, 2014 (runs of 2 and 17 yards).
- Barkley played in 38 games with 32 starts at Penn State…Finished his collegiate career with 671 rushing attempts for 3,843 yards (5.7-yard avg.) and 43 touchdowns…Averaged 101.1 yards per game on the ground…Also caught 102 passes for 1,195 yards (11.7-yard avg.) with 8 scores…Returned 18 kickoffs for a 27.8-yard average and 2 touchdowns…Amassed 5,538 total yards on 791 touches for averages of 7.0 yards per play and 145.7 yards per game…Barkley finished his career as Penn State's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (43) and total touchdowns (53), surpassing Lydell Mitchell's marks of 38 rushing and 41 total touchdowns, respectively, from 1969-71…Barkley capped his career as the school's career all-purpose yards leader (5,538), surpassing Larry Johnson (5,045; 1999-2002)… Ranked No. 22 at the conclusion of his career on Penn State career receiving yards list (1,195).
- Finished his career No. 2 on Penn State's career scoring list (318 points), which were the most in Penn State history by a non‐kicker, besting Mitchell's 246 points…Set the school record with a touchdown scored in 15 straight games, a streak that began at Purdue (10/29/16) and ended at Michigan State (11/4/17)…Had 13 multi‐rushing touchdown games in his career (2 in 2015, 4 in 2016, 7 in 2017), and 17 multi‐touchdown games (2 in 2015, 6 in 2016, 9 in 2017)..Tallied 4 career games with 3‐or‐more touchdowns (2 in 2016, 2 in 2017)…Recorded 9 career games with 200-plus all-purpose yards (4 in 2016, 5 in 2017) and is 1 of just 2 Nittany Lions to reach the 5,000 all-purpose yard mark.
- Barkley became the only player in Penn State history and just the 4th in the Big Ten to gain 3,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a career…Was the 7th player in Penn State history to reach 3,000 career rushing yards, finishing 2nd on Penn State's career rushing yards list (3,843), trailing only Evan Royster (3,932; 2007-10)…Joined Royster as the only 2 rushers in Penn State history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
- Barkley concluded his career tied for 5th with 15 career 100-yard games (5 in each of his 3 seasons, including three 200-yard efforts (2 in 2016, 1 in 2017) which was 2nd in program history…Concluded his career as the school's record-holder in receiving yards by a running back (1,195), passing Tony Hunt's mark of 799 yards (2003-06), and doing so with 26 fewer receptions.
- In Penn State bowl history, Barkley ranks 2nd in rushing yards (400) and is tied for 2nd in receptions (17)…His 92-yard rushing score in the 2017 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl broke the Penn State and Fiesta Bowl record for longest rush.
- As a junior in 2017, Barkley played in all 13 games with 12 starts...Selected team captain, named Penn State's Most Valuable Player and earned the Captain's Award at the team's annual awards banquet…Finished with 217 rushing attempts for 1,271 yards (5.9-yard avg.), and career-high-tying 18 touchdowns…Also caught 54 passes, more than his first 2 seasons combined (48), for 632 yards (11.7-yard avg.) and 3 touchdowns…Had a career-high 1,903 yards from scrimmage on 271 touchdowns (146.4 a game, 7.0 per touch)…Added 15 kickoff returns for 426 yards (28.4-yard avg.) and 2 touchdowns…Scored a career-high 23 touchdowns (1 more than his 2016 total).
- Led the Big Ten in rushing for the 2nd consecutive season…Was the 24th FBS player to produce 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season since 2000…Set the Penn State single-game all‐purpose yards mark with 358 at Iowa (9/23, including 211 yards rushing, 94 yards receiving, and 53 yards on kickoff return), topping Curt Warner's previous mark of 341 vs. Syracuse in 1981...Barkley's 12 receptions vs. Iowa were the most in school history by a running back, and were the most by a Big Ten running back since Indiana's Stephen Houston had 12 at Purdue (11/24/12).
- Barkley's 92‐yard touchdown run vs. Washington in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (12/30/17) was tied for the longest rush in program history, equaling the mark of Blair Thomas (1986; Syracuse ‐ non‐touchdown) and Bill Belton (2014; at Indiana).
- Capped his career as 1 of 2 players in Penn State history with multiple 100‐point seasons, scoring 132 in 2016 and 138 in 2017, joining Kevin Kelly (2005‐08)...Tied the program single-season record with 2 kickoff return touchdowns, equaling the marks of Chuck Peters (1940), Curt Warner (1980) and Derrick Williams (2008).
- Received the Paul Hornung Award as college football's most versatile player...Finished No. 4 in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish by a Penn State player since Larry Johnson finished 3rd in 2002...Selected as a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Lombardi Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award...Became the 100th first‐team All‐American in Penn State history...Was Penn State's 42nd consensus All‐American and first Nittany Lion offensive player since Johnson in 2002.
- Named the Big Ten's Graham‐George Offensive Player of the Year for the 2nd straight season...Was the first Big Ten running back and 3rd Big Ten player to earn multiple Player of the Year awards in the conference's history, joining Miller (2012-13), and Purdue's Drew Brees (1998 & 2000)…Named first‐team All‐Big Ten at both running back and return specialist from both the coaches and media panels…Earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, along with first‐team all‐conference at running back and all‐purpose player from the AP.
- In 2016, started all 14 games…Finished with career-high totals of 272 carries, 1,496 yards, and 18 touchdowns (a figure he matched in 2017)…Also caught 28 passes for 402 yards and a career-best 4 touchdowns, and scored 132 points…Had 1,927 all-purpose yards…Barkley's 1,496 rushing yards were the 5th-highest total in Penn State history… Barkley and Tyler Davis (128) became the first set of teammates to score 100 points in the same season in Penn State history...Barkley's 22 total touchdowns and 18 rushing scores are each 5th on the school's single-season list…The 22 total touchdowns were the most since Larry Johnson scored 23 in 2002...Led the Big Ten in both total and rushing touchdowns…Was No. 1 in the Big Ten with 140.9 all‐purpose yards a game.
- Name 2nd‐team All‐American by The Sporting News and 3rd team by the AP…Selected All‐Big Ten first team by the conference coaches, and a unanimous choice by the media.
- As a true freshman in 2015, Barkley played in 11 games with 6 starts, missing 2 games due to injury…Had 182 rushing attempts and broke Penn State's freshman (true or redshirt) single-season record with 1,076 rushing yards, surpassing D.J. Dozier's mark of 1,002 set in 1983...Tied 2 of Dozier's record with 7 rushing touchdowns and five 100-yard games…Caught 20 passes for 161 yards and 1 touchdown…Broke the school freshman (true or redshirt) single-season mark for all‐purpose yards with 1,237, surpassing the mark set by Dozier (1,191; 1983).
- Named 2nd‐team All‐Big Ten by both the coaches and media...Named to Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News and USA Today's Freshman All‐America team...Selected BTN.com Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned BTN.com All‐Freshman Team laurels...Selected 2nd‐team All‐Big Ten by the AP.
- Had 1 carry for 1 yard in his collegiate debut at Temple (9/5)…The following week, rushed for 115 yards on 12 carries and scored his first touchdown on a 9-yard run vs. Buffalo (9/12).
- Supports Covenant House, a shelter for homeless youth, in various ways throughout the season by welcoming them to games, Giants events and providing donations…Annually represents 22Q, a rare disease that his niece is battling, during the My Cause My Cleats NFL initiative… Captain of the Team of Teams group that joined forces throughout the 2020 season with Covenant House New Jersey, located in Newark, to support homeless youth through education, employment and financial literacy…Donated 4 tickets, 4 pregame passes, a dinner at Rao's after a home game, and a workout the next morning to the Fanatics All-In Challenge to provide meals to children during the COVID-19 crisis…Partnered with Campbell's to donate to Community Foodbank of N.J. and Foodbank for NYC…Contributed to the Food Bank for NYC and Community Food Bank of New Jersey to provide resources to families in need during the Pandemic…Teamed up with Pepsi and No Kid Hungry to campaign for funds to provide children with meals…Partnered with SAP to make a virtual fitness class for children…Served as the 2020 Covenant House of N.J. Sleepout Chairman and helped to raise over $1,200,000 for homeless youth in the New Jersey area.
- Full name is Saquon Barkley...Has a daughter, Jada Clare Barkley…Journalism major…Son of Alibay Barkley and Tonya Johnson...Has 2 brothers, Rashard Johnson and Ali Barkley, and 2 sisters, Shaquona and Aliyah Barkley...Father was an amateur boxer...Brother, Rashard, played football and wrestled...Great uncle is former WBC middleweight champion Iran Barkley...Was born in The Bronx…Three-year letterman and team captain his senior year at Whitehall (Pa.) High School...First-team all-state (AAAA) by Pennsylvania Football News...Selected as 2014 Mr. Pennsylvania Football for Class AAA/AAAA...As a senior in 2014, rushed for 1,856 yards, 8.6 yards per carry, and recorded 31 total touchdowns...Had 3 interceptions and 5 tackles for loss as a senior...Two-time All-Lehigh Valley Conference selection...Helped lead Whitehall to league titles as a sophomore and junior...Rushed for 1,506 yards and recorded 27 touchdowns as a junior...Tallied 284 rushing yards and 5 total scores as a sophomore...Ranked as the 9th-best running back in the nation and the top prospect in Pennsylvania by 247Sports...Rated by Scout among the top 5 prospects in the state...Lettered in basketball and track...Won the gold medal in the eastern Pennsylvania Conference boys 100 meters.
