UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Saquon Barkley discussed the logistics with his family and girlfriend, opting to head to Dallas for next month's NFL Draft, all the while realizing that there's only one thing that could prevent him from walking across the stage when the NFL commissioner calls his name.
It just so happens to be a pretty big deal.
"The baby is due April 14," Barkley said with a smile Tuesday following Penn State's pro day. The draft is slated for April 26-28. "Not sure the gender, that's going to be a surprise so April is going to be a big month for me. I tweeted out the other day that big blessings are coming my way or something like that. A lot of people thought that I was just talking about the draft, but I was also talking about my kid. I'm excited. Some people aren't even blessed with the opportunity to have kids and I'm blessed to have one and I'm truly excited to have one."
Barkley's girlfriend announced the upcoming birth of the child last weekend on Instagram and following Tuesday's workout, one where Barkley didn't do anything after participating and starring in the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month, he spoke about the monumental month ahead. The potential No. 1 overall draft pick said he had a formal interview with the Giants during the combine and also had an informal interview there with the Browns, among others. With representatives from all 32 NFL teams packing Holuba Hall for pro day, Barkley elected not to participate in part because there weren't any running back coaches there. At this point there's also nothing left for him to prove.
He'll spend much of the next month taking visits across the country, all the while realizing that at some point his life is going to drastically change. Ideally it will happen before he holds up the jersey with his name on the back.
"What happens if the baby is delivered the same day as the draft? That's a great question," he said. "That's something that we're actually a little worried about, but I can tell you that if that is the case I'm taking the first plane back to (my girlfriend in) Scranton, Pa."
The 21-year-old back who already signed with NIKE and is represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports said that while his focus leading up to the NFL was to be able to buy his mom a house and help to provide for his siblings, his training has had more of a purpose since learning that he'd become a dad. Barkley said he's most looking forward to setting an example for his child and being open and honest with it, much like his father, Alibay, was with him and his four siblings.
Barkley said with a little coaxing from his family, specifically his mom, he plans to head to Dallas for the draft should all go as planned. He's not sure if he'll cry when he hears his name called or when he hugs his mom, but said that experiencing that moment with his family is something he's dreamed of since he was a boy watching his beloved New York Jets with his dad.
"A lot of people try and take my father's story and try and talk bad about it I guess you could say but I look at it as you have to respect him as a man," Barkley said. "A lot of people can't look their kid in the face and tell them about the decisions that they made and the mistakes the they made, but that helped me. You guys talk about how good I am and about how good my character is. That's not because of me. That's because of my family. That's because of my mom and my dad. I'm looking forward to trying to be a role model for my kid whether it's a boy or a girl and hopefully it's healthy that's the most important thing I'm focused on right now."
And it's safe to say Barkley's teammates are looking forward to the month ahead, both because of their NFL futures and also because they want to see their former teammate become a dad.
"He's going to be a great father," said safety Marcus Allen, one of Barkley's closest friends on the team. "And me? I'm going to be the godfather so I'll make sure we're all straight. We good. ... That's called life. That's something that we all experience and Saquon is going to take great care of that baby and I'm going to take great care of that baby as well because I'm the godfather."
