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Saquon Barkley has hilarious reaction to viral video of him being pinned in wrestling match

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•02/12/25•

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Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Saquon Barkley had arguably the greatest rushing season in the history of the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he once had other aspirations.

Well, at least he had other interests in sports. When he was a youth athlete, Barkley was a wrestler, but he wasn’t as dominant apparently.

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Reddit CFB shared a video that was posted on its website and it was of Barkley wrestling back in 2007. Safe to say, it didn’t go quite as well for the Eagles’ running back.

Barkley attempted to hit a headlock, but his opponent was able to roll through, counter, and get a pin of his own.

At least Barkley took it in stride.

“Live and die by the headlock (laughing emojis),” Barkley wrote on Twitter.

Whoever pinned him has an even better memory for life. Sure, as Barkley rose to stardom in high school and college football, his wrestling opponent had that embedded in his brain.

But after a historic year and Super Bowl victory? Yup, time to make that video go viral. It’s all in good fun though!

Heck, even Penn State wrestling legend and current No. 15 UFC middleweight Bo Nickal gave Barkley an offer.

“First headlock was nasty,” Nickal wrote on Twitter. “Let’s get you back on the mat and adjust a few things. You’ll get the pin next time no doubt.”

Barkley was limited to 25 carries for 57 yards in the 40-22 win over the Chiefs, but had six catches for 40 yards. The team won on the backs of their defense and an MVP performance by QB Jalen Hurts.

But Barkley was one of the biggest keys for Philadelphia’s run in 2024. He finished the season with 2,005 yards, 13 touchdowns, 5.8 yards per carry, 33 catches, 278 yards and two touchdown receptions.

Over the course of the playoffs, Barkley had 91 carries for 499 yards, five touchdowns and 5.48 yards per carry. He also had 13 catches for 75 yards.

All told, Barkley’s 2,504 rushing yards were an NFL record for regular and postseason combined. The record was previously held by Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis (2,476 yards).

It’ll be tough for Barkley and the Eagles to top this season in 2025. But, a lot of key pieces on both sides of the ball return with an overall youthful roster in Philadelphia.