Why Penn State's James Franklin Isn't Surprised With Saquon Barkley's Renaissance

Barkey, the former Nittany Lions running back, is having an MVP season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin talks with running back Saquon Barkley (26) before the game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the USC Trojans at the 2017 Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Penn State football coach James Franklin hasn't watched much of the Philadelphia Eagles this season but never turns down highlights of Saquon Barkley. After the running back's record-setting performance against the Los Angeles Rams, Franklin once again acted like a proud father in discussing the former Nittany Lions' running back.

"I’m not surprised," Franklin told reporters in State College after practice Wednesday. "I don’t follow closely. It’s not like I’ve watched an Eagles game, but I’ve seen highlights. We’ve texted. He and Fumi [Franklin's wife] have texted. So not surprised; proud, happy and it’s also cool that he’s doing it here, right?"

Barkley, who played for Franklin at Penn State from 2015-17, just produced the best rushing game in Philadelphia Eagles history. He ran set franchise records for rushing yards (255) and yards from scrimmage (302) in the Eagles' 37-20 win over the Rams. Barkley was named the NFC offensive player of the week for the fourth time this season. That's 36 percent of the games he has played for Philadelphia.

Barkley is a prime contender for AP offensive player of the year. He leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,392) and yards from scrimmage (1,649). He is only the eighth NFL player since 1950 to produce more than 1,350 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through 11 games. Against the Rams, he had a remarkable 162 yards after contact.

Franklin, who grew up an Eagles fan, said Barkley has found a home in Philadelphia, about 70 miles from where he played high school football in Whitehall, Pennsylvania.

"It's an example of, he’s at a really good place," Franklin said. "Really well run organization, arguably the best offensive line coach [Jeff Stoutland] in the NFL behind arguably one of the best offensive lines. And we all knew, right, that given the opportunity and put in a favorable situation, he’d have a chance to maximize it."

Barkley also continues to maximize the impact he makes in the community. This week he helped provide Thanksgiving meals to families in the area through his foundation.

Giving back to the community this holiday season 🦃

Along with the Michael Ann & Saquon Barkley Hope Foundation, @acmemarkets, and Youth Mentoring Partnership, @Saquon provided Thanksgiving meals to 150 families! pic.twitter.com/LkrBOnehTr

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 26, 2024

"I think the other thing with him that the Eagles are learning, and that I’ve talked to them about, is that as good a player that he is, he’s just as good if not a better teammate," Franklin said. "And that’s unusual. To have that type of guy in your locker room and that type of leader and that type of presence on your team, it’s a force multiplier in a lot of ways."

Franklin also took the opportunity to congratulate the Venn Diagram that is Penn State football fans and Philadelphia Eagles fans.

"It would be cool if he was doing it on the West Coast, but it’s even cooler he’s doing it right here in his backyard," Franklin said. "There’s a huge crossover contingent of Penn State fans and Eagles fans, which is cool. So I’m just happy for him and the Eagles organization. It’s a win-win for everybody, which is ultimately what you want."

Penn State coach James Franklin, after Wednesday practice, on former Nittany Lions star Saquon Barkley, who is getting MVP buzz with the Philadelphia Eagleshttps://t.co/XQ4jNORVze pic.twitter.com/InDkwhby2r

— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake) November 27, 2024

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.