Saquon Turns to Tiger in Quest for NFL History originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The conversation started innocently enough on the golf course, but what Saquon Barkley revealed during his recent round with YouTube golfer Grant Horvat goes far deeper than just a newfound love for the game.
As the Eagles superstar discussed his growing passion for golf, he unveiled the psychological blueprint that’s driving his unprecedented quest to become the first running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons.
“Obviously getting into golf, falling in love with golf, I’ve been like trying to just learn so much more about Tiger,” Barkley explained during their round. The admission might surprise those who expect running backs to study film of Barry Sanders or Eric Dickerson, but Barkley’s approach transcends position-specific inspiration. He’s studying the architecture of sustained dominance itself.
“I had a really good season last year, but just like how dominant he was, his mentality,” Barkley continued. “Like so in 2000, amazing year, but in 1999 he had amazing year too, right? So it’s like to be able to stack years like that. Like there’s never been a back rush for 2,000 yards twice and definitely not back-to-back.”
What captivates Barkley isn’t just Woods’ statistical dominance, but the psychological presence that accompanied it. Horvat described the phenomenon perfectly: “There’s like a killer instinct and he was so he was just different and people say when they go in there’d be like a huge crowd around Tiger and other people when they were like whatever, but when Tiger would get up the entire crowd like every single person you could hear a pin drop and like nobody would move like there was just this like it was a presence and it like it was probably intimidating to even the people he was playing with at that time.” That aura represents exactly what Barkley recognizes as the intangible quality that separates legends from elite performers.
The mental transformation becomes clear when Barkley discusses his current mindset about his historic 2024 campaign. “I think it’s just like the confidence, right? I think when you have the year like I had last year, like I’m coming into this season, into my training, that’s like it’s not a fluke, right? Like I watch film and I’m like people talk about what I did and what I accomplished, but in my mindset I’m like it should have been even more.”
This isn’t arrogance speaking – it’s the quiet certainty of someone who has touched transcendence and knows exactly how to return there. Barkley’s 2,005-yard season represented just the ninth time in NFL history that milestone had been reached, yet he views it as merely the foundation for something greater.
The golf analogy Barkley draws reveals the depth of his psychological preparation. “Think about very similar to golf, like think about how you feel about over a golf shot or a driver when you’re driving the ball, hitting the fairway every single time rather than what you’re not. Like we’re in two different mindsets right now with a driver in our hand. It’s the same thing going into a game and just like you have to have the mindset of like nobody can mess with me and no matter what you do, nobody can mess with me.”
That unshakeable confidence isn’t built on blind faith – it’s constructed through meticulous preparation and an almost obsessive attention to detail. Woods represents the gold standard of sustained excellence, someone who didn’t just peak once but maintained that peak through sheer force of will and unwavering self-belief.
Barkley’s appreciation for Woods extends beyond the peak years to include the comeback story. “What he did in ’99 and then to do it in 2000, back-to-back, then to play well, then have everything happen to him and to come back in 2019 and win a Masters – like his mentality is super different,” Barkley observed.
The challenge Barkley faces in 2025 extends far beyond physical demands. Every defensive coordinator spent the offseason dissecting film of his 2024 dominance, searching for weaknesses to exploit. Game plans will be built around stopping him specifically. But that’s precisely where Woods’ influence proves most valuable – the golf legend thrived under similar scrutiny throughout his dominant years.
The numbers from 2024 tell only part of Barkley’s story. His 2,005 rushing yards came on 345 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt while adding 13 rushing touchdowns. He posted eleven 100-yard games and helped carry the Eagles to their Super Bowl LIX championship. But statistics don’t capture the psychological shift that occurred – Barkley developed an aura of inevitability that opposing defenses could feel.
His acknowledgment that “with the team that I have and the offensive line that I have, that just boosts it even more” reflects an understanding that individual greatness requires collective excellence. Woods had his support system – Barkley has perhaps the NFL’s most dominant offensive line.
The goal that drives him now – consecutive 2,000-yard seasons – represents uncharted territory in professional football. No player has achieved this feat because it requires sustained excellence that challenges the very limits of human performance. As Barkley continues studying the champion’s mindset that made Tiger Woods a legend, his intentions become unmistakably clear. He’s not just chasing statistics – he’s pursuing a level of dominance that transcends individual achievement, using the psychological blueprint of one GOAT to become another.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
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