Football's New Wave: The Young Superstars Taking Over the Game

By Will Graves

From Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City to Saquon Barkley in New York, the hottest young football players are already tearing up the gridiron. With their amazing skill and unique playing styles, these stars are bringing new life to the sport and some of its most famous teams, and they’re only just getting started.

Football’s New Wave gives readers a front-row seat to this transition from one generation to the next, with pages full of information about these players, where they came from, and what makes them stand out. Engaging text, fact boxes, and action photographs bring readers close to the action and will prepare you to cheer on the biggest sports stars for years to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: North Star Editions
• Release date: Sep 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781634940917

Will Graves

Will Graves became hooked on the NFL after attending the 1982 NFC Championship Game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. Graves watched his beloved Redskins win the Super Bowl three times before he graduated high school. More than 25 years later, he’s still waiting for Washington to get back on top. Graves has spent more than two decades as a sportswriter, covering the NFL, professional baseball, hockey, and the Olympics for the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Book preview

Football’s New Wave: The Young Superstars Taking Over the Game © 2020 by Press Room Editions. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Edition

First Printing, 2019

Book design by Sarah Taplin

Cover design by Sarah Taplin

Photographs ©: Damian Strohmeyer/AP Images, cover (center), 1 (center); Reed Hoffmann/AP Images, cover (left), 1 (left); Scott Boehm/AP Images, cover (right), 1 (right), back cover; Adam Hunger/AP Images, 4; Bill Kostroun/AP Images, 9; Jeff Roberson/AP Images, 12, 16; Jeff Haynes/Panini/AP Images, 20, 25; Mark J. Terrill/AP Images, 28; Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Images, 33; Paul Sancya/AP Images, 36; Bruce Kluckhohn/AP Images, 42; Josie Lepe/AP Images, 44; Ben Margot/AP Images, 50, 99; Jack Dempsey/AP Images, 52; Michael Dwyer/AP Images, 58–59; David Richard/AP Images, 62; Carolyn Kaster/AP Images, 68; Mike McCarn/AP Images, 70; Mark LoMoglio/AP Images, 76; Lynne Sladky/AP Images, 78; Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images, 84; John Bazemore/AP Images, 86; Perry Knotts/AP Images, 92; Don Wright/AP Images, 94; Kevin Terrell/AP Images, 102; James D. Smith/AP Images, 108; Matt Patterson/AP Images, 110; Kirby Lee/AP Images, 114–115

Design Elements ©: Shutterstock

Press Box Books, an imprint of Press Room Editions.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019937099

ISBN

978-1-63494-090-0 (paperback)

978-1-63494-091-7 (epub)

978-1-63494-092-4 (hosted ebook)

Distributed by North Star Editions, Inc.

2297 Waters Drive

Mendota Heights, MN 55120

www.northstareditions.com

Printed in the United States of America

Chapter 1

Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley took a look at the board that listed all the weightlifting records for Penn State running backs and thought to himself, I know I can get all that.

Just a freshman at the time, Barkley wanted to make a strong first impression with the Nittany Lions. He knew the school had a long history of producing star running backs in the National Football League (NFL), from Pro Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris to former All-Pro Larry Johnson.

Barkley believed he could be next in the line.

All those guys are amazing, Barkley said. And I wanted to at least be mentioned in the same category as those guys.

Barkley did more than that during his career with the Nittany Lions. He created a category all his own, both on the field and off.

The player who once worried he wouldn’t be strong enough or fast enough proved he was plenty of both. His eye-popping workouts at Penn State became stuff of legend. He set a school record in the summer before his junior season when he took a bar with 405 pounds loaded on it and lifted it off the ground and over his head, leading some to label him an athletic freak (in a good way).

All those workouts came with a purpose far beyond just showcasing Barkley’s strength. He firmly believed they would help him become one of the most dangerous and dynamic players in football.

He was right.

Barkley spent three years at Penn State, setting school records for touchdowns (53) and all-purpose yards (5,538) while finishing second in rushing yards (3,843) and developing a reputation as an electrifying playmaker.

He’s the best football player I’ve ever been around, Penn State coach James Franklin said.

Barkley opted to head to the NFL after his junior season. At the NFL combine, where players hoping to be drafted showcase their skills for scouts, Barkley put on a show. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 29 times. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds. And his 41-inch vertical leap is better than most National Basketball Association (NBA) players’.

Speed? Check. Power? Check. Athleticism? Check.

The only question about Barkley when the 2018 NFL Draft arrived centered on how high he would be taken. The Cleveland Browns had the top pick but were in serious need of a quarterback. The New York Giants had issues at quarterback, too, with two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning nearing the end of his career.

The Browns filled their quarterback need by taking Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. But when the Giants were on the clock, they wouldn’t resist bringing Barkley—who was born in New York City—home.

At the end of the day, a great player is a great player, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said. He is a touchdown maker. He is a threat to take it to the house every time he gets his hands on the ball.

Barkley made an immediate impression on fans and his new teammates. He earned the nickname SaQuads Barkley because of the massive quadriceps muscles in his legs.

Signature Move

Every great running back seems to have a signature move. When Barkley is in trouble, his first instinct is to treat an opponent like an obstacle in leapfrog. Barkley made a habit at