Hurdling an opponent is one of the great risk-reward moves a ball-carrier can make, as going airborne to avoid a tackle can lead to a huge play but also can result in a player getting absolutely blasted. Some players are much better at it than others, and Saquon Barkley is among the best in all of football at leaping defenders, going all the way back to his college days at Penn State.
On Sunday, the star running back decided to innovate on his trademark move one one of the greatest 14-yard runs you’ll ever see, where he broke out a spin move into what I can only describe as a reverse hurdle, as he leaped over a defender while facing the opposite direction.
THE 180 HURDLE??? DID SAQUON JUST INVENT THIS?!
📺: #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/tYThjnbdgG— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024
I really don’t know how you pull this off without injuring yourself or fumbling, but Barkley cleared the defender cleanly and landed on his feet — before taking a shot from another defender and needing to check out for a play or two. Tiki Barber in the FOX booth rightfully loses his mind over this move, and I really hope no young running backs look at this and decide they want to replicate it because it would go extremely poorly for anyone without Barkley’s insane athleticism.