PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has declined an invite to hitch President Donald Trump’s council on sports activities, health, and vitamin, which is being revitalized underneath an government order that additionally reestablishes the Presidential Fitness Test for American kids.
Barkley, the two,000-yard rusher for the Tremendous Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, was on an inventory of sports activities personalities that included golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Nelly Korda, WWE government Paul “Triple H” Levesque, soccer Corridor of Famer Lawrence Taylor and retired New York Yankees nice Mariano Rivera.
Barkley mentioned Monday following Eagles’ apply that he had really declined the invitation.
“A pair months in the past, it was delivered to my workforce concerning the council,” Barkley mentioned. “So I’m probably not too conversant in it. I felt like that I’m going to be tremendous busy. Me and my household thought it could most likely be of greatest curiosity to not settle for that. I used to be undoubtedly a bit shocked when my identify was talked about. I’m assuming it’s one thing nice, so I recognize it however was a bit shocked when my identify was talked about.”
Trump final week reestablished the Presidential Health Check for American kids, a fixture of public faculties for many years that gauged younger individuals’s well being and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching workout routines.
“This can be a great custom, and we’re bringing it again,” Trump mentioned of the health check that started in 1966 however was phased out throughout the Obama administration.
The manager order additionally reinvigorated the nationwide sports activities council that might have included Barkley.
Barkley received AP Offensive Player of the Year final season after speeding for two,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL historical past, in his first season with the Eagles.
Barkley has golfed with Trump and former President Barack Obama during the last yr and the operating again attended the White Home celebration of the champion Eagles whereas some teammates — notably star quarterback Jalen Hurts — skipped the ceremony.
Barkley visited Trump in April at Trump Nationwide Golf Membership in Bedminster, New Jersey, and caught a journey with the president to Washington on Air Pressure One after which to the White Home on Marine One.
“He liked it,” Trump mentioned then of Barkley’s brief flight on the presidential airplane. “He’s an amazing younger man and an unimaginable soccer participant. Saquon had a season for the ages, operating behind essentially the most highly effective offensive line within the NFL.”
Barkley, in the meantime, pushed again on social media criticism following the go to. He famous that he had already golfed with Obama, a Democrat.
“Possibly I simply respect the workplace, not a tough idea to grasp,” Barkley posted on X.
