MIAMI — For a brief moment last July, Saquon Barkley wasn’t the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, the face of the Giants or a television commercial star.
He was a Kobe Bryant fan – pouring out his respect in a video for the Uninterrupted – who just had his boyhood idol tweet at him (“Love my brotha #yourturn #mambamentality”) for all to see.
“He responded when I was in bed and I screamed,” Barkley told The Post.
Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash Sunday, along with his daughter Gianna and seven other victims, shook up the sports world and Barkley paused twice in his discussion with The Post on Super Bowl 2020 Radio Row to control his emotions when discussing the late 41-year-old NBA star.