The hurdle heard around the world has entered another universe.
NFL fans are still trying to figure out how Saquon Barkley pulled off a backward hurdle move in the middle of a football play.
“It was the best play I’ve ever seen,” Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said.
Now, Barkley’s 180-degree reverse hurdle has been immortalized in a video game.
In a rare move that stunned fans, EA Sports added Barkley’s iconic leap to Madden 25 in a new update, a few weeks after it happened in real life.
A move that initially was deemed as only being possible while playing Madden is now actually a Madden move.
“Saquon Barkley’s agility is insane, and now we get to replicate that crazy backwards hurdle in Madden NFL 25?” one fan tweeted. “YES PLEASE!”
“Bro’s a legend,” a second fan posted.
“Someone said Madden was gonna do this, wonder where that guy’s at?” a third fan wrote.
“So many TVs will break,” a fourth fan posted.
New Madden footage shows Barkley lining up in the Eagles’ backfield.
The NFL’s real-life leading rusher then runs to the right and receives a handoff.
Barkley moved toward the line and an Arizona defender[/caption]
As the play moved forward, Barkley reversed direction and leapt backward[/caption]
His spin hurdle went from a surreal NFL highlight to video game immortality[/caption]
As an Arizona Cardinals defender approaches, the video-game Barkley turns sideways, then leaps upward and turns backward at the same time to complete a reverse hurdle.
Barkley proceeds to land safely on his feet and keep running forward, looking more like Neo from the Matrix movies than a normal NFL running back.
“There’s going to be kids all over the country and all over Philadelphia trying to make that play and talking about that play and simulating that play as they play backyard football or peewee football,” Sirianni said.
“They ain’t going to be able to make it — I believe he’s the only one in the world that can do that. I’m speechless. It was unbelievable.”
“I’ve never in my life, seen a man do that,” safety Sydney Brown said.
“I’ve never seen a man jump that high, at the weight he is, at the size he is. It was just incredible. Probably one of the best plays I’ve ever seen in my life.”
EA Sports officially called the reverse leap a “spin hurdle.”
“It’s rare this day and age to see something that’s never been done before,” the gameplay designer said. “That’s when we knew we wanted it in-game.”
To trigger the spin hurdle, the ball carrier must be Barkley, the defender must be incoming from a 45-degree angle in front of the ball carrier, the defender must be within a close proximity to the ball carrier, and the user must press the hurdle button with the correct timing.
The Madden video game franchise will become an Amazon Prime Video documentary released on November 26.
“It’s one of the biggest video games of all time, a groundbreaking brand that became a worldwide phenomenon, spanning generations—but it almost never happened,” an official trailer said.
“Now, 36 years after the first game’s release, EA SPORTS gives viewers unprecedented access to the makers of game that changed the game, and our culture too.”
Barkley has powered the Eagles near the top of talkSPORT’s Super Bowl contenders list.
The veteran runner has 197 carries for 1,137 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry.
While the New York Giants, Barkley’s old team, give up on the 2024 season and begin focusing on next year’s draft, the new Eagle is thriving in Philly.
“God took his time on me … when it came to this football thing,” Barkley said.
The Eagles (8-2) face the Los Angeles Rams (5-5) this week on Sunday Night Football.
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