Barkley got his start at Whitehall High School in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, where he was also a star running back for the Whitehall Zephyrs. He came to know the Hartmans because Bob Hartman, Maisey and Zack's father, is the athletic director at Whitehall.

Along the way, Barkley has helped the Eagles transform and improve the original standing of the running back position. Once thought of as a dying position group in terms of long-term value, Barkley has helped prove that top backs are not just commodities, but are needed to be contenders.

Saquon Barkley's high school teachers and coaches say he worked hard and did things the right way as a student-athlete.