鈥?The only thing that Saquon Barkley has to prove at the NFL combine this week is that he’s every bit as good as advertised.“For a guy like Barkley who has worked so hard to develop his gifts [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-fozzy-whittaker-jersey]Fozzy Whittaker Jersey[/url] , I mean, for him it ought to be a victory celebration. It really should,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “You got to come in and knock it down, one drill after another.“He’s going to walk out of there four days later and everyone’s going to go: ‘Wow, he’s just as good or better than we thought he was.'”Then, there would be no doubt that a running back will go in the top five picks of the draft for the third consecutive year, joining Ezekiel Elliott in 2016 and Leonard Fournette in 2017.The Penn State star might even be the first running back selected in the top two picks since Reggie Bush in 2006 or even the first to go No. 1 overall since another Nittany Lion, Ki-Jana Carter, in 1995.“I’m just focused on coming out here and trying to dominate this combine,” Barkley said.Everyone expects him to do just that.General managers and coaches know all about the 5-foot-11, 233-pound back with a magnificent medley of jaw-dropping quickness and excellent acceleration, speed, balance, vision and power to go with an off-the-charts work ethic who helped Penn State dismantle Washington’s vaunted defense in the Fiesta Bowl .Mayock said Barkley will dazzle teams even when he’s not on his feet.“When he goes into meetings at night,” Mayock said, “he’s going to blow people away.”Barkley, who grew up boxing like his father and great uncle but was always drawn more to the gridiron than the ring, quickly rose to national prominence as one of the country’s most dynamic players as a true freshman at Penn State in 2015.He flashed a frenetic running style to compile a lengthy highlight reel full of hurdles, spin moves and jukes on his way to a program-best 43 rushing touchdowns in three years.Mayock said Barkley is at least equal to the last four top-10 running backs 鈥?Fournette, Elliott [url=http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-colton-schmidt-jersey]Colton Schmidt Jersey[/url] , Todd Gurley and Christian McCaffrey 鈥?all of whom made their teams significantly better as rookies.“I could make the case that this kid Barkley is the best of those guys, best of all five of them,” Mayock said. “He’s clean off the field. And he’ll be great in your locker room. I would be absolutely stunned if this kid doesn’t go in the Top 5.”The Browns, Giants and Colts own the top three picks in next month’s draft. Cleveland also owns No. 4 and Denver has the fifth selection.“Any team that wants to draft me,” Barkley said, “is a blessing to me.”Barkley said he embraces the chance to transform a downtrodden team like the Browns, who have one win in two years, or the Giants, coming off a down year: “You want to be part of something like that, something that’s bigger than yourself.”Whoever ends up choosing Barkley can expect to be picking a lot later in next year’s draft. (Fournette’s Jaguars are picking 29th this year, five picks after McCaffrey’s Panthers).Barkley averaged nearly 6 yards a carry as a junior in State College, rushing for 1,271 yards and 18 touchdowns and catching 54 passes for 632 yards and three TDs. He also completed two passes 鈥?one for a score 鈥?and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.He won the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player and left Penn State after his junior year just 89 yards shy of the program rushing record with 3,843 yards.“I feel whether I’m running the ball from the 99-yard line or the 1-yard line that I can find a way to get into the end zone. I can do it all, I feel like,” Barkley said. “I can go over the top of you, I can beat you with speed, I can beat you with some wiggle, I could run through you.”That may come off as boastful, but not when Barkley says it.He said he watches all of today’s great NFL running backs but models his game after none of them.“I’ve never wanted to be like anybody [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-blake-bortles-jersey]Blake Bortles Jersey[/url] ,” Barkley said. “That’s something that my dad taught me growing up: ‘Never want to be like someone, be the next you.’ But I am a fan of the game, I’m a fan of the position and I watch everyone.” Including Barry Sanders on YouTube .If he had to pick anyone he’d like to be like, it’d be the Lions’ Hall of Famer.“That was a great guy that I looked up to growing up not only on the field 鈥?off the field. The way he carried himself, he was humble,” Barkley said. “When he scored a touchdown, he’d give the ball to the ref. If you look at his football life, he’s carrying cups to his offensive linemen, and I think that’s what a running back should be about. That’s what our position should be about and I try to model myself after that.” Doug Middleton was impressing the New York Jets with his playmaking skills last summer when a torn pectoral muscle sidelined him for the season.

The young safety refused to wallow in disappointment. He hit the books 鈥?and his rehabilitation 鈥?with fierce determination.

Nearly a year later, Middleton has a master's degree in public administration from Appalachian State on his resume. He also created a nonprofit in honor of his best friend who took his own life last summer. And, he's having another terrific training camp while competing for a job in Todd Bowles' secondary.

"Yeah, I'm proud, very happy," Middleton said after a recent practice. "I mean, pretty much all that came from me starting my foundation and me having a position whenever football does come to an end, I'm pretty much taken care of. It just handled a lot of different things for me and just made me feel comfortable and more at peace when I'm out here now."

The 24-year-old Middleton graduated from Appalachian State in May 2015 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He entered the graduate program during his redshirt senior year and started chipping away at his master's with a concentration in town, city and county management.

When he got hurt in the Jets' preseason opener against Tennessee last August, Middleton wasted no time coming up with a game plan.

"It was pretty crazy," he said with a big smile. "In the offseason before my second year, I finished my second semester in the program. Once I got hurt [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-t.j.-yeldon-jersey]T.J. Yeldon Jersey[/url] , I asked Coach Bowles pretty much the day after they said I was going to be out for the season, I was like, 'I want to go home and finish my master's.'

"He said he was cool and told me to just go back home and rehab there and finish school."

So, Middleton headed to North Carolina and drove what he estimates was about 1,000 miles a week between his home in Winston-Salem to rehab in Charlotte and classes in Boone on campus at Appalachian State.

He spent several hours a day trying to get his body healthy again for football. And, then he was putting in lots of classroom work to earn his master's degree. Middleton also secured an internship with the city of Charlotte and Charlotte Water.

"A lot of people looked at it like, 'Oh, he's on IR. He's got a vacation,'" Middleton said. "It wasn't really like that."

Not at all.

Middleton worked with the chief financial officer of Charlotte Water during his internship, regularly taking part in budget meetings. Charlotte Water supplies water to the city and its municipalities, so Middleton had to make sure that guidelines were being followed and helped work on the next budget for the city.

The experience was invaluable to Middleton, who received his master's in May and wants to be a city manager when his football career ends.

Oh, and get this: He's already working on getting his second master's from Appalachian State, this one in finance.

"I came up with this plan about halfway through my senior year," Middleton said. "I started in the accelerated program for my MPA and I just always had it in the back of my head that you can't play football forever. No matter if I play 10 years or two years, whenever it happened and came to an end, I'd be on my feet and ready to go. That's what it's all been about. I still hope to play 10 years and whatever happens in between, I can really sit back and just enjoy football now."

He's certainly playing that way.

Middleton, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016, has been a consistent standout during practices this summer while filling in for the injured Marcus Maye with the starters early in camp and also working on special teams.

"Before he got hurt (last year) [url=http://www.brownscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-christian-kirksey-jersey]Christian Kirksey Jersey[/url] , Doug was coming on," Bowles said. "Obviously, he's a swing player 鈥?he can play both (safety) spots. Any time you're a swing player, that makes you valuable. He's just in the right space at the right time."

Middleton has also been motivated by the memory of his childhood buddy A.J. Morrison, who killed himself a week before the safety reported for training camp last summer.

Middleton spoke at the funeral, which was the day before he had to report to the team.

"There were a lot of mixed emotions while trying to focus on camp and getting ready for my second year," he said, "but at the same time, I was grieving the death of my best friend."

He got on a plane later that night and headed to New Jersey to join his teammates. But, Middleton knew he needed to do more.

Last December, he established the "Dream The Impossible" initiative in Morrison's memory to help promote mental health awareness. He set up a Christmas event during which 32 disadvantaged kids were provided with holiday gifts and dinner while also learning about mental health. It earned him one of the NFL's Community MVP awards last season.

"He fights battles that he doesn't even know and he helps people he doesn't even realize," Middleton said of his late friend. "It may sound bad, kind of, but his life has helped so many other people and is going to continue to help so many people. He's had a very positive impact on this world."

Middleton is working to do the same 鈥?on and off the field 鈥?while also trying to serve as an example to youngsters.

"I try to find the positive in every situation, as you can tell," Middleton said with a big smile. "No matter what it is, I just try to roll with it and figure it out."

[url=http://www.officialusafootballs.com/seattle-seahawks/will-dissly-jersey]Authentic Womens Will Dissly Jersey[/url] ,