Penn State v Pittsburgh
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PHILADELPHIA -- The push for greatness was established between Chris Godwin and Saquon Barkley long before the two became stars in the NFL. Sharing a locker for two years at the Lasch Football Building on the campus at Penn State, Barkley was learning from Godwin what it took to succeed at the next level. 

And neither player were at that stage of their careers yet. 

"He was a pro before he was even a pro," Barkley said Wednesday. "He always carried himself and went to work. That's probably the biggest thing that I learned (from him)."

Barkley and Godwin were teammates at Penn State for two seasons, both crucial elements toward the Nittany Lions rising from the sanctions stemmed from the Jerry Sandusky scandal to winning a Big Ten championship just four years later. 

Of course, both players showed the country they were going to be stars at the next level in the 2017 Rose Bowl. Barkley finished with 25 carries for 194 yards and two touchdowns while Godwin had nine catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Barkley was actually the second-leading receiver behind Godwin for that game, having five catches for 55 yards -- ending the historic night with 249 yards from scrimmage. 

Both Barkley and Godwin had plays that took over "X," then known as Twitter, that afternoon in Pasadena. Barkley had the 79-yard touchdown run that is still talked about in football circles to this day, but Godwin had a 72-yard touchdown catch when he leaped over a defender, snared the ball with one hand, then sprinted into the end zone. 

Those plays happened consecutively to open the second half of that game, by the way. 

"Uh, that one-handed catch was pretty impressive, and I had a pretty good view of it," Barkley said when asked which play was better. "So I'll give credit to him on that one."

What Barkley and Godwin have done in the NFL has been noteworthy for the Penn State football program. Barkley is a three-time 1,000-yard rusher, a former rookie of the year winner, and league leader in scrimmage yards (2018). Godwin has four 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the last five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing a pivotal role in Tampa Bay winning Super Bowl LV in the 2020 season. 

"I say it over and over again – [that's the] definition of consistency for him," Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield told reporters this week. "Chris is a reliable guy. [You] say it enough – it's how smart he is, understanding the defense and the coverages, understanding what we're trying to get done within our own concepts and [he's] a guy that is all about winning. 

"He's playing really well, [he] feels good [and] we have to keep him going."

Godwin has been vital to the Buccaneers offense once again in 2024, having 21 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns through three games. The 84.3 yards per game average is the second-highest of his nine-year career. 

Barkley has carried a banged-up Eagles offense with an injured A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. He leads the NFL in rushing yards with 351, the second most for any player through the first three games of a season in team history (LeSean McCoy had 385 in 2011). Amongst players with 30+ carries, Barkley is third in the NFL in yards per carry (5.6), fifth in yards before contact per rush (2.13), and seventh in yards after contact per rush (3.51). 

Barkley is second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (404) and third in yards per touch (5.5) amongst players with 30+ touches. He is tied for the NFL lead with five touchdowns. 

Based on their time together at Penn State, it should be no surprise Barkley and Godwin have been stars at the next level. They haven't talked recently, but as Barkley puts it -- there's "mutual respect and love" between the two.

"When he's healthy, he's one of the best wide receivers in the league because he's super consistent," Barkley said. "He's Mr. Reliable. He's been like that since college. Hopefully, he's not like that on Sunday."