Photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP / Getty Images
Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley declined an invitation to join Trump’s council on sports, fitness, and nutrition, per NBC News.
Barkley was among several sports stars, including golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Nelly Korda, WWE executive Paul “Triple H” Levesque, football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and retired New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera, who were tapped for the president’s council, which was recently revived under an executive order that also reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children.
Following an Eagles’ practice on Monday (August 4), Barkley said he declined the invitation to join the council, adding that he was “a little shocked” that he was considered for the role.
“A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council,” Barkley said. “So I’m not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I am going to be super busy. Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I’m assuming it’s something great, so I appreciate it but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.”
In April, Barkley visited the president at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The star running back rode with Trump to Washington on Air Force One and to the White House on Marine One. Barkley also attended the White House celebration for the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, despite some of his other teammates, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, declining the invite.
In response to backlash over his appearances with Trump, Barkley noted that he had previously golfed with former President Barack Obama.
“Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,” Barkley said at the time on social media.
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