Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley Shares the Backstory Behind the Adorable Pregame Ritual He Does with His 2 Kids
The Eagles' running back shares two children, a son Saquon Jr., 2, and a daughter, Jada, 6, with fiancée Anna Congdon
The Eagles' running back shares two children, a son Saquon Jr., 2, and a daughter, Jada, 6, with fiancée Anna Congdon Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after the game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/saquon-barkley-eagles-football-family-win-012725-755b46512aa84490bcf15f13fc7426fc.jpg "Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after the game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.")
Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley's two kids are his favorite good luck charms.
The Eagles running back, 27, who shares son Saquon Jr., 2, and daughter, Jada, 6, with fiancée Anna Congdon, has a pregame handshake ritual with his children. Both his son and daughter have separate handshakes, and while speaking to media, including PEOPLE, during Super Bowl week press conferences, Barkley shared how they came up with rituals.
"Me and my daughter have had a handshake for a very long time," he shared. "It's just, when you're winning games or you're playing well, cameras are always on you, so that's where that one comes from."
"And then I got a new one with my son who's 2," he added. "Have you ever seen [Disney's Finding Nemo], and when [they] do like the fin, noggin, dude? That's [where our] shake comes from."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty aquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with his family after the games against Washington Commanders
On Sunday, Jan. 26, just before the Philadelphia Eagles faced off against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game and secured their spot in the 2025 Super Bowl, the NFL on Fox X account shared footage of Barkley doing his special handshakes with his children.
In an adorable video, Barkley's children and Congdon could be seen next to him on the sidelines. The athlete asked Jada to "gimme a handshake," before the pair launched into the prepared sequence, complete with kisses on each cheek and a peace sign.
Barkley then turned to his son, launching into their handshake with a bright smile on his face. The athlete finished greeting his family by planting a kiss on his fiancée's lips. Before heading to the field, he bent down to hug Jada, who wore a white puffer coat with an Eagles sweatshirt underneath.
"Love you, Daddy!" she can be heard telling the running back. Ethan Miller/Getty Saquon Barkley, Jada Clare Barkley and Anna Congdon
Barkley has always been candid about his love for his family. Six months after Jada was born, she made an appearance on the field at one of her dad's New York Giants games. Congdon carried Jada in a front pack as the family of three posed for photos in the stadium.
The athlete has also shared in an interview that his children have inspired his football career. In June 2019 (before Saquon Jr.'s birth), he told NJ Advance Media that he considers his daughter in every decision he makes.
“Obviously I do it for myself because I love the game, I love competing and I want to go down as one of the best [in NFL history], but I go out there and sacrifice my body every single day for my daughter," he said. "Every business decision I make, every investment, every marketing deal, all have to come with the mindset of my daughter being first."
