Saquon Barkley says he declined President Trump's invite to join Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition
Mr. Trump signed an executive order last week establishing the council and reviving the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, which began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration.
Speaking from the White House last Thursday, joined by several prominent former and current athletes and other figures in sports, Mr. Trump said Barkley was on the council.
During his press conference at Eagles training camp on Monday, Barkley said he did not accept an invitation to join the council.
"A couple of 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'm going to be super busy [with the football season], so me and my family thought it probably was in our best interest to not accept that. [I] was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned, but I'm assuming it's something great. But [I] was a little shocked when my name was mentioned."
On Thursday, Mr. Trump also claimed the council will have up to 30 members who will create the criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award and help work on various issues in college athletics. The council was formally known as the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be responsible for administering the fitness test, which will include children running and performing situps, pullups, or pushups, and doing a sit-and-reach test.
Barkley was spotted golfing with Mr. Trump in April before the Eagles' White House visit, celebrating the team's Super Bowl LIX win. The Eagles' running back faced backlash on social media and later responded to the criticism.
Barkley was among a group of Eagles who attended the White House, though many prominent members, including Jalen Hurts, of the Super Bowl team, skipped the visit with the president.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ride along: Wallace's late-race charge to top-10 finish
Ride along with the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota driven by Bubba Wallace as the Brickyard 400 winner gallops through the field to finish sixth at Iowa Speedway.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter Call Out Aaron Boone, Yankees After Loss to Marlins
Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter Call Out Aaron Boone, Yankees After Loss to Marlins originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There isn't a team under more pressure and a bigger microscope than the New York Yankees. While they hold a competitive 60-51 record, they're currently playing some of the sloppiest baseball of the season — and it's costing them. Just a few weeks ago, New York sat atop the AL East. But entering Sunday, after back-to-back losses to the Miami Marlins, they've slipped to third place behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, trailing Toronto by 4 1/2 games. On Friday, the Yankees blew a 6-0 lead and lost 13-12, with three of their newly acquired trade deadline relievers giving up multiple earned runs. Then on Saturday, they were held scoreless in a 2-0 loss, highlighted by a costly baserunning blunder when Jazz Chisholm Jr. was doubled off at first base on an infield popup — a play that drew instant backlash from fans calling for manager Aaron Boone to bench him. Boone defended Chisholm postgame, but the scrutiny only intensified later that night when former Yankees legends Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter echoed the same frustrations during the "MLB on Fox" broadcast, criticizing the team's lack of accountability and overall sluggish play. 'You can't make this up,' Rodriguez said. 'I mean, look, you can bring in nine relievers, it's not going to make a difference. I don't care if you bring back their '98 bullpen with Mariano [Rivera], Mike Stanton, and Jeff Nelson, if your pitchers are going 3 1/3, 4 1/3 innings it's not going to work.' 'Where's the accountability?' Rodriguez added. 'If any one of us made a mistake, we would be sitting out right on the bench. I see mistake after mistake and there are no consequences.' Jeter echoed Rodriguez's honest, yet truthful comments about the 27-time World Series champions. 'They make way too many mistakes,' Jeter said. 'And you can't get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams. It just doesn't happen. They had baserunning mistakes today — you saw the guy getting thrown out at home plate. You can't continue to do it. You have to clean it up.' 'There are no excuses. You have to play better,' Jeter continued. 'If you don't play better, you're not going to go very far.'This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jets rookie TE Mason Taylor sidelined by high-ankle sprain
Jets second-round pick Mason Taylor won't be making his preseason debut this week. Taylor has been out of practice the last couple of days and head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters at a Tuesday press conference that the rookie is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. Glenn said that Taylor is out for at least a week as a result of the injury. Glenn also said that defensive tackle Byron Cowart has an ankle injury. Cowart was carted off at Tuesday's practice and edge rusher Will McDonald left the session with back spasms. Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor has missed practice with a knee injury, but Glenn said that the team does not believe that it is a serious issue.
