Saquon Barkley Inducted Into Whitehall High School Hall of Fame

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was inducted into his high school's Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 5.

Barkley, who graduated from Whitehall High School in 2015, was presented with a golden trophy with the word Zephyrs — the name of Whitehall High School sports teams. The induction ceremony took place as part of Whitehall's game against East Stroudsburg South.

Whitehall's current and former athletic directors report that Barkley has made significant impacts on the school community.

"It's a great community event. We're excited about it. There's been a lot of buzz going on around campus over the past couple of weeks," said Whitehall Athletic Director Jeff Pukszyn shared with WFMZ-TV 69 News.

"A lot of these young guys that come through this locker room, they get to see his jersey on the wall. We have a jersey in the locker room. He's been a great impact because he grew up like many of them do," said former Whitehall Athletic Director Bob Hartman in a statement.

“This was amazing,” Barkley said following the induction ceremony. “I love being back and am grateful for the opportunity to be in the Hall of Fame. But I'm still upset I didn't get to bring a state championship to Whitehall. But I know the blessings I have and don't get caught up in all the nonsense. I'm just grateful to be able to play this game I started playing as a little kid.”

At Whitehall, Barkley, now 28, rushed for 3,464 yards and scored 63 touchdowns, both school records, in his high school career. Barkley's success was also recognized with the honor of being co-winner of the annual Mr. Pennsylvania Football Award as the state's top player in Class AAA/AAAA.

In addition to playing football, Barkley also competed in track and field and basketball at Whitehall.