Okay, so I saw this crazy highlight of Saquon Barkley doing a backwards hurdle, and I just had to try it myself. Spoiler alert: it’s way harder than it looks.
First Attempts (and Fails)
I started out in my backyard, figuring the grass would be a little more forgiving than, say, concrete. Good thinking, right? I watched the Saquon Barkley backwards hurdle video like ten times, trying to get the motion down.
- Step 1: Get some speed. Easy enough, I’m a pretty fast runner.
- Step 2: Jump backwards…? This is where things got tricky. My brain just did not want to cooperate. I kept turning sideways.
- Step 3: Tuck the legs and hurdle. Yeah, I mostly just flailed and landed on my butt. Repeatedly.
My first few tries were, um, not graceful. I felt like a baby deer learning to walk, except backwards, and with more falling. The neighbors were probably getting a good laugh, though.
Breaking Down the Movement
After about an hour of embarrassing myself, I took a break and watched the video again, this time focusing.
I realized I was trying to do everything at once. So, I broke it down:
- The Backwards Jump: practiced just jumping straight back, without worrying about the hurdle. I used a line of the ground to give myself something to jump over.
- The Leg Tuck: Once I felt okay with the jump, I added in a little hop and tucked my knees up, mimicking the hurdle motion.
- Putting it Together (Slowly): I started with a very slow jog, then a small backwards jump, and a gentle leg tuck. It wasn’t pretty, but it was progress!
Small Victories (and More Fails)
It took a bunch more tries, but I finally managed to do something that resembled a backwards hurdle. It was super low, and I definitely didn’t clear anything, but hey, I didn’t fall on my face! That’s a win in my book.
I kept practicing, trying to get a little higher, a little smoother. I still stumbled a lot, and I definitely wouldn’t try this over an actual defender, but I was getting better. Slowly, I started finding the motion of backwards and hurdle more and more.
Final Thoughts (and Sore Muscles)
This whole experiment taught me a few things:
- Saquon Barkley is a superhuman. Seriously, how does he do that?
- Backwards hurdles are incredibly difficult.
- I need to work on my core strength. And my coordination. And maybe my sanity.
Will I ever be able to do a full-speed, Saquon-level backwards hurdle? Probably not. But it was a fun challenge, and I definitely got a good workout. Plus, I have a newfound appreciation for the athleticism of NFL players.