Saquon Barkley’s phone buzzed in his locker stall with no one around to hear. Just before the halftime whistle of the Eagles’ penultimate regular-season game, the running back received a text message from his longtime trainer Moe Gibson that he wouldn’t see until hours later.

According to teammates and coaches, Barkley’s selfless nature, his ability to make young players more confident, and his positive mindset during tough situations has helped the Eagles become one of the NFL’s top Super Bowl contenders again.