In the 57 years I have been involved in journalism, I have never seen an area athlete accorded a day in his honor at the start of his professional career rather than during or after it ended.

But when this extraordinary talent and all-around nice guy is 21-year-old Saquon Barkley, a graduate of Whitehall High School, all of the old rules go out the window.

Barkley held court in Harrisburg last week on “Saquon Barkley Day,” as he spoke to members of the state House of Representatives, posed for photos and signed autographs for more than an hour.

The humble running back, who tore up the turf during his three years at Penn State University, wondered what he did to deserve this special honor. He thanked his parents, Alibay Barkley and Tonya Johnson, for their love, guidance and support.

State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, sponsored the resolution to honor Barkley. The borough of Coplay, where the Barkley family resides, will hold a parade in his honor on March 29 that will include his high school marching band and teammates from both his Whitehall High School and Penn State University football teams.

Barkley is expected to be the number 1 or 2 pick in the upcoming National Football League draft April 28-30. I predict that he will be picked number 2 by the New York Giants, the highest selection for a running back since Reggie Bush in 2006. If he goes number 1 to the Cleveland Browns, he would be the first running back to be the top pick in the draft since Ki-Jana Carter, another Penn State star, did it in 1995.

Assuming he does go to the Giants, I wonder what his father is going to do about that New York Jets’ tattoo that he displays with such pride.

Barkley declared his intention to enter the 2018 draft on Dec. 31 rather than return to Penn State for his senior year. At the NFL Combine last month, where prospective talent show off their abilities, Barkley was spectacular. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and pressed 225 pounds for 29 reps, tying for the most reps at the running back position.

Noted pro football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said Barkley is a “once-in-a-lifetime talent.” He also said that teams that pass on him “will be sorry.” The Sporting News said that Barkley will be a heavy favorite for 2018 offensive rookie of the year, regardless of which team picks him. The newspaper said if there were any pessimistic scouts at the Combine, “Barkley shut them up.”

In Bleacher Report, analyst Matt Miller said, “In a draft class dominated by talk of franchise quarterbacks and prospects carrying Heisman trophies, we’ve forgotten to talk about the best player in the class, and that’s Saquon Barkley.”

At Penn State, Barkley compiled eye-popping statistics — 3,843 yards with 43 rushing touchdowns. He also had 1,195 receiving yards with eight touchdown receptions, and he even threw a touchdown pass. He racked up 5,557 all-purpose yards in his three years with the Nittany Lions.

Barkley finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy and third in the Maxwell Award balloting. He also received a number of national and Big Ten Conference awards.

Barkley was born in the Bronx and grew up as a New York Jets fan. He is the nephew of former World Boxing Council Middleweight champ Iran Barkley. The Barkley family moved first to Bethlehem, then to Coplay in search of a safer, more suburban environment.

Playing for the Whitehall High School Zephyrs for three years, he rushed for 3,646 yards and had 63 touchdowns. As a senior, he had 1,856 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Although he originally committed to Rutgers University, Penn State coach James Franklin was successful in luring him to State College to play for Penn State. In 2016, Barkley told a New Jersey newspaper, “I wanted to play for Rutgers growing up, but Penn State provided more opportunity for me. Sometimes you have to grow up and make decisions that are going to impact your life.”

We are so excited to have such a talented local young man in the prime of his life ready to make his mark in the NFL. We are equally excited that Barkley is an inspirational role model to thousands of youngsters and that he respects and has the respect of sports enthusiasts from throughout the state and country.

We congratulate Saquon Barkley on his outstanding accomplishments both on and off the field, and we wish him continued success and good health in his pro football career.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com