Can we take a step back from the brink of anointing Whitehall’s Saquon Barkley as the greatest thing since sliced bread?

Don’t get me wrong: Just as the rest of the area is thrilled and proud that one of its own has done so well in such a short period of time, I am all for the “local guy makes good” storyline.

But I echo the sentiments of New York Giants’ owner John Mara who cautioned us not to induct him into the Football Hall of Fame before he has even taken one snap of the football.

From all indications, Barkley has handled the fawning and relentless press and public attention in the toughest sports market in the world pretty well so far, but let us not forget that we are dealing with a 21-year-old young man who has experienced instant fame and fortune and has become the toast of Broadway in less than nine months.

Starting with his decision to bypass his senior year at Penn State University to start his pro football career, the buildup to the National Football League draft, where Barkley eventually was the number two pick overall, to his signing this month of a four-year, $31.2 million contract, Barkley has become almost overnight one of the most popular and best-known players in the sport.

Barkley’s jersey (#26) is already the top-selling jersey among NFL players. (Not to be repetitive, but it bears repeating: He has not played one second of pro football yet.)

These over-the-top expectations from win-hungry Giants fans can lead to unfulfilled or at least disappointing reality. I hope this is not the case, but I am urging caution and restraint.

I suppose on one level it is to be expected that fans want a quick turnaround from their dismal 3-13 record last season, and there is no mistake that the Giants’ choice of Barkley as their top draft pick meant that they were in a sense staking the franchise’s immediate future on this young man. This is pretty heady stuff for a 21-year-old, even a mature one with good values and a good head on his shoulders. With the start of training camp, Barkley is trying to be one of the guys — blend in, be ordinary and average, a good teammate.

Barkley made Giants coach Pat Shurmur and owner Mara nervous a few months ago when Sports Illustrated featured him in a cover story where he speculated about his opportunity to become the “face of the NFL.” Stuff like this doesn’t sit well with teammates and especially top stars on opposing teams.

Barkley assured Shumur and the front office that he is a team player, that football is his one and only passion and that the SI interview was encouraged by his agent, Roc Nation, to enhance the business side of his career.

Since then, Barkley has been minding his p’s and q’s, so much so that one recent publication called him “ordinary but magnificent.”

Becoming an overnight millionaire has allowed Barkley to fulfill a promise made to his mother a long time ago — that he would buy her and the family a new home. Barkley told the USA Today network that he made this commitment because he and his brothers and sisters have relied so heavily on their parents to carry them through some rough patches in their lives.

Barkley was born in the Bronx but moved to the Lehigh Valley when he was 5. His family settled in Coplay. The new home is not far from where Barkley grew up.

Barkley went on to become a football standout at Whitehall High School. It was at Penn State, however, that Barkley blossomed into a world-class running back. 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 already has lucrative endorsement deals with Nike and Pepsi-Cola. He said shortly after signing his big-time Giants contract that he plans to live on his endorsement earnings and sock away his football compensation into wise investments. No question, Barkley is positioned for greatness, but I caution him: It can all be lost in a moment of indiscretion — an unintended comment, a serious lapse of judgment.

Then, there is the more practical worry — injuries. Football is a violent sport that punishes the body, and the longevity of a running back is relatively brief. In his case, Barkley has some financial guarantees, but his public persona is built around playing football.

There will be many local Barkley fans among the sellout crowd at the Meadowlands to see him perform in the Giants season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 9. Like them, I am hoping that he puts on a great show.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com