Barry Sanders

At 55 years old, Barry Sanders has this physical status:

Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a retired American footballer who played back in the NFL.

He appeared for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).

Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and was named one of the top rushing yards in pro football by his quickness and agility in each of his ten NFL seasons and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

He was ranked as the most elusive runner in NFL history in 2007 and also topped the NFL Network's list of the top 10 players not to play in a Super Bowl.

He is often regarded as one of the best running backs in NFL history.

Sanders played for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns in 12 games for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he had one of the best individual seasons in college football history as a freshman.

He was named the Most Valuable College Player in the United States by the Heisman Trophy, and he was unanimously named an All-American.

Sanders was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 for the first time.

In 2003, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and in the same year, was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Sanders joined the Lions in 1989 and made an immediate difference by winning the NFL's Rookie of the Year award.

He averaged over 1,500 yards per season and just under 100 rushing yards per game during his ten seasons in Detroit.

He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1997 after being the third player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.

Sanders, who was still in his prime, has abruptly resigned from football after the 1998 season, 1,457 yards shy of breaking the NFL's all-time record.

The Lions recalled his number 20 jersey, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Sanders and fellow pro and college football hall of famer Thurman Thomas were also inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame a year later.

Early life

Sanders was born on July 16, 1968, in Wichita, Kansas, as the seventh of eleven children to William and Shirley Sanders. His father worked as a roofer and carpenter, while his mother was a homemaker for the Sanders family. Sanders and two of his brothers served as roofers assistants to his father. Sanders was known for his love for food as a child, and he was able to eat a whole loaf of bread in a single sitting. "They'll labor all day, with the hammers, sweating in the summer sun," Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press wrote. You did not protest in the Sanders family. Not unless you wanted a good whupping experience."

Sanders attended football at Wichita North High School. Before this, he loved playing biddy football and basketball. Sanders suffered in his sophomore year, but his brother Byron started before him in that position during Barry's junior year. Sanders had been expected to start tailback in his senior year as a result of the wide receiver position when Byron graduated and joined Northwestern University on a football scholarship, but instead, he was thrown into wingback, a twisted version of the wide receiver position. His head coach at the time believed that his small stature would be a deterrent and that he "lacked contact courage." He used to play basketball as a guard, in addition to football.

Sanders did not start running back until the fourth game of his senior season, when the original player was suspended for disciplinary reasons; in that game, he rushed for 274 yards and four touchdowns; he didn't play for 474 yards and four touchdowns. Sanders was cut and darted his way into the end zone during one of these touchdown runs. During his seven-game senior season, he passed for 1,417 yards on 139 attempts, averaging 10.2 yards per rushing attempt, and scored 17 touchdowns on his seven-game senior season. Burkholder gave Sanders more playing time in order to gain enough rushing yards to win enough to win the state rushing title, but Sanders denied it because it was "not important." Sanders received all-state awards for his work and was named an Honorable Mention All-American. Sanders, despite being a heralded athlete with scholarship offers from only Wichita State University, Iowa State University, University of Tulsa, and Oklahoma State University-Stillwater, who accepted Oklahoma State University's invitation.

Sanders later said that his decision to play at Oklahoma State resulted in a dispute between him and his father. As Oklahoma State's coach delivered a letter of intent to his father the day Sanders joined the team, his father became enraged, saying that Sanders was "making a big mistake" in signing with the team. His father was also furious because Oklahoma State appeared in the same conference as the Oklahoma Sooners, whom William loved. William told him that he had chosen Oklahoma State "in order to hide"; rather than playing at a school where he will be the starting running back. Sanders eventually aided him in Oklahoma State and attended all of his games when he played.

Personal life

Sanders is a devout Christian. After 12 years of marriage, he and his former wife Lauren Campbell Sanders, a former news anchor for WDIV in Detroit, filed for divorce in February 2012. Sanders' brother, Byron, was the starting running back at Northwestern University and was drafted by the Chicago Bears. Two months after joining the team, Byron was cut by the Bears.

Sanders has four sons, three of whom are younger than him, including Campbell, are from his marriage to Campbell. Barry J. Sanders, Sanders' oldest son, played for Stanford University from 2012 to 2015, and again in 2016 at Oklahoma State University after a highly competitive high school career. Now You See Him: Bernie Sanders co-wrote his autobiography, Barry Sanders, 1983: Now You See Him: His Life In His Own Words With Mark McCormick. He has reportedly donated to many charities under the condition that they do not reveal their participation in any of them.

On October 10, 2011, Sanders introduced ESPN's Monday Night Football match between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. Sanders defeated Ron Rivera in Round One, Ray Lewis in Round Two, Joe Montana in the quarter-finals, and Jerry Rice in the semi-finals in April 2013. He defeated Adrian Peterson to be the first celebrity to appear on Madden NFL Football's front page more than once (he appeared in the background of the Madden NFL 2000 coverage).

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College career

Sanders enrolled at Oklahoma State University in 1986 to 1988 and wore No. 11 in 1984. 21. He backed up Thurman Thomas at running back in his first two years. Sanders played in eight games and rushed for 325 rushing yards on 74 attempts, with two rushing touchdowns. In 1987, he led the country in yards per kickoff return (31.6), while running for 603 yards and scoring nine touchdowns, catching four touchdowns for 58 receiving yards and a touchdown, and scoring two touchdowns from 29 different special teams returns. He was selected as a return specialist for second-team All-Americans. Though he was still a back-up to Thomas, his opponents paid him a lot of attention. In case of Sanders' arrival in his place, Oklahoma Sooners head coach Barry Switzer in particular advised his players not to hurt Thomas, citing the following: "You will not touch this kid." Sanders did not approve of it because he believes Thomas to be a good teammate. In 1988, Thomas went to the NFL, allowing Sanders to start for his junior year.

Sanders made history by 1988, when he had one of college football's best individual seasons. He led the nation by averaging 7.6 yards per game and over 200 yards per game, with rushing for over 300 yards in four games. Despite his incredible workload of 344 attempts, Sanders was still used as the team's punt and kickoff returner, and as the team's punt and kickoff returner, racking up another 516 yards on special teams. With 2,628 yards passing and 3,248 total all-purpose yards (broken by Christian McCaffrey in 2015), 234 points (broken by Montee Ball in 2011), 37 passing touchdowns, and 39 total touchdowns, tied with Ball) he set college football records (32 passing, two receiving, tied with Ball).

In all eleven games, Sanders had five straight 200-yard games, scored at least two touchdowns, and eight times he scored at least three touchdowns. Sanders ran for 222 yards and five touchdowns in just three quarters of action in the 1988 Holiday Bowl, a game that is not included in the official NCAA season rankings. Sanders finished with 2,850 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, and 44 total touchdowns when compared to his initial rushing total. Sanders learned of his Heisman Trophy win while working in Tokyo, Japan, and learning the distinction by satellite; he gained 559 first-place votes for 1,878 points and was deemed as a unanimous All-American. Nevertheless, Rodney Peete should have been deemed deserving of the award. Sanders was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year by the Maxwell Award, as well as his Heisman Trophy. Sanders initially said he did not want to draft, but after being pushed by his father, he announced that he would draft the Draft.

Sanders set 34 NCAA Division I FBS records in his college career, and he currently holds the following:

Professional career

Sanders, a junior, was initially ineligible for the draft. However, Oklahoma State was under scrutiny by the NCAA for going against recruiting rules, and later were fined severely for the university's conduct. Sanders would not have been televised if he had been waiting for his senior season, and the Cowboys would have been suspended for college bowl games. Sanders was allowed to join the draft due to this. The NFL allowed all juniors to participate in the draft one year after he was chosen.

Sanders No. 1 was drafted by the Detroit Lions. In the 1989 NFL Draft, Troy Aikman and Tony Mandarich were ranked third overall, following Wayne Fontes' endorsement of coach Wayne Fontes. After Sanders lifted 225 pounds (102 kg) 21 times, Fontes was impressed with his athletic ability. Another Sanders, cornerback Deion Sanders, was considered by the Lions' management, but Fontes advised them not to draft Barry instead. Sanders' jersey No. 1 was sold by Fontes. Sims was one of the league's best running backs in the early 1980s, and Fontes ordered Sanders to wear the number in honor of Sims. Sanders was uncertain about what his future would have looked like if the Green Bay Packers selected him No. 1 for him. "I don't know what I would have done if I was drafted by Green Bay, I don't know if I would have loved to play in Green Bay, but I don't think I could have handled this weather every day," Mandarich said later.

Sanders missed his rookie season because of a labor dispute. He finally came to terms with the Lions by committing to five years, $9.5 million, 10 percent of which ($210,000), and ten percent to his local church, Paradise Baptist Church. Sanders said in his first Lions press conference, he wanted to help "restore the roar in the dome."

Sanders started 13 out of a possible 16 games for the Lions as a rookie in 1989. Sanders ran for 71 yards on nine attempts in his first professional game against the Phoenix Cardinals on September 10, scoring a rushing touchdown. Sanders rushed for 126 yards on 18 attempts and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears, but he was plagued with bruised ribs and a hip cape. Sanders had only one yard on five attempts against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers had just one yard on five attempts. Sanders had 23 attempts for 99 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. Since playing, Vikings head coach Jerry Burns demanded to see if Sanders had applied silicone to himself because it was impossible for players to tackle him: no unlawful drug was found. He had 158 yards on 20 attempts and three touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons on December 24, the season's final game. The Lions used a special phone line in one of the press boxes to track Christian Okoye, who was tied for the league rushing title with Sanders. Sanders led Okoye by only ten yards when Okoye's game ended. After Sanders was suspended from the game after the Lions' pick, Fontes gave him the opportunity to return to the Lions' game to pass Okoye. However, Sanders refused to return to action, allowing Okoye to keep the rushing trophy. Sanders had 1,470 passing yards off of 280 attempts and 14 touchdowns on the season. His rushing total hit a rookie franchise record and a franchise record for any running back in Lions history (both records held previously by Billy Sims). Sanders was named on the PFWA All-Rookie Team and was named to the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl and was named by the Associated Press as a first-team All-Pro (AP). Despite winning five straight games to end the year, the Lions had a rough start to the year, with a 7–9 record and struggling to make the postseason.

Sanders had 79 yards from 14 rushing attempts and a goal-line touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 9, 1990. Sanders had 20 attempts for 94 yards against the Green Bay Packers on September 30. Sanders finished with 16 attempts for 90 yards and a touchdown, along with five receptions for 135 yards receiving and a 47-yard receiving touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. Sanders was credited with 176 yards from 25 attempts and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Raiders on December 10. Sanders had 19 attempts for 133 yards and a touchdown in the 24–17 victory over the Packers on December 22. Sanders had a good year, finishing first in the NFL in rushing yards, with 1,304, becoming the first Lions to lead the league in rushing yards since Byron White in 1940. In both attempts (255), and yards per attempt (5.1), he came third in rushing touchdowns (13), and sixth in sixth (5.1). As a result, Sanders was selected to his second Pro Bowl and was also named an AP first-team All-Pro. The Lions ended the year with a 6–10 record and missed the postseason for the sixth straight season.

Sanders was inactive for the Lions' 45–0 shutout loss against the Washington Redskins on September 1, 1991, due to his rib pains before the game. The franchise's lowest result in over 20 years was in the franchise's worst in over 20 years. Sanders dominated the Minnesota Vikings on November 24, 1991, winning 34–14. Sanders owed the victory to teammate Mike Utley, who suffered from a career-ending spinal cord injury in the previous game. Sanders had 26 attempts for 108 yards and a touchdown in the Bills' last game of the regular season, but the Bills won by a fumble in Lions territory that allowed the Bills to tie the game in the 17–14 overtime victory. Sanders had 1,548 passing yards from a workload of 342 attempts in the regular season. With a career-high 16, he led the league in rushing touchdowns. As a result, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and AP All-Pro team and was given the Bert Bell Award. The Lions clinched the NFC Central and made the playoffs for the first time since 1983, with a 12–4 record. The 12 victories are the most in a season for the Lions franchise in its history. Having the No. 2 is a great deal. The Lions skipped the Wild Card Round and advanced to the Divisional Round, where they met the Dallas Cowboys as the second seed in the NFC. Sanders led the Lions to their first postseason victory since the team won the 1957 NFL Championship Game. Sanders was limited to only 22 yards rushing before he broke away for a 47-yard touchdown run, in which he made several tackles to close out the 38–6 victory. Sanders was limited to eleven attempts for 44 yards in the Lions' loss to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Redskins in the NFC Championship Game. Sanders completed the season with 23 attempts for 113 yards and a touchdown. After this season, he would never win another playoff game in his career.

Sanders had 26 attempts for 66 yards against the Minnesota Vikings on September 13, 1992. Sanders made 14 attempts for only 34 yards against the Washington Redskins the next week. Sanders made 29 attempts for 151 yards and a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 22, a record set in 1998. With his passing total against the Bengals, he brought his career total to 5,202 yards passing Sims for a new franchise record. Sanders completed his last regular season game against the San Francisco 49ers with 19 attempts for 104 yards. Sanders had 1,352 running yards from a total workload of 312 attempts and nine touchdowns. His rushing yards total was ranked fourth in the league, and his attempts ranked third. For the first time, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and named as a second-team All-Pro. The Lions regressed from their previous season, posting a 5–11 record for the year, and missed the playoffs after winning the conference championship the year before.

Sanders was credited with 16 attempts for 63 yards against the Chicago Bears on November 25, 1993, before he left the game due to a injury. Sanders had suffered a torn MCL during the game and would be out for three to five weeks. Sanders appeared in the last five games of the regular season as a result. Sanders and the Lions agreed to a four-year, $17.2 million contract, making him the best-paid player in the NFL and third highest-paid player overall, behind John Elway and Steve Young. He played in just 11 games due to the injury and ranked in the top ten in multiple running categories. Sanders finished fifth in rushing yards (1,115 rushing yards), ninth in attempts (243), seventh in yards per attempt (4.6), and second in rushing yards per game (101.4 rushing yards per game); with a career-low three rushing touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl and the AP second-team All-Pro. The Lions ended the regular season with a 10–6 record, clinching the NFC Central and a postseason berth. In the Wild Card Round, the Lions faced their division rival Green Bay Packers. Sanders, who was allowed to start the game, had 27 attempts for 169 yards, his highest postseason game of his career, but the Lions lost the game 24-28.

Sanders failed in a 3–10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on September 11, 1994, when he had 12 attempts for just 16 yards. Sanders led his Dallas Cowboys to a record-breaking 194 yards against them the following week. He was named NFC Offensive Player of The Week for his work. Sanders intercepted 131 yards and two touchdowns against the New England Patriots on September 25, 1994. Sanders had one of his career's most memorable runs during the game. Sanders juked and spun his way to the end zone, causing Patriots safety Harlon Barnett to spin around trying to tackle Sanders while running 39 yards for a touchdown. "I'm not ashamed about what happened," Barnett later said of the situation: "I'm not embarrassed about what happened." I thought I did a good job. "I just didn't stay here," Barnett said. Sanders had arguably his best statistical game of his career against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, totaling a career-high 237 yards (franchise record) off of 26 attempts, setting a record for the most rushing yards in a single game without scoring a single touchdown. Sanders finished first in the league in rushing yards with 331 attempts for 1,883 yards and seven touchdowns. His single-season rushing total was his fourth highest in NFL history up to that point. He had 2,166 yards from scrimmage, the seventh-most ever in a season at the time. He was drafted to the Pro Bowl and named an AP first-team All-Pro after the regular season as a result of his season. Sanders was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year for the 1994 season and finished second in NFL Most Valuable Player voting, behind Steve Young. The Lions finished the year 9–7 and made the playoffs with a wild card finish. The Lions met the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round for the second time since being defeated by them the previous season. Sanders struggled against the Packers on December 31 in what is seen as his worst game of his career, with 13 attempts for -1 rushing yards. Six of his 13 attempts went for negative yardage, and the Lions as a team were restricted to only -4 rushing yards in the game, losing 12-16.

Sanders made 21 rushing attempts for 108 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1995. When trying to tackle Sanders, Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson tore his ACL. Sanders had a down game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 25, only gaining 17 attempts for only 24 yards. Sanders led the Cleveland Browns to victory by 157 yards on three touchdowns and three touchdowns, with a 75-yard touchdown run. Sanders had 314 attempts for 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sanders was voted into the Pro Bowl and named an All-Pro in the United States for his season. The Lions held a 10–6 record and finished the season with a wild card position, where the Lions met the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round. As the Lions' rushing game was stuffed by the Eagles' defense, Sanders had ten attempts for 40 yards. In the third quarter 7–51, the Lions were likewise overwhelmed by the Eagles' offense, who eventually lost the game 37–58, despite teammate Lomas Brown's assurance of victory. With 95 points scored, this was the highest-scoring postseason game in NFL history at the time. In a 49-45 win over the Green Bay Packers in 2009, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Green Bay Packers by a single point.

Sanders made 24 rushing attempts for 163 yards in the Minnesota Vikings' first game of the season. Sanders had nine attempts against the Oakland Raiders for only 36 yards. Sanders had 20 attempts for 152 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on November 3. Sanders had 16 attempts for 134 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks on November 17, including a touchdown. Sanders had 21 attempts for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears the following week. Sanders had 20 attempts for 134 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings, but the Lions lost 22–24 after a missed two-point conversion attempt after his touchdown. He had 28 attempts for 175 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in the season's final game of the season. Sanders finished first in the league in rush yards with 1,553 from 307 attempts during the regular season. He had 11 touchdowns and 97.1 rushing yards per game, his first in the league. Sanders had 11,725 career passing yards, seventh all-time, and ranked eighth all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 84. The Lions regressed, posting a 5-11 record, and failed to make the playoffs for three seasons in a row from 1993 to 1995, although Sanders retained the Pro Bowl and was named an AP second-team All-Pro.

Wayne Fontes, the Lions' head coach, was fired and replaced by Bobby Ross before the 1997 season, but Sanders was saddened by Fontes' firing, who felt he deserved another shot at coaching the team. Sanders faltered on the ground, only 20 yards for ten attempts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 7, but he did have 102 receiving yards and a touchdown. Sanders dominated the Buccaneers on October 12, rushing Jim Brown to become the fourth-ranked career rush leader in NFL history, with 12,513 yards, as well as a seven-yard touchdown pass. Sanders had another excellent showing against the Indianapolis Colts, clocking 24 attempts for 216 yards and two touchdowns (including one of 80 yards). Sanders became the first running back to have three touchdowns over 80+ yards in a season with the win. Sanders had 19 attempts for 167 yards and three touchdowns against the Chicago Bears, beating Eric Dickerson to finish second in career yards behind Walter Payton on December 21, 1997; both teams needed a win to clinch a playoff appearance. Sanders made it to the 2,000 yard mark on a two-yard field, leading to 23 attempts for 184 yards and a touchdown in the game, assisting the Lions in beating the Jets 13-10. Sanders had a season that was rated among the best ever by a running back. He had 2,053 passing yards, the first in the league this season, from 335 attempts and 11 touchdowns, to his third running back in a season. "I wouldn't have run far at all" because he praised his offensive linemen for his success, saying, "Without them, I would not have run far at all." Sanders passed for 100+ yards in the season's final 14 games, an NFL record. With 2,358 total scrimmage yards, he tied for the single-season record for scrimmage yards held by Marcus Allen; two seasons later by Marshall Faulk and then again by Chris Johnson in 2009. Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl and AP first-team All-Pro and was given the Bert Bell Award. Sanders received his second NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award and the NFL Most Valuable Player (co-won with Brett Favre). The Lions held a 9-7 record and clinched a wild card spot as the No. 1 in the United States. In the NFC, the seed was a 5 seed. Sanders and the Buccaneers played their first home postseason game in 18 years against the Buccaneers. Since quarterback Scott Mitchell left the game with an injury in the third quarter, Sanders had 18 attempts for 65 yards as the Lions lost 10-20.

Sanders led to 185 yards from 26 running attempts against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 13, 1998. Sanders lost 6–29 to the Minnesota Vikings after making 22 attempts for 69 yards. Sanders had a down game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 26, 1998, but the Lions were still vicious 19–16 in overtime. Sanders had 18 attempts for 102 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Sanders had 19 attempts for 41 yards in his last game of his career against the Baltimore Ravens on December 27, 1998. Sanders finished his season with 1,491 passing yards (fourth in the league), with a career-high 343 attempts (fifth in the league) and four touchdowns. He was nine yards shy of finishing five seasons in a row with at least 1,500 yards. He was selected for his tenth Pro Bowl and was named an AP second-team All-Pro. Despite Sanders' appearances, going 5-11, and struggling to make the postseason, the Lions struggled.

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