Barry Sanders

Enrolling at Oklahoma State University, Sanders played for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 1986 to 1988 and wore the No. 21. During his first two years, he backed up Thurman Thomas. In 1986, Sanders played in eight games and rushed for 325 rushing yards on 74 rushing attempts and two rushing touchdowns. In 1987, he led the nation in yards per kickoff return (31.6), while also rushing for over 600 yards and scoring nine rushing touchdowns, along with two touchdowns off of 29 total special teams returns. While he was still a backup, he was receiving notable attention from his opponents. Oklahoma Sooners head coach Barry Switzer in particular told his players not to injure Thomas, in fear of Sanders being started in his place.[15][16] Sanders was not fond of this as he believed Thomas to be a good teammate. Thomas moved on to the NFL in 1988 which allowed Sanders to become the starter for his junior year.

In 1988, in what is considered one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history,[17][18] Sanders became the first player to open two consecutive seasons with a 100-yard kickoff return.[19] He led the nation by averaging 7.6 yards per rushing attempt and over 200 yards per game, including rushing for over 300 yards in four games. Despite his massive workload of 344 attempts, Sanders was still used as the team's punt and kickoff returner, adding another 516 yards on special teams. He set college football season records with 2,628 yards rushing, 3,248 total all-purpose yards, 234 points, 39 total touchdowns, (37 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns). His rushing yards and touchdowns totals were over 600 more rushing yards and 19 more touchdowns than the previous record holders[20][19]

Sanders had five consecutive 200-yard games, scored at least two touchdowns in eleven consecutive games, and nine times he scored at least three touchdowns. Sanders also ran for 222 yards and scored five touchdowns in just three-quarters of action in the 1988 Holiday Bowl, a game that is not included in the official NCAA season statistics.[21] When added to his original rushing total, Sanders recorded 2,850 rushing yards off a workload of 373 attempts and 42 rushing touchdowns, and in total 44 touchdowns. Sanders learned of his Heisman Trophy win while he was with the team in Tokyo, Japan preparing to face Texas Tech in the Coca-Cola Classic.[22] Sanders initially announced that he was not going to enter the NFL Draft, but after receiving pressure from his father, he later announced that he would enter the NFL Draft.[23]

Sanders set 34 NCAA Division I FBS records in his college career, and still holds the following records:[24][25]

• Most rushing yards in a season: 2,628
• Most rushing touchdowns in a season: 37
• Most touchdowns in a season: 39
• Most games rushing for 300+ yards in a season and career: 4
• Most all-purpose yards in a season: 3,249
• Highest average all-purpose yards per game in a season: 295.5
• Highest average rushing yards per game in a season: 237.5
• Most points scored in a season: 234

Sanders, a junior, was originally ineligible for the draft. However, Oklahoma State had been under investigation by the NCAA, and later would be given significant penalties for its violations. If Sanders had stayed for his senior season, his games would not be televised and the Cowboys would be ineligible for college bowl games. Due to this, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle allowed Sanders to enter the draft.[27] One year after being selected, the NFL would allow all juniors to participate in the draft.[28]

The Detroit Lions selected Sanders with the 3rd overall pick in the 1989 Draft,[29] after Troy Aikman and Tony Mandarich,[30] thanks to the endorsement of coach Wayne Fontes. The Lions' management considered drafting another Sanders, cornerback Deion Sanders, but Fontes convinced them to draft Barry instead. He was offered jersey No. 20, which had been worn by former Lions running backs Lem Barney and Billy Sims; Sims was one of the league's top running backs in the early 1980s, and Fontes had requested Sanders to wear the number in tribute to Sims.[31] Sanders later had doubts about what his career would have been like if the Green Bay Packers selected him 2nd overall instead of Mandarich saying, "I don't know what I would've done if I was drafted by Green Bay, I don't know if I would've wanted to play in Green Bay, I don't think I could've handled this weather every day."[32]

Sanders played home games in the Pontiac Silverdome (pictured in 2011)

Sanders missed the training camp of his rookie season due to a contract dispute, he eventually signed his rookie contract for five years and was worth 9.5 million dollars.[33]

In his first professional game in Week 1 of the 1989 season against the Phoenix Cardinals, Sanders ran for 71-yards on nine attempts and his first rushing touchdown in the 16–13 loss, after playing for the first half of the game.[34][35] He ran for 18-yards on the first rushing attempt of his career (although some sources say it was for 19-yards),[30][29] and scored his first rushing touchdown on his fourth.[36] The following week against the New York Giants, Sanders had 12 attempts for 57-yards and a touchdown alongside six receptions for 96-yards receiving in the 24–14 loss.[37] In Week 3 in a 47–27 loss against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had the first game of his career going over 100-yards, with 126-yards on 18 attempts and a touchdown, before being sidelined in the third quarter with an injury. The injury was reported to be a Hip pointer, but Sanders later claimed it was due to bruised ribs.[38][39][40]

In Week 4, he only recorded one yard on five attempts as the Lions were blown out in a 23–3 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[41] In a game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders had 23 attempts for 99-yards in the 17–24 loss.[42] After the game, Vikings head coach Jerry Burns asked game officials to check to see if Sanders had applied silicone to his person, due to how difficult it was for his defenders to tackle him, the officials however found no illegal substance.[43][44] Sanders was inactive due to an injury for a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where the Lions would win 17–16, the teams first after five straight losses that season.[44] In Week 7, Sanders had a strong performance, setting several then career highs, with 30 rushing attempts for 184-yards in a 23–20 loss against the Green Bay Packers.[45] The following week, he had a solid performance with 19 attempts for 91-yards and two touchdowns in a 35–31 loss against the Houston Oilers.[46] The Lions would win the game 31–22. Over the next two weeks, Sanders would have strong games against the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, with 18 attempts for 114-yards and a touchdown and 28 attempts for 145-yards respectively.[47][48] In Week 14 against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had 26 attempts for 120-yards and two touchdowns in the 27–17 victory.[49]

In Week 16 in his final game of the season, he had 158-yards on 20 attempts and a then-career-high three rushing touchdowns in the 31–24 victory against the Atlanta Falcons.[50] During the game, The Lions installed a special phone line in one of the press boxes to monitor Christian Okoye, who was tied with Sanders for the league rushing title at the time. When Okoye's game ended, Sanders was trailing Okoye by only ten rushing yards. Lions head coach Wayne Fontes offered Sanders to return to the game to gain enough yards to pass Okoye after Sanders was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter when the game was 31–10 in the Lions' favor. However, Sanders declined to return to the game, letting Okoye keep the rushing title.[51]

Overall, Sanders finished the season with 1,470 rushing yards[53] off of 280 rushing attempts and 14 rushing touchdowns. His single-season rushing total was not only a rookie franchise record but a franchise record for any running back in Lions history, both records were held previously by Billy Sims.[54] He was also ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns. Sanders would be awarded the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.[55][56] Sanders also was named to his first career Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro selection. The Lions, however, struggled and posted a 7–9 record and failed to make the postseason, despite winning five straight games to end the season.[57][58][59]

In 1990, Sanders started all 16 games for the Lions.[1] In Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sanders had 79-yards on 14 attempts and a goal-line touchdown as the Lions lost 38–21.[60] The following week, Sanders had 55-yards on 18 attempts and a touchdown in the 21–14 victory against the Atlanta Falcons.[61] In Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, Sanders had 20 attempts for 94 yards and a 21–24 loss.[62][63] Over the first seven games of the season Sanders wouldn't go over 100 rushing yards in a game, although Sanders would have five receptions for 135-yards receiving and a 47-yard touchdown in the 43–24 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6.[64][65]

Against the Washington Redskins in Week 9, Sanders had his first game of the season with over 100 rushing yards, with 11 attempts for 104-yards and a 45-yard touchdown as the Lions lost 38–41.[66] In Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, Sanders had 23 attempts for 147-yards and a rushing touchdown to go with three receptions and 30 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 40–27 victory.[67] Against the Los Angeles Raiders in Week 14, Sanders had a season-high 176-yards off of 25 attempts and two touchdowns of five yards and 35-yards respectively in the 31–38 loss.[68] In Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, Sanders had 19 attempts for 133-yards and a touchdown that proved to be the difference-maker in a 24–17 victory.[69]

Despite having only four games of the season in which Sanders went over 100-yards rushing. Sanders finished first in the NFL in rushing yards, with 1,304 rushing yards off of 255 attempts and 13 rushing touchdowns.[64] He became the first Lions running back to lead the league in rushing yards since Byron White in 1940.[70] Sanders was also ranked third in rushing touchdowns and ranked sixth in rushing attempts respectively,[71] and was ranked sixth in total yards per rushing attempt with 5.1 rushing yards per attempt. In the receiving game, Sanders recorded career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns that season, with 480 receiving yards off of 36 receptions and three receiving touchdowns. However, the Lions once again finished with a losing record of 6–10 and failed to make the postseason for the seventh consecutive season.[59] Sanders would later be selected to his second consecutive Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro.[74]

In 1991, Sanders started 15 games for the Lions. Sanders was inactive for the Lions' 45–0 shutout loss against the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins, due to having sore ribs before the opening kickoff. The loss was the Lions' worst since a 1968 loss against the Cowboys 59–13.[75] The following game, Sanders made his first start of the season with 42-yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts in a 23–14 victory against Green Bay Packers.[76] In Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, Sanders improved with 32 rushing attempts for 143-yards in the 17–13 victory.[77] In Week 4, Sanders recorded 179-yards and two touchdowns of 2-yards and 23-yards respectively on 30 attempts, helping the Lions achieve a 24–33 road victory against the Indianapolis Colts.[78] In the following game in Week 5, Sanders had another strong performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 33–3 victory.[79] In the game, Sanders had 27 rushing attempts for 160-yards and three rushing touchdowns, tying his career-high for rushing touchdowns in a game. His final touchdown was a 69-yard rush that closed out the victory for the Lions, giving the team a 4–1 record to start the season.[80] In Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders had 25 attempts for 116-yards and a rushing touchdown, the latter stat was recorded in the fourth quarter allowing the Lions to win the game 24–20.[81] The following week, Sanders had seven attempts for only 26-yards rushing in a 3–35 loss against the San Francisco 49ers.[82] The loss ended Sanders' streak of four games over 100-yards rushing and the Lions' five-game winning streak overall.

Sanders failed to record over 100-yards or a rushing touchdown in three straight games from Week 8 to Week 10, although he scored a receiving touchdown in a 34–10 victory against the Dallas Cowboys.[83] Sanders had a strong performance in a game against the Buccaneers in Week 11, he recorded 23 attempts for 118-yards and two touchdowns in the 21–30 loss.[84] The following week against the Los Angeles Rams, Sanders had 26 attempts for 57-yards in the 21–10 victory.[85] In Week 13 against the Vikings, Sanders had a dominating performance, recording 220 rushing yards on 23 attempts and four rushing touchdowns, setting career highs for both statistics in a game.[86] The Lions would win the game 34–14. Sanders would later dedicate the win to teammate Mike Utley, who suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury the previous week against the Rams: "We felt we had an obligation to win this game for Mike," Sanders told The Washington Post.[87][88] In Week 15 against the New York Jets, Sanders had 20 attempts for 114-yards and two touchdowns of 14-yards and 51-yards respectively in the 34–20 victory.[89] In the final game of the regular season against the Buffalo Bills, Sanders had 26 attempts for 108-yards and a touchdown but had a costly fumble in Lions territory that allowed the Bills to tie the game, in the close 17–14 overtime victory.[90]

Overall, Sanders finished the regular season with a then-career-high 1,548 rushing yards off of 342 rushing attempts, both of which ranked second in the league that season behind Emmitt Smith (1,563 rushing yards off of 365 rushing attempts). His single-season rushing total broke the franchise record for rushing yards in a season, which Sanders himself set as a rookie in 1989. He led the league in rushing touchdowns, with a career-high 16 touchdowns, which also broke the Lions franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season set previously by Billy Sims in 1980 and 1981 with 13 rushing touchdowns in both seasons. His career rushing touchdown total at this point in his career was 43 rushing touchdowns, which broke another career record set by Sims.[92] Sanders also led the league in rushing yards per game with a then-franchise-record of 103.2 yards per game, a record also previously held by Sims in 1981 (102.6 rushing yards per game).[93][94] He was later selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro, as well as the Bert Bell Award.[98]

The Lions finished the regular season with a 12–4 regular season record, the team's best since their 1962 season when they had a record of 11–3,[59] and clinched the NFC Central and a postseason birth for the first time since 1983.[99] Those twelve wins that season is the most in a season by the Lions franchise in its history. With the #2 seed in the NFC, the Lions skipped the Wild Card Round and advanced to the Divisional Round, in which the Lions faced the Dallas Cowboys. Sanders helped lead the Lions to their first postseason victory since the team won the 1957 NFL Championship Game. In the game, Sanders was held to only 22-yards rushing before he broke for a memorable 47-yard touchdown run, in which he broke several tackles to close out the 38–6 victory,[100] he also recorded five receptions for 30 receiving yards.[101][102] In the NFC Championship Game, Sanders was held to eleven attempts for 44-yards in the Lions' blowout 10–41 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins.[103] Sanders finished the postseason with 23 attempts for 113-yards and a rushing touchdown. He would never win another playoff game in his career after this season.[83][103]

In 1992, Sanders started all 16 games for the Lions.[1] In Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, Sanders started the season strong with 109-yards on 19 rushing attempts and a 43-yard touchdown in the 24–27 loss.[104] The following week, Sanders had 26 attempts for 66-yards in the 31–17 victory against the Minnesota Vikings.[105] In Week 3 against the Washington Redskins, Sanders recorded 14 attempts for 34-yards as the Lions lost 10–13.[106] Over Week 2 to Week 5, Sanders had 206 rushing yards and didn't record a game over 100 yards rushing. In Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders had 16 attempts for 52-yards and scored his first rushing touchdown since Week 1, in the 14–31 loss.[107] The following week, Sanders would have his first 100-yard game of the season, recording 21 attempts for 122-yards and two touchdowns, including a 55-yard touchdown rush in the 38–7 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[108] In Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys, who the Lions previously defeated in the Divisional Round in the prior season, and would eventually win the Super Bowl that season. Sanders recorded 18 attempts for 108-yards, the Lions however would lose the rematch 3–37.[109]

The following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sanders had 21 attempts for 94-yards and a touchdown in the 14–17 loss.[110] In Week 12, Sanders had 29 attempts for 151-yards and a touchdown in the 19–13 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.[111] His rushing total against the Bengals brought his career rushing yards to 5,202 rushing yards, a new career franchise record that was previously held by Billy Sims.[92] Against the Houston Oilers in Week 13, Sanders recorded 22 attempts for 54-yards to go along with two receptions for 12-yards, and two total touchdowns, one rushing, one receiving.[112] The Lions would lose the game 21–24. In Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers, Sanders had 16 attempts for 114-yards, which included a 45-yard rush, in the 10–38 loss.[113] In Week 16 against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had 20 attempts for 113-yards and a touchdown, he also recorded a single reception for 48 receiving yards, in the 16–3 victory.[114] Sanders finished the season strong, finishing his final regular season game with 19 attempts for 104-yards in a 6–24 loss against the San Francisco 49ers.[115]

Sanders finished the regular season with 1,352 rushing yards off of 312 rushing attempts, his rushing yards total ranked fourth in the league, while his rushing attempts ranked third. He also ranked sixth in rushing touchdowns, with nine rushing touchdowns. Sanders did however post a career-low in yards per rushing attempt, with 4.3 rushing yards per attempt.[116] He was later selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, and a second team All-Pro selection, breaking his streak of three consecutive seasons with a first team All-Pro selection.[117][118] However, the Lions would regress from their previous season, posting a 5–11 regular season record and missing the playoffs after making the conference championship the previous season.[119]

During Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders recorded 26 rushing attempts for 90-yards and a rushing touchdown in the 30–13 victory.[120] In the following week, Sanders had 32 attempts for 148-yards against the New England Patriots in the 19–16 victory.[121] In Week 4, Sanders had 23 attempts for 90-yards against the Phoenix Cardinals in the 26–20 victory.[122] Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, Sanders recorded 22 attempts for 130-yards and a touchdown in the 10–27 loss.[123] In a 30–10 victory against the Seattle Seahawks, Sanders had 22 attempts for 101-yards.[124] In Week 8, Sanders had 26 attempts for 91-yards and a touchdown in the 16–13 victory against the Los Angeles Rams.[125] In Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sanders had his best statistical game of the season, recording 29 attempts for a season-high 187-yards in the Lions' 23–0 shutout victory.[126] In Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, Sanders recorded 16 attempts for 63-yards before leaving the game with an injury.[127] The Lions would lose the game 6–10. It was later revealed after the game that Sanders had suffered a torn MCL, and would be out for three to five weeks. As a result, Sanders missed the last five games of the regular season due to the injury.[128] On his final contract year, Sanders and the Lions agreed to a four-year, 17.2-million dollar contract, paying him an average of 4.3 million dollars a year, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL, and the third-highest paid player overall, behind John Elway and Steve Young.[129][130]

Overall, despite only starting in eleven games due to injury, Sanders still finished in the top ten in multiple rushing categories. Sanders was ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards (1,115 rushing yards), ninth in rushing attempts (243 rushing attempts), seventh in yards per rushing attempt (4.6 rushing yards per attempt), and second in rushing yards per game (101.4 rushing yards per game). He became the Lions' all-time leader in career rushing attempts (1,432 rushing attempts). Sanders did however have a career-low three rushing touchdowns.[131] He was named to his fifth Pro Bowl and the second team All-Pro team.[132][92][133][134]

The Lions finished the regular season with a 10–6 regular season record and clinched the NFC Central, clinching a playoff berth.[131] With the #3 seed in the NFC, the Lions faced their division rival Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. Sanders, after being cleared to start the game after his injury, recorded 27 attempts for 169 yards, which to this day is Sanders' best statistical postseason game of his career. However, the Lions would lose the game 28–24,[135] after leading the game 7–10 at the end of the first half, set up by a 44-yard run by Sanders and 13-yard third-down conversion reception that bounced off of Sanders' hands and into the hands of Brett Perriman, and 7–17 in the third quarter, but a subsequent touchdown pass and interception return for a touchdown allowed the Packers to lead 21–17 by the end of the third quarter. After a rushing touchdown by fellow Lions running back Derrick Moore, the Packers scored a touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to win the game.[136][137]

In 1994, Sanders started all 16 games for the Lions.[1] In Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders recorded 27 rushing attempts for 120-yards in the 31–28 victory.[138] The following week, Sanders was locked down as he had 12 attempts for only 16-yards in the 3–10 loss against the Minnesota Vikings.[139] In Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, Sanders had 40 rushing attempts, a career-high, for 194-yards in the 20–17 overtime victory.[140] He would be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in that game.[141] In Week 4 against the New England Patriots, Sanders had 18 attempts for 131-yards and two rushing touchdowns. In the game, Sanders had one of the most memorable runs of his career, on a 39-yard rush for a touchdown, Sanders juked and spun his way to the endzone, notably causing Patriots safety Harlon Barnett to spin around trying to tackle Sanders. Barnett later spoke of the moment: "I'm not embarrassed about what happened. I thought I did pretty good. I got in front of him twice." Then Barnett added, "I just didn't stay there."[142][143][144] The Lions would lose the game 17–23, however. The following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sanders had 20 attempts for 166-yards, including an 85-yard rush that nearly went for a touchdown in the 14–24 loss.[145] In Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers, Sanders had 22 attempts for 95-yards and a touchdown in the 21–27 victory.[146] Against the Chicago Bears in Week 8, Sanders had 23 attempts for 167-yards, including an 84-yard rush in the 21–16 victory.[147]

The following week against the New York Giants, Sanders had 26 attempts for 146-yards in the 28–25 overtime victory.[148] In Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the 14–9 victory, Sanders had arguably the best statistical game of his career, recording a career-high 237 rushing yards off of 26 attempts. He broke the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game without scoring a touchdown that week.[149][150] His rushing total also set the Lions franchise record for rushing yards in a game that he previously set in the 1991 season.[151] In Week 14, Sanders had 20 attempts for 188-yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the 34–31 victory. The game brought his single-season rushing yards total to 1,594 rushing yards, which was a new franchise record.[152] The following week against the New York Jets, Sanders had 23 attempts for 127-yards to go along with three receptions for 13 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 18–7 victory.[153] In a 41–19 victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16, Sanders had 17 attempts for 110-yards and two touchdowns.[154]

Overall, Sanders finished the regular season first in the league in total rushing yards, with a new career-high 1,883 rushing yards off of 331 rushing attempts, 338 rushing yards ahead of the next closest running back Chris Warren (1,545 rushing yards). His single-season rushing total was fourth in NFL history at the time of that season and is currently ranked eleventh all-time in a season as of 2022.[156] Sanders was ranked fourth in the league in rushing attempts (331), was ranked first in the league in yards per rushing attempt (5.7), first in rushing yards per game (117.7 rushing yards per game), which set a franchise record, and scored seven rushing touchdowns. He totalled 2,166 yards from scrimmage, Sanders' first time surpassing 2,000 yards from scrimmage in a season, which was ranked seventh all-time for a season at the time.[157][158] He was selected to his sixth career Pro Bowl and fourth first team All-Pro after the regular season. Sanders then 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.[159][160][161]

The Lions finished the regular season with a 9–7 regular season record and clinched a wild card spot as the #5 seed in the NFC.[162] The Lions faced the Green Bay Packers again in the Wild Card Round, after being defeated by the Packers the previous season. Sanders struggled against the Packers and recorded what is viewed as the worst game of his career, having 13 rushing attempts for -1 rushing yards. Six out of his thirteen rushing attempts recorded negative yardage, his longest rush was for seven yards, and the Lions as a team was held to only -4 rushing yards in the game. The Lions would lose the game 12–16.[163][164][165][166]

In 1995, Sanders started all 16 games for the Lions.[1] In Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sanders recorded 21 rushing attempts for 108-yards in the 20–23 loss.[167] In the game, Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson tore his ACL when attempting to tackle Sanders.[168] Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, Sanders had 24 attempts for 147-yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season in the 17–20 loss.[169] In Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers, Sanders had a down game, recording 17 attempts for only 24 yards in the 27–24 victory.[170] In Week 6, against the Cleveland Browns, Sanders had 18 attempts for 157-yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown run, in the 38–20 victory.[171] The following week, Sanders had 18 attempts for 124-yards in the 21–30 loss against the Green Bay Packers.[172] In Week 8 against the Washington Redskins, Sanders had 20 attempts for 76-yards in the 30–36 loss.[173] The following week against the Green Bay Packers, Sanders had 22 attempts for 167-yards in the 24–16 victory.[174] In Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sanders had 19 attempts for 92-yards and a 55-yard touchdown in the 27–24 victory.[175]

The following week against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had 24 attempts for 120-yards and two touchdowns of 29-yards and two yards respectively in the 24–16 victory.[176] In Week 13, Sanders had 24 attempts for 138-yards and a 50-yard touchdown run in the 44–38 victory against the Minnesota Vikings, he also had a 53-yard rush but fumbled on the same play, giving the ball back to the Vikings.[177] Against the Chicago Bears in the following week, Sanders had 23 attempts for 90-yards to go along with six receptions for 93 receiving yards and a nine-yard receiving touchdown in the 27–7 victory.[178] In Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sanders had 22 attempts for 76-yards and two touchdowns in the 44–0 shutout victory.[179] Sanders recorded 18 attempts for 48-yards in the final game of the regular season, a 37–10 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[180]

Overall, Sanders finished the regular season second in the league in total rushing yards behind Emmitt Smith, with 1,500 rushing yards, seventh in rushing attempts (314 rushing attempts), he was ranked sixth in rushing touchdowns with eleven rushing touchdowns, third in yards per rushing attempt (4.8 yards per rushing attempt), and second in the league in rushing yards per game behind Smith (93.8 rushing yards per game). In the receiving game, Sanders set a career-high for receptions in a season, with 48 receptions, to go along with 398 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.[181][1] He was selected to his seventh career Pro Bowl and sixth career first team All-Pro after the regular season.[182][183] By the end of the regular season, Sanders had entered the top ten in career rushing yards rankings, ranking tenth all-time with 10,172 career rushing yards. Sanders also was ranked 12th in career rushing attempts at this point in his career, with 2,077 career rushing attempts.

The Lions finished the regular season with a 10–6 regular season record after winning their final seven games,[184] and clinched a wild card spot as the #5 seed in the NFC.[185] The Lions faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round. In the game, Sanders had ten rushing attempts for 40-yards as the Lions' rushing game was stuffed by the Eagles' defense. The Lions' defense was overwhelmed by the Eagles' offense and faced a 44-point deficit in the third quarter 51–7, the Lions would lose the game 37–58.[186] At the time, this was the highest-scoring postseason game in NFL history, with 95 total points scored. This record would later be bested by one point in the 51–45 victory by the Arizona Cardinals in 2009.[187]

In 1996, Sanders started all 16 games for the Lions. Against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, Sanders recorded 24 rushing attempts for 163 rushing yards in the 13–17 loss.[188] The following week, Sanders had 20 attempts for 125-yards and a 54-yard touchdown run in the 21–6 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[189] In Week 3, Sanders had 16 attempts for 49-yards and two touchdowns of 8-yards and 1-yard respectively in the 17–24 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.[190] In Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sanders had 15 attempts for 73-yards as the Lions shut out the Buccaneers 27–0.[191] In Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders had 26 attempts for 86-yards in the 28–24 victory.[192] The following week against the Oakland Raiders, Sanders had nine attempts for only 36-yards in the 21–37 loss.[193] From Week 3 to Week 9, Sanders failed to record a game with over 100-yards rushing.[194] This changed in Week 10, against the Green Bay Packers, who would win that season's Super Bowl. Sanders had 20 attempts for 152-yards and a touchdown in the 18–28 loss.[195] In Week 12, Sanders had 16 attempts for 134-yards and a touchdown in the 17–16 victory, the Lions' first victory after four straight defeats.[196][197]

The following week in a 14–31 loss against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had 21 attempts for 107-yards and a 22-yard rushing touchdown.[198] Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14, Sanders recorded 20 attempts for 77-yards and a touchdown in the 24–28 loss.[199] In Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders had 20 attempts for 134-yards and a touchdown that brought the game within reach of the Lions, but a missed two-point conversion attempt after Sanders' touchdown resulted in the Lions losing 22–24.[200] The following week against the Green Bay Packers, Sanders had 21 attempts for 78-yards in the 31–3 victory.[201] In the final game of the regular season, Sanders recorded 28 attempts for 175 yards and a 54-yard touchdown in the 14–24 loss against the San Francisco 49ers.[202]

Overall, Sanders finished the regular season first in the league in total rushing yards with 1,553 rushing yards off of 307 rushing attempts, beating out Terrell Davis (1,538 rushing yards). His rushing attempts total was the eighth-most in the league. Sanders also scored 11 rushing touchdowns, seventh-best in the league, and had 97.1 rushing yards per game, first in the league. His 5.1 yards per rushing attempt was second only to Napoleon Kaufman (5.8 yards per rushing attempt).[203] In the receiving game, Sanders had a career-low 147 receiving yards off of 24 receptions, and zero receiving touchdowns.[194] Sanders at this point in his career had 11,725 career rushing yards, seventh-best all-time, and had entered the top ten in career rushing attempts (2,384 career rushing attempts), tenth-best all-time. He also ranked eighth-best all-time in career rushing touchdowns, with 84 career rushing touchdowns.[204][205][206] Despite these accomplishments, the Lions posted a 5–11 regular season record and failed to make the postseason after three straight playoff seasons from 1993 to 1995.[207]

Lions head coach Wayne Fontes was fired after the 1996 season and was replaced by Bobby Ross. Sanders was saddened by Fontes' firing, believing he deserved another chance at coaching the team.[208] In 1997, Sanders started all 16 games for the Lions.[1] During Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders recorded 15 attempts for 33-yards rushing in the 28–17 victory.[209] The following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sanders struggled, having 10 attempts for only 20-yards while also recording 102 receiving yards and a 66-yard receiving touchdown in the 24–17 loss.[210] In Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had 19 attempts for 161-yards in the 32–7 victory.[211][209] Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4, Sanders had 18 attempts for 133-yards and a 17-yard receiving touchdown in the 35–17 loss.[211][212] In Week 5, Sanders had 28 attempts for 139-yards in the 26–15 victory against the Green Bay Packers.[211][212] The following week, Sanders had 25 attempts for 107-yards as the Lions lost 22–13 against the Buffalo Bills.[211][212] In Week 7, Sanders had one of the best statistical games of his career, rushing for 215-yards off of 24 attempts and two rushing touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[211] In the game, Sanders had two rushing touchdowns of 80+ yards (82-yards and 80-yards respectively), becoming the first running back in history to accomplish that in a game. He also caught a seven-yard receiving touchdown, as the Lions won 27–9. As a result of the game, Sanders passed Jim Brown to be the fourth-ranked career rushing leader in NFL history, with 12,513 career rushing yards by this point.[213]

In Week 8 against the New York Giants, Sanders had 24 attempts for 105-yards and a touchdown in the 20–26 loss.[211][214] The following week against the Green Bay Packers, Sanders had 23 attempts for 105-yards as the Lions lost 20–10.[211][214] Against the Washington Redskins in Week 10, Sanders had 15 attempts for 105-yards and a 51-yard touchdown in the 7–30 loss.[211][214] In Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders had 19 attempts for 108-yards in the 38–15 victory.[211][214] The following week against the Indianapolis Colts, Sanders would have another dominating performance, recording 24 attempts for 216-yards and two rushing touchdowns (including one of 80-yards) in the 32–10 victory.[211][214] Sanders became the first running back to have ten consecutive games with 100-yards rushing in a season, as well as becoming the first running back in history to have three rushing touchdowns of 80+ yards in a season.[214]

The following week against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had 19 attempts for 167-yards and three touchdowns as the Lions dominated and won 55–20.[211][214] In the game, Sanders passed Eric Dickerson on the all-time rushing leader rankings to become the second-ranked leader behind Walter Payton.[215] In Week 14, Sanders had 30 attempts for 137-yards and a touchdown in the 30–33 loss.[211][216] Against the Minnesota Vikings the following week, Sanders had 19 attempts for 138-yards in the 14–13 victory.[211][217] Sanders needed more than 130 rushing yards against the New York Jets to reach 2,000 total rushing yards that season; while the Lions needed to win the game to make the postseason. In the game Sanders was held to eight attempts for only 20-yards until he broke for a 47-yard rush and scored a rushing touchdown on the following play.[218] During the final drive by the Lions, Sanders reached the 2,000 mark on a two-yard run, and on the next play rushed for 53-yards to the Jets 3-yard line, allowing the Lions to edge the Jets 13–10. Sanders rushed for 184-yards on 23 attempts and a touchdown for the duration of the game.[211][219][217]

Overall, Sanders had a historic season that is considered one of the greatest all-time by a running back.[220] Sanders recorded 2,053 rushing yards, which was first in the league that season, and become only the third running back in history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a season. Sanders later credited his offensive lineman for his accomplishments stating: "Without them, I wouldn't have run far at all".[221] In the first two games in the season Sanders recorded 53 total rushing yards, and over the next 14 games gained exactly 2,000 rushing yards.[222] He set a record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games in a season, with 14 consecutive games. He also had 11 rushing touchdowns, which was third-best in the league, and 335 rushing attempts. His 6.1 yards per rushing attempt was the second-best in the league, and the second-most ever by a running back in a season behind Jim Brown in 1963, (6.4 yards per rushing attempt).[223] He had 128.3 rushing yards per game, which also led the league that season. Over the 1994–1997 seasons, Sanders became the first running back to rush for 1,500 yards in four consecutive years. With 2,358 total scrimmage yards, Sanders broke the single-season record for scrimmage yards previously held by Marcus Allen in 1985. His record would be broken two seasons later by Marshall Faulk and again by Chris Johnson in 2009.[224] At the end of the regular season, Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro, and awarded his second Bert Bell Award.[97][225][226] After the postseason, Sanders was awarded his second career NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. He was also named the NFL Most Valuable Player (also won by Brett Favre in the same season).[227]

The Lions posted a 9–7 regular season record and clinched a wild card spot as the #5 seed in the NFC. Sanders and the Lions faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who was playing its first home postseason game in 18 years.[228] In the game, Sanders had 18 attempts for 65-yards as the Lions lost 10–20, after starting quarterback Scott Mitchell was taken out of the game with an injury late in the third quarter.[229]

In 1998, Sanders started all 16 games for the Lions.[1] In Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sanders recorded 185 rushing yards off of 26 attempts and three rushing touchdowns in the overtime 28–34 loss.[230] The following week, Sanders had 22 attempts for 69-yards in the 6–29 loss against the Minnesota Vikings.[231] During Week 4 in a 27–6 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sanders had 27 attempts for 131-yards.[232] In Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers, Sanders had 25 attempts for 155-yards and a touchdown in the 27–20 victory.[233] The following week against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders had 24 attempts for 127-yards as the Lions lost 13–34. This was followed with another loss to the Arizona Cardinals 15–17, Sanders would rush for 107 yards off of 27 attempts in the game.[234][235] In Week 10 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanders had 20 attempts for 140-yards in the close 9–10 loss.[236] The following week against the Chicago Bears, Sanders had 24 attempts for 114-yards in the 26–3 victory.[237] Sanders would have 21 attempts for 66-yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 28–25 victory.[238] Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13, Sanders would have a down game, with 20 attempts for only 33 rushing yards, the Lions would still be victorious, however, winning 19–16 in overtime.[239] The following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sanders had 18 attempts for 102-yards in the 22–37 loss.[240] Sanders would have 25 attempts for 95-yards against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.[241] The Lions would lose the game 17–24. In Sanders' final game of his career, he would have 19 attempts for 41-yards in a 10–19 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.[242]

Sanders capped off his final season with 1,491 rushing yards (fourth in the league), off of a career-high 343 rushing attempts (fifth in the league). He was nine yards short of completing five straight seasons with at least 1,500 rushing yards. Sanders also had four rushing touchdowns (three of them in one game).[243] At the same time, Sanders also tied his career-low in yards per rushing attempt with 4.3 rushing yards per attempt. He was selected to his tenth Pro Bowl and a second team All-Pro team.[244][245] The Lions would once again struggle, however, posting a 5–11 regular season record and failing to make the postseason.[246]

Sanders in 2005

On July 27, 1999, Sanders announced he was retiring from pro football. His retirement was made public by faxing a letter to the Wichita Eagle, his hometown newspaper.[247] In the letter, Sanders wrote:[248]

"Shortly after the end of last season, I felt that I probably would not return for the 1999–2000 season. I also felt that I should take as much time as possible to sort through my feelings and make sure that my feelings were back with conviction. Today, I officially declare my departure from the NFL."

He left football healthy, having gained 15,269 rushing yards (the highest total rushing yards ever by any NFL player in a 10-year span), 2,921 receiving yards, and 109 touchdowns (99 rushing and 10 receiving).[1] He retired within 1,457 rushing yards of Walter Payton's career rushing mark of 16,726 yards.

Sanders' Hall of Fame bust in Canton, Ohio.

Sanders' retirement came somewhat unexpectedly and was a matter of controversy. Two years earlier, Sanders had renewed his contract with the Lions for $34.56 million over six years with an $11 million signing bonus. The Lions demanded that he return $5.5 million of the bonus. Sanders refused, and the Lions sued. On February 15, 2000, an arbitrator ruled that Sanders had to immediately repay $1,833,333.33 (a sixth of the bonus), with the remaining bonus to be repaid over each of the three years Sanders had left on the contract provided he stayed retired. Before the ruling, Sanders offered to pay back the entire $5.5 million in return for his release from the team. The Lions refused, stating they would welcome Sanders back to the team; otherwise, they would honor his announced retirement. Sanders' agent Lamont Smith lobbied the team to trade his client.[249]

It was thought by some that Lions head coach Bobby Ross himself may have actually been the reason for Sanders' early retirement, but in his autobiography Barry Sanders: Now You See Him, Sanders praised Ross as a head coach who had nothing directly to do with his retirement. It was more his frustration with the management and direction of the Lions, and the resulting lack of success that likely contributed to the retirement, as Sanders revealed in his autobiography: "My retirement letter didn't even hint at my frustration, because I didn't want to take shots at people as I left....Management had let quality players slip away. We'd been losing for years. Now we were right back where we were when I arrived." He also wrote, "A goal that I still hadn't realized was playing in the Super Bowl, and all of the statistical achievements didn't put the team any closer to playing in the big game."[249]

Sanders has since patched things up with the Lions and appeared, in an unofficial capacity, at Lions events. In 2017, he rejoined the Lions in a paid role as the team's ambassador.[250]

[1]

General references

• Ron Knapp Sports Great Barry Sanders Revised Edition copyright date 1999 page 16.
• Gil Brandt. "Hall recall: Barry Sanders" Archived June 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, NFL.com, July 22, 2004.
• Craig Ellenport. "Sanders was born to run", NFL.com, August 8, 2004.
• Sam Mellinger. "A Hard Man to Catch", The Kansas City Star, August 8, 2004, pp. C1, C8.