The history of the NFL has been filled with outstanding running backs, but one of the greatest was Barry Sanders. He is a former player for the Detroit Lions, where he played for nine seasons. In 2004, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After playing college football at Oklahoma State, he was selected in the 1989 NFL draft. He was chosen third overall. As a rookie, he was named an NFL Rookie of the Year. During his first season, he rushed for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns. His average was 4.3 yards per rushing attempt.
While in his junior year, he set a national college single-season rushing record with 2,628 yards. That broke the record of another NFL player, Michael Vick, who gained 1,548 yards in 1990. This made Sanders the eighth junior in history to win the Heisman Trophy.
Although he never achieved his dream of playing in the Super Bowl, he has had a career filled with many accolades. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. A member of the Sports Illustrated 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Sanders has been ranked the NFL’s greatest elusive runner.
During his career, he was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl on four different occasions. He was also named to the All-Pro team every year from 1989 through 1998.
Despite his success, Barry Sanders was a humble man on the field. He never showed his emotions. He was known for not arguing with referees or taunting teammates. At the end of the day, he wanted to be an average guy.
He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1989. He was rewarded with a $6.1 million contract. Despite this, he held out. Several months later, he declared his intention to retire. However, he ended up signing a five-year deal worth $9.5 million.
Among the many accolades, he was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year and Walter Camp Award winner. He was also an Honorable Mention All-American. His rushing and receiving yards helped the Lions win the NFC Central division. During his career, he compiled a total of 15,269 yards and 109 touchdowns.
During his time in the NFL, he was a part of teams that made the playoffs for five years. He was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team in 2000.
In addition to his rushing and receiving yards, Sanders earned recognition for his kick returns. He was a leader in the nation in punt and kick-off returns.
Despite his accomplishments, Sanders still faced controversy. Earlier in his career, he had an acrimonious conflict with the Lions over money. One of the issues was the decision to take him off the team’s practice squad. The Lions claimed that he had violated the terms of his contract. Later, he was ordered to pay a large sum of money back to the team.
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