Barry Sanders

Many used to say Barry Sanders had moves on moves. The former Detroit Lions running back certainly had a knack for the highlight reel play.

Sanders attended Oklahoma State University from 1986 to 1988. There, he set college football season records with 2,628 rushing yards, 3,249 total yards, 234 points, 39 touchdowns, five consecutive 200 yard games and also scored at least two touchdowns in 11 consecutive games. His highlight game came in the 1988 Holiday Bowl in which he ran for 222 yards and scored five touchdowns in only three quarters of play. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy that year and joins Thurman Thomas as arguably the best OSU Cowboys running back ever.

Sanders left OSU after his junior year and the Lions selected him with their first round (3rd overall) pick in the 1989 draft. He quickly became one of the greatest sports figures in Detroit history and went on to have an amazing career.

In his 10 seasons with the Lions, Sanders went to 10 Pro Bowls and was a 10-time All-Pro Selection. He also won the 1989 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and was a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year for years 1994 and 1997.

His abrupt retirement prior to the 1999 NFL Season sent shockwaves through Detroit and the rest of the league. Unhappy with the direction of the Lions franchise, Sanders chose to retire and leave football forever. Some fans in Detroit still can’t bear to talk about how Barry left the game, but they always respected the way he played the game and his professionalism.

Sanders will always be known as one of the most electrifying players in NFL history. It would often appear that he was stopped for little to no gain, only for him to bounce away from would-be tacklers and break off an amazing run. His quite demeanor will always be respected as well, and if he hadn’t cut his career short, he would have probably gone on to break numerous NFL records.