Barry Sanders was a running back for the Detroit Lions from 1989 until his abrupt retirement in 1998. When he retired, he was only 1,457 yards shy of Walter Payton’s all-time leading rushing title; a not unattainable number for a single season for Sanders. The record has since been broken by Emmitt Smith.

Sanders was the third overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Lions. He played college for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he wore the number 21 and was both a running back and kick returner. He did not start for the Cowboys until his junior year; he was the backup for Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas until then.

In his rookie year, Sanders ran for over 1,000 yards, finishing second in both yards gained and touchdowns scored. For his efforts, Sanders was named the NFL Rookie of the Year. He never finished a single season in his ten year career below 1,000 yards. His career high 2,043 yards came in the 1997 season, where he averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored 11 rushing touchdowns.

During his tenure in the NFL, he played in 153 games and only lost 13 fumbles. Sanders did not fumble at all in his first two seasons, and did not lose one until his fourth season. That fourth season proved to be his worst, where he fumbled six times and lost four of them.

Sanders’ became a legendary running back throughout his entire career. Noted for his elusiveness, Sanders was known as a game changer and capable of breaking the long run at any time. Fans loved to watch Sanders dart back and forth in the backfield while waiting for that small seam that was all he needed to break away for a long run.

Sanders’ co-MVP year of 1997 (he shared the honor with Green Bay Packer Brett Favre) saw him become only the third player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, joining O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson. During that season, Sanders twice ran for over 200 yards in a single game, once in a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and again in a 32 to 10 win against the Indianapolis Colts. During both games, he ripped off multiple 50-plus yard gains, running for 82 yards against the Bucs and 80 yards against the Colts.

Sanders saw only one post-season victory during his ten years of playing football. The lack of productivity by the Lions in the playoffs might have been a contributing factor to his unexpected announcement of retirement after the 1998 season. His retirement came after a season that saw Sanders rush for over 1,400 yards, a number that said Sanders was not even close to falling off in ability or production.

• 1988: Heisman Trophy winner
• 1989: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
• First-team all-pro selections: 6
• Pro Bowl selections: 10
• 1997: NFL MVP|NFL Most Valuable Player