Barry Sanders

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Sanders was born on July 16, 1968, in Wichita, Kansas, the seventh of eleven children to William and Shirley Sanders. He played football at Wichita North High School. Sanders did not become the starting running back until the fourth game of his senior year; he rushed for 1,417 yards on 139 rushing attempts, averaging 10.2 yards per attempt, and scored 17 touchdowns through his seven-game senior season. He accepted a scholarship offer from Oklahoma State University. As a junior in 1988, Sanders rushed for a record 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in 11 games, winning the Heisman Trophy. He was selected by the Lions in the 1989 NFL draft, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 1991, he helped lead the Lions to their first postseason win since 1958. In 1994, he was awarded the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. In 1997, he rushed for 2,053 yards and was co-awarded the NFL Most Valuable Player Award (shared with Brett Favre), alongside his second NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. Sanders unexpectedly retired in 1999 at age 31, 1,457 yards short of breaking the NFL's then all-time rushing record held by Walter Payton. He cited the Lions' front office and declining team production as reasons. He finished his career with 15,269 rushing yards (fourth all-time) and 99 rushing touchdowns (tenth all-time). In each of his ten seasons he was selected to a Pro Bowl and All-Pro team. The Lions retired his No. 20 jersey on November 25, 2004, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame three months prior. A year later, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame with former college teammate Thurman Thomas.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed overhead as the crowd held its breath. Number twenty took the handoff, eyes scanning the defensive line. He lowered his shoulder, dipped left, then exploded right with impossible agility. Defenders collided with each other chasing a ghost while he slipped through untouched, racing toward open space under the winter sky.

Reader's Guide

Barry Sanders is widely considered one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. He averaged 1,527 rushing yards per season and just under 100 rushing yards per game (99.8). In 2007, he was ranked by NFL Networks' NFL Top 10 series as the most elusive runner in NFL history, and was placed No. 1 on the list of the greatest players never to play in a Super Bowl. Bleacher Report ranked Sanders No. 1 on their list of greatest running backs in NFL history.

Did You Know?

• Sanders led the nation in yards per kickoff return (31.6) in 1987 while at Oklahoma State.
• In 1988, Sanders set college football season records with 2,628 yards rushing, 3,250 total all-purpose yards, 234 points, 37 rushing touchdowns, and 39 total touchdowns.
• Sports Illustrated named Sanders' 1988 season as the third-most impressive college sports feat of all time.
• Sanders was the first player to open two consecutive seasons with a 100-yard kickoff return.
• He averaged 99.8 rushing yards per game over his NFL career.