The most elusive runner in NFL history — Barry Sanders retired at 29 with 15,269 rushing yards, just 1,458 short of Walter Payton's all-time record, shocking the football world in 1999. His combination of vision, acceleration, balance and change of direction made him essentially untacklable in open space. Won the Heisman Trophy in 1988 with the most dominant single college season ever recorded, then delivered ten consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Detroit Lions despite never playing with a winning team. The purest natural runner the game has ever seen.
Barry Sanders was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1968. He won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma State before the Detroit Lions selected him third overall in 1989. His 10-season career produced 15,269 rushing yards at 5.0 yards per carry — the highest career average in NFL history among players with over 1,000 carries. He won the NFL MVP in 1997 and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls in 10 seasons. He retired abruptly at 30 in 1999, just 1,457 yards short of Walter Payton's all-time record, without explanation. His running style was entirely unique — unpredictable, improvisational, capable of making multiple defenders miss in a confined space. He never played in a Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Many regard him as the most electrifying runner in NFL history.
NFL MVP 1997
Career Honours
- NFL MVP 1997
- Offensive Player of Year 1994
- Pro Bowl 10x