Athletes - Barry Sanders

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	Athletes - Barry Sanders

Barry David Sanders (born July 16, 1968 in Wichita, Kansas) is a former American football running back in the NFL who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions.

Biography

Barry Sanders was born to William and Shirley Ann Sanders in Wichita, Kansas. His first attempt at running back didn't come until the fourth game of his senior year (1985) at Wichita North High School. In the final seven games of the season, he rushed for 1,322 yards. Standing at just 5 feet 8 inches, most college coaches thought he was too small. Recruited as a kick returner, Sanders spent his first two years at Oklahoma State University as a backup for All-American Running Back Thurman Thomas. He called it a "great experience". "I could study the great approach to the game that had." In his junior year, Sanders went on to lead the nation in rushing yards (2,628), total yards (3,250), touchdowns (39) and scoring (234 points) en route to winning the 1988 Heisman Trophy. His rushing yards and touchdowns in that year still stand (quite easily) as NCAA single season records. Rather than try to set more records as a senior, Sanders declared himself eligible for the NFL draft and left OSU as the team's all time leading scorer with 330 points (55 touchdowns). In 2003, Sanders was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Professional career

The Detroit Lions selected Barry Sanders third overall with their 1st-round pick in the 1989 draft. Though again there were concerns about his size it turned out that these concerns were mostly unfounded. Sanders was far too quick for defenders to hit solidly on a consistent basis, and too strong to bring down with arm tackles. Though short, Sanders was very stocky -- his playing weight of 200 pounds was in fact the same as Walter Payton and only slightly under the NFL average for a back. Further, Sanders was able to dazzle onlookers at an ESPN slam-dunk contest by jamming comfortably from a flat footed position demonstrating his other defining characteristic -- explosiveness. This, combined with his low center of gravity allowed remarkably quick starts and stops -- he was notorious for sometimes running the full width of the field to gain only a yard on a play then, on the next, suddenly breaking through a hole for a long gain. Also of note was his on-field humility. Despite his flashy playing style, Sanders was rarely seen celebrating after the whistle was blown. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he would usually finish a touchdown run or catch by simply handing the ball to the nearest official.

Sanders' most productive year came in 1997. Rushing for 2,053 yards, he became only the third player to reach 2,000 yards in a single season. He was the first running back to rush for 1,500 yards in five seasons and the only one to do it four consecutive years. He also set an NFL record by rushing for at least 100 yards in 14 consecutive games. He shared the league's Most Valuable Player with Brett Favre.

Despite his individual success, the Lions never reached the Super Bowl while Sanders played for them (or any other time before or after that). The closest they ever came was in the 1991 season. Aided by Sanders 1,855 combined rushing/receiving yards and 17 touchdowns during the season, they recorded a 12-4 record and went on to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 38-6 in the divisional playoffs. However, they were crushed by the Washington Redskins 41-13 in the NFC championship game, and Sanders was held to just 59 total yards. Detroit made the playoffs 4 more times during Sanders' career, but each time they were eliminated in the first round. As of 2006, the 1991 divisional playoff victory is the only postseason win the Lions have recorded since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger.

On July 28, 1999, at the age of 31, Sanders shocked many when he announced his retirement from pro football. He left football healthy and in his prime, having gained 15,269 rushing yards, 2,921 receiving yards, 118 kickoff return yards, and 109 touchdowns (99 rushing and 10 receiving). He retired within a one-season striking distance of Walter Payton's career rushing mark of 16,726 yards. Only Payton and Emmitt Smith, who broke the record in 2002 have rushed for more yards than Sanders. Perhaps his most impressive statistical achievement, though, is to join Jim Brown as only players among the NFL's 50 all-time rushing leaders to average 5 yards a carry (only a handful manage above 4.5 yards per carry).

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Barry Sanders ]

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Athletes - Barry Sanders

Biography

Professional career

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