In a way, it is only fitting we missed Barry Sanders’ 48th birthday, on July 16th. Considering there are literally dozens and dozens of defenders that missed Sanders’ during his brilliant, hall of fame, career in the National Football League. Sanders made some of the world’s greatest athletes look helpless over the course of his career.
Simply put, Barry Sanders left us breathless. Every time he touched the football during his brilliant 10-year career with the Detroit Lions, he had us on the edge of our seats. Only Sanders could make a 1-yard loss exciting. Standing 5-foot-8, and checking in at 205 pounds, the No. 3 overall pick in the 1989 draft out of Oklahoma State, had the subtle power to break tackles, utterly extraordinary vision, elusiveness and speed.
A recent panel of NFL experts named Sanders the second greatest player in the history of the game, behind the great Jim Brown. Sanders retired following the 1998 season at the age of 30, despite having plenty of gas in the tank. He finished with 15,269 yards rushing, and 99 touchdowns. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry over his career. Brown is the only other player to average 5.0 per carry. Most will tell you that Sanders is the most dynamic player in the history of the game. The tape doesn’t lie. Enjoy this electric highlight reel of Sanders. (Note: the link will take you to YouTube).
