Barry Sanders
NFL 1990's All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Number "20" retired by the Detroit Lions
Heisman Trophy Winner - 1988
Mawell Award Winner - 1988
Walter Camp Award Winner - 1988
College Football Hall of Fame
Barry Sanders
Detroit Lions Player (1989 - 1998)
Barry Sanders was born in Wichita, Kansas earning All-State honors in his senior season at Wichita North High School. He attended Oklahoma State University where he had what is considered the greatest single season in NCAA history, rushing for 2,850 yards, being named an All-American, winning the Maxwell award, the Walter Camp Award and the Heisman Trophy. He was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 3rd overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft playing his entire 10 year career with the Lions. Sanders won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1989 as well as two NFL Offensive Player of the Year Awards and was a 10-time Pro Bowl invitee. In 1997, he was just the third player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player. Sanders rushed for over 1,000 in each of his ten years and is considered one of the greatest running backs of all time. He averaged just under 100 yards rushing per game during his career, ranking second all time. At the time of his retirement, he had rushed for 15,269 yards just 1,500 rushing yards short of breaking the NFL record. Following his retirement, his #20 jersey was retired by the Detroit Lions. Barry Sanders was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.