Barry Sanders, 24 years after playing his final snap for the Lions, will receive one of the highest honors a former player can get from his team. The Lions announced at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins that they’ll be putting up a bronze statue of the Hall of Fame running back in front of Ford Field before the 2023 season. Sanders will become the first former Lions player to be given such an honor.
For a generation of football fans, Sanders is the best running back they’ve ever witnessed. Following a highly-decorated college career at Oklahoma State, Sanders’ transition to the NFL seemed effortless. In 10 seasons, all with the Lions, Sanders rushed for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns. Both those totals ranked second in NFL history when Sanders abruptly retired before the start of the 1999 season.
In light of Sunday’s news, here are five quick facts on one of the most elusive players that has ever graced the gridiron.
All-time great season
The 1997 season was a special one for Sanders, who that season shared MVP honors with then-Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Sanders ran for 53 yards during the season’s first two games, then proceeded to run for exactly 2,000 yards during the final 14 games. He eclipsed over 100 yards in each of those games while leading the Lions to the playoffs. Sanders finished the season with 2,053 yards (then the second-highest total in NFL history) while averaging a whopping 6.1 yards per carry.
Record-setter
Sanders is the first player in league history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons. The only other player that has started his career with 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons is former Patriots/Jets running back Curtis Martin, who joined Sanders in the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Rare air
Only four running backs won rushing titles during the 1990s: Sanders (1990, 1994, 1997-98), Emmitt Smith (1991-93, 1995), Terrell Davis (1998) and Edgerrin James (1999). Each of these backs are currently members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In 1994, Sanders broke Smith’s stranglehold on the rushing title by rumbling for a then-career high 1,883 yards. Sanders also led the NFL with a 5.7 yards-per-carry average that season.
Signature playoff moment
Sanders provided the most memorable play from the Lions’ lone playoff win over the past 60-plus years. Late in the Lions’ 1991 NFC wild card game against the…
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