Barry Sanders is a retired American football running back who spent ten seasons with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL). Sanders, a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a Pro Bowl invitee in each of his ten NFL seasons, led the league in running yards four times and established himself as one of the most elusive runners in the game with his quickness and agility. In 2007, he was named the most elusive runner in NFL history by NFL Network's NFL Top 10 series and the greatest short player of all time and #1 on the list of the greatest players never to participate in a Super Bowl. He is widely recognized as one of the best running backs in NFL history, and he is frequently referred to as the best running back of the contemporary era.
Sanders was a member of the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team in college. He had one of the best individual seasons in college football history as a junior in 1988, rushing for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns in 12 games. He was named the Heisman Trophy winner as the nation's best college football player and was unanimously named an All-American. In 1998, Sanders was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame for the first time. In 2003, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in the same year.
Barry Sanders was born to carpenter William and nurse Shirley Sanders on July 16, 1968. He came from a large family, with two brothers and eight sisters.
Sanders was born in Wichita, Kansas, and graduated from Wichita North High School. Sanders was only granted two scholarships after garnering all-state honors. This was due to his diminutive stature. Emporia State, Tulsa, and Oklahoma State University all offered him athletic scholarships.
He played for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 1986 to 1988, backing up 'All American Thurman Thomas' before taking his place when Thomas moved on to the NFL.
In 1989, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions and given the number 20 jersey, which had previously been worn by some of the team's most notable players, including Billy Sims and Lern Barney.
Sanders was a quarterback with the Lions in the 1990s, and the team made the playoffs five times.
Sanders was a part of the NFC Central Division championship teams in 1991 and 1993.
He was voted the NFL's 'Offensive Player of the Year' in 1994 after scoring 2,166 yards on the season.
Sanders set a new career-high with 1,500 yards and 398 receiving yards the following year. He did, however, set a career-low with 147 receiving yards in 1996.
Sander's most remarkable season was by far 1997 when he was inducted into the '2000 rushing yards club.' He is the third player after O. J. Simpson to rush for 1,500 yards in a single season and the first and only running back to accomplish so in five seasons and for four years in a row.
Sander last played in the NFL in 1998. He ended his five-year streak of carrying for more than 1500 yards this season, rushing for only 1491 yards.
He announced his unexpected and contentious retirement from professional football in 1999. He'd amassed 15,269 rushing yards, 2,921 receiving yards, and 109 touchdowns by this point (99 rushings and ten receiving). He ultimately stated that his retirement was because of Lion's failure.
In 2000, he married Lauren Campbell, with whom he had three sons: Nigel, Nicholas, and Noah. Sanders divorced his wife in 2012.
His son from a previous relationship is Barry J. Sanders. Barry has enrolled at Stanford for the 2012-2013 college season, following his father's footsteps to a successful football career.
| Birth Date: | 16 Jul, 1968 |
| Age: | 51 yrs |
| Occupations: | American football player |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Wichita |
| Education: | Wichita North High School |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | American football running back, Pro Football Hall of Famer |
| Twitter Id: | BarrySanders |
| Net Worth 2021: | 20 million |
