The Oklahoma State and Lions legend was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders had a legendary career at both the college and professional levels. At Oklahoma State, he won the Heisman Trophy in 1988 and ran for 2,628 yards that season alone. With the Lions, he made 10 Pro Bowls, was named to six All-Pro teams and won four rushing titles. His highlights remain YouTube gold, with a rundown of his top 50 plays on the NFL’s page garnering 3.6 million views.
Sanders, however, got much more out of his football career than an overload of trophies. The Wichita, Kan. native left a lasting legacy as a fan favorite that has endured despite Sanders walking away from the game after his age-30 season in 1998.
“To see fans from all the NFL teams chanting ‘BARRY’ last night was an incredible feeling,” Sanders tweeted Friday morning with video of his arrival at Thursday evening’s NFL Honors. “The love and respect I get to share with all fans is by far my greatest accomplishment.”
A beloved figure to this day in Wichita, Stillwater, Okla., Detroit and elsewhere, Sanders was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
