A friend of mine played defense for the Bears and Eagles, his rookie year Deon Sanders shook him up on a kick return, the older players said," be happy you never had to try an tackle Barry Sanders"!
@@liquidpzaalways been a lions fan, lived in Chicago after 10 years old and couldn’t change loyalty because of Barry. If he had played on any other team he would have had rings, not one but multiple. Never protected, can you imagine if even half of his east to west yards had been north south?
You might have better jump shooters in the era. But in the era of power football our running backs were something different. Derrick Henry would have got ate. Everyone is half his size now.
I love hearing the guys talking about his the Lions are the worst franchise in the NFL... But this could be their year! lolol I see these highlights nowadays and all I can think is HORSE-COLLAR HORSE-COLLAR HORSE-COLLAR... The only way they could take him down was by grabbing his neck area and then falling to the ground. The new rules do protect people, but man, Barry would've destroyed in today's football.
`OK, REALITY CHECK, COWBOY FANS!!!!!! Emmitt Smith ran behind an offensive line that included Larry Allen (11 Pro Bowls), Nate Newton (6), Erik Williams (4), Mark Stepnoski (3), Ray Donaldson (2), Mark Tuinei (2), not to mention TE Jay Novacek (5), BLOCKING FULLBACK Daryl Johnston (2), and having QB Troy Aikman (6) and WR Michael Irvin (5) there to be sure defenses couldn't just key on him. Barry had LT Lomas Brown (7) and C Kevin Glover (3). As far as help offensively he had WR Herman Moore (4) as the only other threat defenses had to worry about. The Lions had BARRY, that was it. And yet with the field so tilted topward Smith, Emmitt's best 5 years Yards Per Carry were 5.3, 4.7, 4.6, 4.3, 4.3. Barry's best 5 were 6.1, 5.7, 5.3, 5.1, 5.1. Barry's WORST 2 years were both 4.3, which were equal to Smith's 4th and 5th BEST!!!!! GAME OVER!!! NOT CLOSE! BARRY< BARRY< BARRY< BARRY............ That said, Barry is still only the second best ever. Ya'll were talking about Okoye, Tomlinson, etc. etc. Look it up. JIM BROWN is hands down not only the best RUNNING BACK ever, he is probably the PLAYER ever. 9 years, lead the league in rushing in 8. yards per game in 8, averaged 5.2 a carry for his career, and, get this, 104.3 yards a game for his career. Retired with 12,312 career yards, at the time not only best but the one back over even 10,000 yards ever, and the year he retired, at 29 years old, he averaged 5.3 a carry for 1544 yards and 17 TD's (4 more recieving) and did it in a 14 game season. Perhaps more amazing than all that, he not only never missed a single game hurt, he NEVER MISSED A SINGLE PLAY HURT! THAT is the hands down greatest player of all time, not only the NFL but any sport, You give me 11 Jim Browns and we go unbeaten every year. BTW, he was 6'2", 232, and ran a 4.5.
They said the same thing about Walter Payton. Then Barry came along, and it was still true. He wasn't just like Walter Payton. There will be another transcendent RB in the same category as those two, though. Eventually.
Just because Barry didn't celebrate after a TD doesn't mean other players that do celebrate are showboating. Do you understand how hard it is to score a TD in an NFL game? If you don't then don't criticize players who celebrate. They are in the entertainment business afterall.
All Facts. The O-line was sooo horrible in many games he would have like 10 carries for -15 yards at halftime and then in the 2nd half he would have 10 more carries for like 200 yards!
This is completely wrong on almost all counts. I'll grant most elusive but he is nowhere near the most complete back in any metric and he played with Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover on the Oline....Brown is an arguable HOF (his accolades are actually better than some HOF tackles) and Glover was a multi-pro bowler. Get the facts straight.
@@scottb3034 Hey Scott, maybe if you had watched some of his games live, you would know better. The O-line was atrocious and many times when he was handed the ball, there was no hole available to run through or the O-line found themselves on their back or backpedaling. He had to either create his own running lane or suffer the loss in the back field. FACTS.
Barry Sanders best RB of all time! Always total class act! I grew up a Saints fan, but always wanted to catch the Detroit game just because of Barry. The man would hand the ball to the ref, go to the sidelines and start stretching for the next series. When he retired, it was a rough day for football fans!
`OK, REALITY CHECK, COWBOY FANS!!!!!! Emmitt Smith ran behind an offensive line that included Larry Allen (11 Pro Bowls), Nate Newton (6), Erik Williams (4), Mark Stepnoski (3), Ray Donaldson (2), Mark Tuinei (2), not to mention TE Jay Novacek (5), BLOCKING FULLBACK Daryl Johnston (2), and having QB Troy Aikman (6) and WR Michael Irvin (5) there to be sure defenses couldn't just key on him. Barry had LT Lomas Brown (7) and C Kevin Glover (3). As far as help offensively he had WR Herman Moore (4) as the only other threat defenses had to worry about. The Lions had BARRY, that was it. And yet with the field so tilted topward Smith, Emmitt's best 5 years Yards Per Carry were 5.3, 4.7, 4.6, 4.3, 4.3. Barry's best 5 were 6.1, 5.7, 5.3, 5.1, 5.1. Barry's WORST 2 years were both 4.3, which were equal to Smith's 4th and 5th BEST!!!!! GAME OVER!!! NOT CLOSE! BARRY< BARRY< BARRY< BARRY............ That said, Barry is still only the second best ever. Ya'll were talking about Okoye, Tomlinson, etc. etc. Look it up. JIM BROWN is hands down not only the best RUNNING BACK ever, he is probably the PLAYER ever. 9 years, lead the league in rushing in 8. yards per game in 8, averaged 5.2 a carry for his career, and, get this, 104.3 yards a game for his career. Retired with 12,312 career yards, at the time not only best but the one back over even 10,000 yards ever, and the year he retired, at 29 years old, he averaged 5.3 a carry for 1544 yards and 17 TD's (4 more recieving) and did it in a 14 game season. Perhaps more amazing than all that, he not only never missed a single game hurt, he NEVER MISSED A SINGLE PLAY HURT! THAT is the hands down greatest player of all time, not only the NFL but any sport, You give me 11 Jim Browns and we go unbeaten every year. BTW, he was 6'2", 232, and ran a 4.5.
Stats from his Heisman season in 1988: Sanders rushed for 2,628 yards, an average of 238.9 yards per game 37 rushing touchdowns He also added a punt return TD and a kickoff return TD to bring his regular season touchdown total to 39. He produced a record 3,250 all-purpose yards and averaged 8.3 yards per play He added another 222 rushing yards and five touchdowns against Wyoming in the bowl game, bringing his 12-game total to 2,850 rushing yards and 42 scores.
Well they might cheat by adding more college games and no counting bowl games to try to set the records but average of 238.9 yards per game is never going to be broken for a back that played in every game like Barry. Untouchable record.
Absolutely . I've been watching since the 80's. I've never seen a running back get near what Sanders could do. I haven't really seen Jim Brown or OJ Simpson, so I have to check out their clips.
I was fortunate to be at his last game on Dec 27th 1998 at (then PSI Net Stadium) in Baltimore against my home team the Ravens. Still have my ticket stub. It was cold asf but we didn't care cause .... football. His last play mid-4th quarter we fans gave him a standing 15 min ovation as he waved to the crowd. They pulled him cause Detroit was losing and they didn't see any reason for him to get hurt. The guy is a legend and although we were the homefield opposing crowd, we treated him like a retired Raven for everything he gave us to the game of Football.
He’s second to Bo Jackson. Bo would miss 1/3 of the season and still come in, dominate, get a pro bowl selection. If Bo was full time football and never got hurt, he’d average 2000 yards rushing a season. Barry is a very close second to Bo. People forget or don’t realize Bo is the only athlete in the history of sports to be a Pro Bowler and MLB All Star.
It's good to see young guys appreciate just how great Barry was. Greatest running back in NFL history. Period. He did make the playoffs though. Helped Detroit get their only playoff win in franchise history.
`OK, REALITY CHECK, COWBOY FANS!!!!!! Emmitt Smith ran behind an offensive line that included Larry Allen (11 Pro Bowls), Nate Newton (6), Erik Williams (4), Mark Stepnoski (3), Ray Donaldson (2), Mark Tuinei (2), not to mention TE Jay Novacek (5), BLOCKING FULLBACK Daryl Johnston (2), and having QB Troy Aikman (6) and WR Michael Irvin (5) there to be sure defenses couldn't just key on him. Barry had LT Lomas Brown (7) and C Kevin Glover (3). As far as help offensively he had WR Herman Moore (4) as the only other threat defenses had to worry about. The Lions had BARRY, that was it. And yet with the field so tilted topward Smith, Emmitt's best 5 years Yards Per Carry were 5.3, 4.7, 4.6, 4.3, 4.3. Barry's best 5 were 6.1, 5.7, 5.3, 5.1, 5.1. Barry's WORST 2 years were both 4.3, which were equal to Smith's 4th and 5th BEST!!!!! GAME OVER!!! NOT CLOSE! BARRY< BARRY< BARRY< BARRY............ That said, Barry is still only the second best ever. Ya'll were talking about Okoye, Tomlinson, etc. etc. Look it up. JIM BROWN is hands down not only the best RUNNING BACK ever, he is probably the PLAYER ever. 9 years, lead the league in rushing in 8. yards per game in 8, averaged 5.2 a carry for his career, and, get this, 104.3 yards a game for his career. Retired with 12,312 career yards, at the time not only best but the one back over even 10,000 yards ever, and the year he retired, at 29 years old, he averaged 5.3 a carry for 1544 yards and 17 TD's (4 more recieving) and did it in a 14 game season. Perhaps more amazing than all that, he not only never missed a single game hurt, he NEVER MISSED A SINGLE PLAY HURT! THAT is the hands down greatest player of all time, not only the NFL but any sport, You give me 11 Jim Browns and we go unbeaten every year. BTW, he was 6'2", 232, and ran a 4.5.
They played a game against Oklahoma when Barry was a sophomore still playing backup and returns, and after watching some tape Barry Switzer went down to his defense and said you better not injure Thurman Thomas, because you don’t want to play against this Sanders kid. Plus the craziest thing about Barry is that for most of his career he was the Detroit offense. So he’s making most of these runs against a run stopping defensive set, against a team that just spent the entire week in practice preparing just to try and stop him. And he still clowned on everyone. I can’t find the stat but he’s got the most runs of 50 or more yards in NFL history, and it’s not even close. Usually a few guys a season will bust one for the season, and Barry would be sitting there with like 6 of those runs and the year wasn’t even over. Most exciting football player ever.
Barry Sanders:3,062 carries for 15,269...352 catches for 2,921,with 109 career tds. Walter Payton:3,838 carries for 16,726...492 catches for 4,538,with career 125 tds. I love Barry Sanders, but he's not Walter 🤷🏾♂️
@@fontejohnson802 And I love Walter Payton but he’s no Barry Sanders 😂 But we do need to put it in perspective. Walter played 13 seasons while Barry only 10. That means Barry Averaged 10.9 TDs per year and Payton 9.6. 😂 They’re both GOATS! Maybe I’m a bit biased cause I’m from the D
As a 43 year old Black Man, the GREATEST highlight was watching you young bros appreciate and learn from the past. Even the jokes about the old uniforms were funny 😂 I wish you young brothers ALL the success in life. Stay healthy, positive, blessed and continue to BE great.
Mr. Sanders was one of the very very few blessings those of us who watched Lions games could treasure. Too bad he didn’t have a team to help him out. He just couldn’t do it all by himself. ❤❤❤
Barry was the complete package. But the thing that stands out the most to me is how he set up his direction changes by where others were on the field in real time. Even if his blockers weren't blocking, simply by having them in the way of the tacklers always extended the play. He was a master at this.
He is one of those great players that had the misfortune of not being on a great team. However, we all can recognize a champion and his greatness. He was the only reason to watch the Lions back then.
I've been a Cowboy fan since 1977...and as I watched Barry Sanders in awe back then, I said if he had OL like E. Smith did, he'd break all the records. Barry Sanders best/humblest running back in my book.
I'm glad you boys enjoyed watching Berry... I'm from Michigan, and had the privilege to see him play live twice... and I'll tell you what, trying to watch Barry Sanders through a pair of binoculars,was like watching a cartoon!? You're watching him,and you think he's over here,when a second later,he's way over there!?🤷♂️❓️
I swear at times this man made very small subtle movements that were simply perfect. Like the #1 run they showed. At one point he made about 5 movements in an area less than 3 square yards n dodged half the defense. Literal perfection, divine intervention even. Incredible.
Barry was not only one of the best RB of all time but he’s a nice humble person. I lived across the street from him in the late 90s in Rochester Hills and would occasionally run into him while we were both walking our dogs. I was amazed at how down to earth and humble he was. It’s a shame he ended up leaving the NFL because the Lions executives lacked motivation to build a good team.
I wouldn't say the Lions were "so bad" during Barry's run... they were essentially a .500 team over his career. He played in six playoff games, but was only effective in one of them. It wasn't all on his teammates, he was shut down in big games more often than not. In 1994 he rushed for over 1800 yards in the regular season and then had 13 rushes for -1 yards in the playoff loss. Yes, ownership was cheap... lots of solid teammates walked into free agency... but they were rarely outright bad during Barry's career. The Lions improved by three games and made the playoffs the season immediately following Barry's retirement... so it wasn't like they were just hopeless scrubs without him. The biggest problem with the Lions during Barry's career was mediocre / inconsistent QB play, they had decent O-Lines and typically a competitive defense... just never found a franchise QB. Emmitt had Troy Aikmen. Thurmon Thomas had Jim Kelly. Who did Barry have? Rodney Peete, Bob Gagliano, Scott Mitchell, Charlie Batch... no more than a bunch of journeymen career backups.
In my opinion, Barry Sanders was the very best at changing direction, making defenders miss, bouncinging off defenders while keeping his balance, and then racing past them with his speed. He was the greatest combination of speed, power, agility, creativity, and vision of any running back in the history of the game. He was artistry in motion. Whenever he touched the ball, whether I was at the game or watching it in my living room, I would rise to my feet because I knew he was going to do something special. Something we had never seen before. He was simply the best.
I still have my all white Barry Sanders jersey 💯 Barry was the toughest running back in history to all of the defenses he faced when interviewed. They said that their teams would run them back and forth all week in practice to prepare for him.
Best running back I have ever seen and it isn't close. I was fortunate to have had the pleasure of seeing Barry play during his Junior year in college (Oklahoma State) --- where he rushed for 2,628 yards (7.6 yards a carry), 238.9 yards a game and 37 touchdowns (including against then Big 8 powerhouses OU, Texas and Nebraska). Legendary running back who smoothly transitioned directions and could turn the jets on into afterburner in a split second. Sanders is the epitome of humility -- acts like he has been there. He was a joy to watch.
To me, he was out of the Walter Payton lineage of RB’s. It wasn’t necessarily about running over defenders, but running around them and making them miss.
Not only was Barry a joy to watch on the field but off the field he was just a regular dude. Case in point...I attended Oakland University in Michigan back in the early 90's and would see Barry on campus from time to time...he would just be chilling by himself in the cafeteria or in the entrance to one of the dorms or in the study halls. No bodyguards, no entourage, no fan fare. He was just a down to earth humble dude who happened to be a superstar and didn't let it go to his head.
What was barry doing in Oakland?. I didn't know he had any ties In Oakland..? I'm from Stillwater ...where oklahoma state is...Big fan sense he wore #21 before #20...and Wichita ks..where he grew up is just down the road an hour and half...and Lisa OU is oklahoma sooners ..of course barry didn't play there ...sooners are a rivery
@@weswelch5403 Oakland University is a local University here in the Michigan area that was located near the old Pontiac silverdome where the Lions used to play back in the 90s. If you remember.. Barry left Oklahoma State early so he was likely attending Oakland University finishing up his degree studies.
@@weswelch5403 He’s referring to Oakland University in Rochester Hills Michigan (Adams rd and Walton Blvd). Barry lived nearby when he played for the lions. (Adams Rd just north of Hamlin Rd).
I grew up a Packer fan and have been watching footbal for 40 years. I saw Sweetness Walter Payton run and thought nobody could top him. As soon as Barry Sanders was drafted by the Lions...it was as if god incarnated as a RB. He was a human highlight reel that Chris Berman on NFL Primetime on Sportcenter made a name for himself calling Sander's runs. There have been many good backs since him, but there will absolutely never be another like him. He was an absolute joy to watch.
As a Bears fan, I feel like Barry was the best pure runner I’ve ever seen. Payton was the best RB as a total package: dirty/physical runner, vicious blocker, great receiver, charismatic team leader. Disclaimer: I’ve never seen Jim Brown play, prime Adrian Peterson reminded me the most of Payton but with more speed, and Bo Jackson didn’t play long enough. Emmitt Smith was probably the RB that got the most out of his God-given ability in the history of the NFL aided by an all-time great line-such a smart/tough dude. It’s also very difficult to compare RBs of the last 10 years or so because RBs and offenses in general are so different.
Got to meet Barry Sanders at an event I was working in Wichita. He was my childhood hero and I got to tell him he was my favorite player. He was incredibly kind, humble and soft spoken. He told me his favorite player was Walter Payton "Sweetness." Barry didn't talk trash or gloat. He just played with the same quiet humility I saw for myself. All time great.
He wasn't close to the Michael Jordan of football, Barry was a very flawed running back (unlike jordan as a basketball player). He did certain things better than everyone but it was a narrow band. The running back equivalent to Jordan was Walter Payton who did literally everything on the field at a high level and had his own signature, unique skills/moves. Also Barry was terrible in the playoffs unlike Jordan.
@@aaronscollectinganddetecti3018 He was a very, very bad redzone rusher and in the same vein was mediocre in short yardage. He also had increasingly diminishing returns the closer he got to the opponent goalline. He was 6 YPC on the Lions half of the field and dropped to about 3 YPC on the opponent half of the field. I also wouldn't call him the best pass protector or receiving back. He struggled in the postseason (and it wasn't ALWAYS because the Lions were bad). And there is obviously the well-documented issues where he didn't like taking the simple play, trying to get the homerun all the time. What he was good at, he was really good at. He had plenty of big plays, he was very elusive in all fields, probably the best finesse RB ever. In his best seasons he was very efficient. But he was also very bad at the things he was bad at and his weaknesses were pretty clear. Hence flawed. Let me add that being flawed doesn't mean he sucks. It just means he overcame more to be a great in the league. And for the record I would have preferred he had the rushing record over Emmitt if I had a choice.
To fully appreciate Barry Sanders, watch a full game highlight. Many of his actual best runs were between -2 and 3 yards, where he had to make 3 guys miss just to get back to the line of scrimmage.
Yes Barry had that same killer instinct on the field as MJ had on the court. A whole different level of drive then most athletes. But that’s why they’re Goats 🔥
Was going to post the same thing. Sanders had the greatest 2 or 3 yd runs I've ever seen (maybe someone like Gale Sayers was as good but never saw him in real time). That's meant to be a compliment to Sanders because he never had the luxury of a very good offensive line
Bro I am 34 from Detroit and had the privilege of watching Barry all through elementary school. Dude was a BEAST. I wish I was a little older when I was watching him to have a full understanding of what I was really watching. As far as the uni's at around 4:47 in the video, the Lions usually play in the Thanksgiving day game...the uni's you all see there are a throwback set...some years they will wear those to pay homage to the earlier Lions years.
I watched Barry's entire career. And his entire career he destroyed my Bears. And another fact. Every single TD Barry scored. He handed the ball to the ref. Also, Barry's dad said Jim Brown was the greatest RB of all time. Even after Barry retired. And Barry and his dad were very close. His dad was just being honest. I'm from Michigan. And the day Barry announced his early retirement. All my family and friends were shocked. So was the entire NFL. Barry was so amazing.
@@chitownshank3164 He just made the entire division look silly his entire career. As a Bears fan, I will say. There hasn't been another one like him. And it's been 23 years since he retired.
Brown and Sanders were two different kinds of backs, so I don't think that's a fair comparison. There were things Brown could do Sanders couldn't, but there were also things Sanders could do Brown couldn't.
no fullback, bad QBs, mediocre WRs, and an awful O line. Just look at how many of these runs he goes away from where the play is designed and/or the entire defense is collapsing on him
I had the privilege to see both Deion and Bo play in College and the Pros. I can tell you for certain Bo ran a 4.1 while at Auburn and weighed 220 pounds +. Bo is the better athlete and the best I have seen in a backfield besides Walter Payton. Deion is a tremendous talent and pure athlete. You need to remember Bo's career was cut short by his hip injury Bo was the first Pro athlete to play both NFL and MLB and dominated at both. I enjoy watching you're channel keep up the good work.
Great running back , if you watch again pay attention to how fast he transfers the ball from side to side !!!! (He hardly ever fumbled ,,, great reaction young men 👍👍✌️✌️
Barry was only a starter in college his Junior Year at OK State, where in 11 Games he put up 2,628 Yards Rushing and 37 Touchdowns, which means he averaged 239 Rushing Yards and over 3 TDs a game for one season. Just staggering figures!
And to think that OSU had both he and Thurman Thomas at the same time who was the All time leading rusher in OSU AND Big-8 history as well as 3 time All American. I don't think there's ever been or will ever be quite the 1-2 combo/2 RB package in a college Football team than the dynamic duo of Barry and Thurman. Absolutely incredible combo they were
@@RoadDoug you know what's funny about Thurman Thomas being there is that head coaches with instruct their defense is not to hurt Thurman Thomas in fear of Barry Sanders . True fact
Fella's, please do some old school research. Barry was so amazing to watch, even when he was destroying your teams D, it was so crazy to watch this dude. I had the privilege to watch this human highlight real every Sunday and some Mondays. You won't be dissapointed!
Barry Sanders is legend! Many a time when he was on the field after the play several defenders had to go pick up their shoes that came off trying to get a vector on Barry.
So cool to see you guys paying tribute to a legend! No doubt if Barry would've had Emmitt Smith's offensive line and not retire early, his records would never have been touched. He was just a class act! Never celebrated scoring a touchdown and even came out of a game when he had the chance to earn rushing record. Hands down Barry's the best there is, best there was and best there ever will be!
@@PapaEli-pz8ff and that acceleration was insane. Looked like all he needed was 2 steps and he was at full speed. Some of those holes were only open for a split second and he’d burst through before anyone could fill them.
It was an honor to watch this man play the game . Iv never seen another running back as consistant with running a pigskin as Sanders was . He will always be my favorite of all time .
Not taking anything away from the greatness of Barry Sanders, but when combining blistering speed AND brute power, there hasn't been another RB like Bo Jackson, IMO. Derrick Henry comes close, but even he isn't a match for Bo's breakaway speed. Granted, the career-ending hip injury only gave us 3-4 years of prime Bo, but in terms of raw ability in their prime, I haven't seen of another RB like Bo. But you're right about no one having the amazing cutback ability of Sanders, that's for sure.
@@MSgt_0699 You mean no excitement and/or entertainment? People tend to only take issue with show-boating when they want. Otherwise, they know it's generally harmless and in good fun. I mean, are people not to experience excitement? Some have trouble containing such a powerful feeling in big moments where the thrill level reaches heights most don't see but a few times in their lives. I don't find it my place to put limitations on those who clearly have a much higher ceiling than myself.
@@ivankawnartist showboating is fine. I've got no problems with it. A guy like Primetime, it's in his blood. It's part of his game. It revs up the team and the fans, it's fun! But that wasn't Barry. Total respect to him for just being his humble self.
Barry was as amazing of a person off the field as he was on the field. Incredibly kind and humble....and I was fortunate to befriend him for a while. He actually said to me directly on a dance floor where i met him out at a club... "Damn Larry...you've got some moves." One of the greatest things ever said to me. We were so lucky to watch him as our running back... #20 THE GOAT...without a doubt!
Which club…..Have A Nice Day? 😂seen him there several times. After he quit….there was a huge empty circle surrounding him. No one went near him. And you should add yzerman to your name….he played on “one knee” and still led goals in the playoffs
@christineharrison7815 too funny...I am familiar with that one...but it was in downtown Royal Oak, above a restaurant called Sangeria. I meant him there along with a back up running back to Emmit Smith...I was with a buddy and we were with a former Ms Michigan and 4 other beautiful ladies. It was like a Seinfeld in that i was so nervous when I heard we were on our way to hang with Barry...literally he was so cool and I felt like "man I think he kind of likes me" lol...and the next day I contacted Ms Michigan and she said ya Barry liked you too and was cool with exchanging numbers. We called each other often for a handful of months. But damn our friendship dwindled as he was a busy guy as u can imagine. I ran into him another time a few years later and again he was so cool and talked about going golfing but it never transpired. Wish the best for #20 THE GOAT.
Barry Sanders was so good and so seemingly effortless that he made his opponents look like they weren't even trying. His balance, his footwork, his field of vision, his situational awareness, his ability to ride the sideline, his acceleration -- it was more than just "the whole package", it was more like a one-in-a-million combination. Then on top of that, he was a pretty amazing human being, too. And I say all this as a Washington Redskins fan in the 1980s-early '90s (go Darrell Green!). 😆
Bo was 230 during his college years, it's impressive to be as fast, quick, agile and strong as he was because we don't ever see athlete as physically gifted as Bo, ever!!!
As I heard in your convo. Barry had no line, no deep threat that could give him an edge. That man did everything on his own. And never shoved it in anyones face. Most humble dude ever
False. Herman Moore, Johnnie Morton, Brett Perriman, Lomas Brown, Kevin Glover and Jeff Hartings all disagree. Moore and Perriman had 100 catches apiece in the year of the receiver in 1995 (moore even set the reception record that season) and were all-pro. morton was a good receiver and a deep threat, Lomas Brown was a borderline HOF tackle and Glover and Hartings were pro bowlers. The ONLY thing Barry didn't have was a good QB. And if that is what makes him great then Walter Payton is the greatest of all time (which of course he is).
@@scottb3034 Herman Moore was only one and it still wasn't enough to adjust the defenses to take their eyes off Barry on any play. Not too mention QBs weren't anything to brag about nor would the line hold up enough to allow a deep threat. Herman Moore great player. But not enough for defenses to be backing off the threat of Barry.
@@EzraPeterson Herman Moore was ridiculously good. More than good enough to keep the safety out of the box. Pair him with Perriman who was excellent at the same time and then replace them/ play with them as the 3rd guy in Johnnie Morton (he had 4 1000 yard seasons 5 years there and 590 or more every year in detroit) they had a passing threat. The real key for why detroit was terrible is the QB for sure. They had average at best QBs and their defenses were mediocre. So they could never rely on their QB in the playoffs or close games and their defense gave away games. Also, again, they had a decent Oline. Lomas Brown is a HOF left tackle and Kevin Glover a pro bowl center. the rest of the guys besides jeff hartings were whatever for the most part but those are the two most important line positions.
Yep. Watch these plays again and look at where the play was "supposed to go". They telegraphed plays, 2 defenders waiting in the hole, and he still made it work
He is the best running back I ever seen in my life! The man was so good, even after 11 years that his team refuse to let him leave! If he don’t retire when he did, Emmett Smith would still be running today because he was a straight monster! Mass Respect for this man doing what he did with very little protection from the O-line
Barry running out to the practice field at the Pontiac Silverdome, everyone held there things they wanted autographed out, he grabbed my card and took off running and told me to catch up. Very lucky to be a kid watching Barry Live with my own eyes. I will say everytime I wanted a hot dog or had to go to the bathroom at the Silverdome, he would break an 80 yarder. You guys should also look at our kick returner during the Barry years, Mel Gray. He took one to the house every game I went to.
I am a lifelong Bears fan growing up in NC. I was born in 1975, Walter's rookie year. I started watching around 1980. He was such a great athlete , intelligent and yet humble. Barry was the same , never gloating or showboating. His actions on the field spoke for him. I miss watching both of them. Barry only played 10 years, stating "My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it". Many speculate he retired because Detroit would not let him out of his contract to play for a team with a better O-Line.
I agree with just about everything you said. I think if push came to shove I would still go with Payton #1 and Sanders#2. Just love the way Payton punished tacklers! One is a Punisher and one is Flash!
I heard an interview once with Bill Romanowski where they asked him who he would rather try to tackle Emmitt Smith or Barry Sanders. He didn't even hesitate to say Emmitt. He said with Emmitt, you would both lower shoulder and crash into each other. You'd win some, he'd win some. But Barry could make you look like you had never played football before in your life.
What’s amazing is most of these highlights are divisions games where the defenses saw him all the time and knew what was coming but they still couldn’t stop him. Bears for example had really good defenses back then and he twisted them up so much it was comical. Sanders was an all time great RB.
One of my favorite Barry Sanders stories is about this time at OSU, they were playing Oklahoma and Barry Seltzer the coach of Ok said whatever you do to his players, don't hurt Thurman Thomas, All-American, because if you do you won't want to face that freshman they have, none other than Barry Sanders! Quite a testament to his greatness at an early stage.
On the 90's i lived 3 miles from the Silverdome. Saw Barry many times. No words to describe him. The Lions were not awesome, but Barry was worth the price of admission by himself.
His feet never stop moving and his eyes never stop shifting, looking for the best route. He could change on a dime and not lose any momentum. Amazing. His lack of championships is an ownership failure. He is a marquee player that didn’t have the right team around him. And as said in Lisa’s comment, they man wasn’t flashy on the field and was humble off. A nice guy who wanted to make his mark. He’s a legend.
Barry didn't want to leave Detroit. He never left. He picked up our draft picks (Jaymir Gibbs) from the airport. He's always with the organization and they just built a statue of him. It's dope
Great reaction ! And Barry never celebrated or talked trash. Most elusive and quickest back ever. Not a super fast sprinter, but fast enough .Extremely low center of gravity and powerful legs. The Lions and Browns were awesome back in the fifties- not much success since then. But my Lions are clawing their way back this year. 😎
He ran full speed past the goal line, handed the ball to the ref after every touchdown or play, he wasn't cocky or arrogant, didn't showboat, played injured, gave 100% on every play, held celebrations to the bare minimum. He's a completely different player than today's athletes who need to be the center of attention, who love to show off, who need the "look at me" moments and need to be coddled. Barry let his play do the talking for him. He's the greatest running back of all time in my opinion.
Brothers, keep doing what you doing, but you aint lying. That has to be one of the best running back in the league. I'm saying that because I'm from Detroit😅
I really love how these young men go back and learn their history from sports and entertainment, to whatever. I'm 44 and my childhood was in the 80's, adolescence, teenage, and coming of age in the 90's. Barry Sanders is my favorite Running Back of all time, and I think he's the best I've ever seen. Keep it up young brothers.
I read other comments mentioning about Walter "Sweetness" Payton, iconic running back for Chicago Bears from 1975 to 1987, those seasons, he rushed nearly 17,000 yards with 110 Touchdowns. Emmitt Snith of Dallas Cowboys broke rushing record. Both college and NFL setup awards named after Walter Payton: NCAA - Walter Payton for Best Offensive Player in College Div. 1 and NFL - Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for player who helps and supports his community.
He's often called the greatest football player ever, because he could do so many things (run, pass, punt, return kicks). He was a great player, and no one was tougher at RB than Sweetness.
He is so much more than the best running back of all time, he was mentored by Walter Payton and was with him when he passed and now runs a camp for kids with disabilities
Next to Dan Marino, Barry Sanders was maybe my favorite football player to watch growing up. His vision, balance, and ability to change direction was unmatched. To this day the best RB I've ever watched play.
3rd saddest moment of my life was the day ESPN broke that news Barry retired. Ruined me for the whole season. For years after, thought he would come back. He was the greatest RB I ever saw
Y’all need to check out NFL HOF’er and one of the top power backs of all time, Earl Campbell. His workload was the only thing that could slow this beast down, 5’ 11’, 232lbs, thighs like redwoods, and a 4.5-40 time to boot. He carried 30-40 times a game for the Houston Oilers back in the late 70’s and early 80’s before finishing his career up with the Saints, and he would drag defenders with so much force his jersey would literally tear off and the defender would be left laying on the ground panting and wincing with shredded fabric still in their clutch as they watched him cannonball through his next victim lol. That force + speed combo was unstoppable…in 1980 he had 4 games in which he rushed for over 200 yards! In EACH of his first three seasons he: led the league in rushing (plus his fourth time in his fourth year), was selected to the All- Pro Team, and won the Offensive POY award…in each of his first 3 pro years! In 8 NFL seasons overall: 5X pro-bowler, 3x Offensive POY, ROY, MVP - NFL Hall of Fame (1991). Not to mention his collegiate career where he amassed 4,443 yds, 40 touchdowns, and a massive 5.8 YPC career average over only 40 games, or his Heisman. Brute force back with speed and agility…the Tyler Rose is a legend. And most importantly….he’s damn fun to watch!
Earl Campbell is the only person I’ve ever asked for an autograph. He signed it “Peace & Love, Earl Campbell” He had the same problem at Houston and New Orleans that Barry Sanders had at Detroit: he WAS the offense! He got so beat-up that he only played what?… 8 years or so.
He's the only guy I've ever seen where everyone knew he was getting the ball, including the defense, and they still struggled to stop him. He retired right before Warren Moon joined the Oilers. I would have loved to see the kind of team those two would have created if they played at the same time.
Thanks for this video. For a minute, I'd forgotten how unbelievable this dude was. All due respect to Emmitt, Barry was better. He just had the misfortune of playing for Detroit.
Barry's field vision and ability to cut on a dime then immediately accelerate to top speed within a few steps was insane and only a few ever had that level of ability.
Barry Sanders was an annual Thanksgiving treat. But I honestly think Greg Pruitt’s highlight real is even more impressive. Greg Pruitt was criminally underrated.
I'm 42 and Barry sanders was the best running back I've ever seen. His change of direction was crazy
Emmitt
@@FallKingPepe Emmitt was a product of his offensive line.
I 100% agree your my age you remember back in the day he was that dude
He had the quickest 0-top speed hitting holes to this day. Emmitt got the record off longevity. He can't hold a torch to Barry.
Barry > Emmit
Barry Sanders is an amazing athlete. It was an honor, and a privilege to watch one of the best running backs who ever stepped on the football field.
My favorite ever. Too bad he retired early. He was a pleasure to watch.
Best running back that never won a superbowl.
Best period. IMO
A friend of mine played defense for the Bears and Eagles, his rookie year Deon Sanders shook him up on a kick return, the older players said," be happy you never had to try an tackle Barry Sanders"!
those games at the Dome were awesome!!! the crowd was so LOUD when Barry broke one off. best RB ever
Barry was and still to this day is the most gifted running back to play the game. The man was worth the ticket price alone.
As a lifelong Packer fan, I agree entirely.
@@liquidpzaalways been a lions fan, lived in Chicago after 10 years old and couldn’t change loyalty because of Barry. If he had played on any other team he would have had rings, not one but multiple. Never protected, can you imagine if even half of his east to west yards had been north south?
You might have better jump shooters in the era. But in the era of power football our running backs were something different. Derrick Henry would have got ate. Everyone is half his size now.
I love hearing the guys talking about his the Lions are the worst franchise in the NFL... But this could be their year! lolol
I see these highlights nowadays and all I can think is HORSE-COLLAR HORSE-COLLAR HORSE-COLLAR... The only way they could take him down was by grabbing his neck area and then falling to the ground. The new rules do protect people, but man, Barry would've destroyed in today's football.
`OK, REALITY CHECK, COWBOY FANS!!!!!! Emmitt Smith ran behind an offensive line that included Larry Allen (11 Pro Bowls), Nate Newton (6), Erik Williams (4), Mark Stepnoski (3), Ray Donaldson (2), Mark Tuinei (2), not to mention TE Jay Novacek (5), BLOCKING FULLBACK Daryl Johnston (2), and having QB Troy Aikman (6) and WR Michael Irvin (5) there to be sure defenses couldn't just key on him. Barry had LT Lomas Brown (7) and C Kevin Glover (3). As far as help offensively he had WR Herman Moore (4) as the only other threat defenses had to worry about. The Lions had BARRY, that was it. And yet with the field so tilted topward Smith, Emmitt's best 5 years Yards Per Carry were 5.3, 4.7, 4.6, 4.3, 4.3. Barry's best 5 were 6.1, 5.7, 5.3, 5.1, 5.1. Barry's WORST 2 years were both 4.3, which were equal to Smith's 4th and 5th BEST!!!!! GAME OVER!!! NOT CLOSE! BARRY< BARRY< BARRY< BARRY............ That said, Barry is still only the second best ever. Ya'll were talking about Okoye, Tomlinson, etc. etc. Look it up. JIM BROWN is hands down not only the best RUNNING BACK ever, he is probably the PLAYER ever. 9 years, lead the league in rushing in 8. yards per game in 8, averaged 5.2 a carry for his career, and, get this, 104.3 yards a game for his career. Retired with 12,312 career yards, at the time not only best but the one back over even 10,000 yards ever, and the year he retired, at 29 years old, he averaged 5.3 a carry for 1544 yards and 17 TD's (4 more recieving) and did it in a 14 game season. Perhaps more amazing than all that, he not only never missed a single game hurt, he NEVER MISSED A SINGLE PLAY HURT! THAT is the hands down greatest player of all time, not only the NFL but any sport, You give me 11 Jim Browns and we go unbeaten every year. BTW, he was 6'2", 232, and ran a 4.5.
There will never ever be another running back like Barry Sanders in the NFL. I feel so lucky to have seen him play!
I'm jealous
They said the same thing about Walter Payton. Then Barry came along, and it was still true. He wasn't just like Walter Payton. There will be another transcendent RB in the same category as those two, though. Eventually.
Something you may not know when he scored he just gave the ball to the ref no showbaoting ever. A humble and respectful man.
Just another day at the office.
He explained this in an interview and said he did his show boating on the way to the endzone. lol
Just because Barry didn't celebrate after a TD doesn't mean other players that do celebrate are showboating. Do you understand how hard it is to score a TD in an NFL game? If you don't then don't criticize players who celebrate. They are in the entertainment business afterall.
Oh wow, How Entertaining….. 😅
Most player back then knew how to act,
By far the most elusive, and complete running back of all time. He played with NO O line. And he also has something many athletes lack. Humbleness.
All Facts. The O-line was sooo horrible in many games he would have like 10 carries for -15 yards at halftime and then in the 2nd half he would have 10 more carries for like 200 yards!
Except Lomas Brown 7 time Pro Bowler.. LOL..
This is completely wrong on almost all counts. I'll grant most elusive but he is nowhere near the most complete back in any metric and he played with Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover on the Oline....Brown is an arguable HOF (his accolades are actually better than some HOF tackles) and Glover was a multi-pro bowler. Get the facts straight.
@@dmvbay2535 that was not on the Oline, that was on Barry not taking what was given to him. And almost none of OP's comment was factual.
@@scottb3034 Hey Scott, maybe if you had watched some of his games live, you would know better. The O-line was atrocious and many times when he was handed the ball, there was no hole available to run through or the O-line found themselves on their back or backpedaling. He had to either create his own running lane or suffer the loss in the back field. FACTS.
Barry Sanders best RB of all time! Always total class act! I grew up a Saints fan, but always wanted to catch the Detroit game just because of Barry. The man would hand the ball to the ref, go to the sidelines and start stretching for the next series. When he retired, it was a rough day for football fans!
`OK, REALITY CHECK, COWBOY FANS!!!!!! Emmitt Smith ran behind an offensive line that included Larry Allen (11 Pro Bowls), Nate Newton (6), Erik Williams (4), Mark Stepnoski (3), Ray Donaldson (2), Mark Tuinei (2), not to mention TE Jay Novacek (5), BLOCKING FULLBACK Daryl Johnston (2), and having QB Troy Aikman (6) and WR Michael Irvin (5) there to be sure defenses couldn't just key on him. Barry had LT Lomas Brown (7) and C Kevin Glover (3). As far as help offensively he had WR Herman Moore (4) as the only other threat defenses had to worry about. The Lions had BARRY, that was it. And yet with the field so tilted topward Smith, Emmitt's best 5 years Yards Per Carry were 5.3, 4.7, 4.6, 4.3, 4.3. Barry's best 5 were 6.1, 5.7, 5.3, 5.1, 5.1. Barry's WORST 2 years were both 4.3, which were equal to Smith's 4th and 5th BEST!!!!! GAME OVER!!! NOT CLOSE! BARRY< BARRY< BARRY< BARRY............ That said, Barry is still only the second best ever. Ya'll were talking about Okoye, Tomlinson, etc. etc. Look it up. JIM BROWN is hands down not only the best RUNNING BACK ever, he is probably the PLAYER ever. 9 years, lead the league in rushing in 8. yards per game in 8, averaged 5.2 a carry for his career, and, get this, 104.3 yards a game for his career. Retired with 12,312 career yards, at the time not only best but the one back over even 10,000 yards ever, and the year he retired, at 29 years old, he averaged 5.3 a carry for 1544 yards and 17 TD's (4 more recieving) and did it in a 14 game season. Perhaps more amazing than all that, he not only never missed a single game hurt, he NEVER MISSED A SINGLE PLAY HURT! THAT is the hands down greatest player of all time, not only the NFL but any sport, You give me 11 Jim Browns and we go unbeaten every year. BTW, he was 6'2", 232, and ran a 4.5.
Stats from his Heisman season in 1988:
Sanders rushed for 2,628 yards, an average of 238.9 yards per game
37 rushing touchdowns
He also added a punt return TD and a kickoff return TD to bring his regular season touchdown total to 39.
He produced a record 3,250 all-purpose yards and averaged 8.3 yards per play
He added another 222 rushing yards and five touchdowns against Wyoming in the bowl game, bringing his 12-game total to 2,850 rushing yards and 42 scores.
What a BEAST!
Greatest college season in history.
and in many of those games was taken off early
Well they might cheat by adding more college games and no counting bowl games to try to set the records but average of 238.9 yards per game is never going to be broken for a back that played in every game like Barry. Untouchable record.
Barry Sanders still has the record of most broken ankles in a football career. He ran like every dude on the defense was carrying a knife.
FACTS!!!!
The man broke like 20 ankles on that last play 😂
I’ve been watching ball for 50 years & Barry is still the most incredible RB pound for pound
Absolutely . I've been watching since the 80's. I've never seen a running back get near what Sanders could do. I haven't really seen Jim Brown or OJ Simpson, so I have to check out their clips.
dude was fucking special.
what you said
Real talk! Those that know, know!
I was fortunate to be at his last game on Dec 27th 1998 at (then PSI Net Stadium) in Baltimore against my home team the Ravens. Still have my ticket stub. It was cold asf but we didn't care cause .... football. His last play mid-4th quarter we fans gave him a standing 15 min ovation as he waved to the crowd. They pulled him cause Detroit was losing and they didn't see any reason for him to get hurt. The guy is a legend and although we were the homefield opposing crowd, we treated him like a retired Raven for everything he gave us to the game of Football.
Barry Sanders is absolutely the best of all time!
He was poetry in motion. Beautiful to watch. We will never see anyone like him again.
He’s second to Bo Jackson. Bo would miss 1/3 of the season and still come in, dominate, get a pro bowl selection. If Bo was full time football and never got hurt, he’d average 2000 yards rushing a season. Barry is a very close second to Bo. People forget or don’t realize Bo is the only athlete in the history of sports to be a Pro Bowler and MLB All Star.
@@deacongowan117if Len Bias doesn’t die he’s the greatest basketball player ever
@@deacongowan117tell me Bo best rushing season
It's good to see young guys appreciate just how great Barry was. Greatest running back in NFL history. Period. He did make the playoffs though. Helped Detroit get their only playoff win in franchise history.
`OK, REALITY CHECK, COWBOY FANS!!!!!! Emmitt Smith ran behind an offensive line that included Larry Allen (11 Pro Bowls), Nate Newton (6), Erik Williams (4), Mark Stepnoski (3), Ray Donaldson (2), Mark Tuinei (2), not to mention TE Jay Novacek (5), BLOCKING FULLBACK Daryl Johnston (2), and having QB Troy Aikman (6) and WR Michael Irvin (5) there to be sure defenses couldn't just key on him. Barry had LT Lomas Brown (7) and C Kevin Glover (3). As far as help offensively he had WR Herman Moore (4) as the only other threat defenses had to worry about. The Lions had BARRY, that was it. And yet with the field so tilted topward Smith, Emmitt's best 5 years Yards Per Carry were 5.3, 4.7, 4.6, 4.3, 4.3. Barry's best 5 were 6.1, 5.7, 5.3, 5.1, 5.1. Barry's WORST 2 years were both 4.3, which were equal to Smith's 4th and 5th BEST!!!!! GAME OVER!!! NOT CLOSE! BARRY< BARRY< BARRY< BARRY............ That said, Barry is still only the second best ever. Ya'll were talking about Okoye, Tomlinson, etc. etc. Look it up. JIM BROWN is hands down not only the best RUNNING BACK ever, he is probably the PLAYER ever. 9 years, lead the league in rushing in 8. yards per game in 8, averaged 5.2 a carry for his career, and, get this, 104.3 yards a game for his career. Retired with 12,312 career yards, at the time not only best but the one back over even 10,000 yards ever, and the year he retired, at 29 years old, he averaged 5.3 a carry for 1544 yards and 17 TD's (4 more recieving) and did it in a 14 game season. Perhaps more amazing than all that, he not only never missed a single game hurt, he NEVER MISSED A SINGLE PLAY HURT! THAT is the hands down greatest player of all time, not only the NFL but any sport, You give me 11 Jim Browns and we go unbeaten every year. BTW, he was 6'2", 232, and ran a 4.5.
first playoff win in franchise history
They played a game against Oklahoma when Barry was a sophomore still playing backup and returns, and after watching some tape Barry Switzer went down to his defense and said you better not injure Thurman Thomas, because you don’t want to play against this Sanders kid.
Plus the craziest thing about Barry is that for most of his career he was the Detroit offense. So he’s making most of these runs against a run stopping defensive set, against a team that just spent the entire week in practice preparing just to try and stop him. And he still clowned on everyone. I can’t find the stat but he’s got the most runs of 50 or more yards in NFL history, and it’s not even close. Usually a few guys a season will bust one for the season, and Barry would be sitting there with like 6 of those runs and the year wasn’t even over. Most exciting football player ever.
Yes and imagine what his Stats would have been if he had a full length career!
Barry Sanders:3,062 carries for 15,269...352 catches for 2,921,with 109 career tds.
Walter Payton:3,838 carries for 16,726...492 catches for 4,538,with career 125 tds.
I love Barry Sanders, but he's not Walter 🤷🏾♂️
@@fontejohnson802 And I love Walter Payton but he’s no Barry Sanders 😂
But we do need to put it in perspective. Walter played 13 seasons while Barry only 10. That means Barry Averaged 10.9 TDs per year and Payton 9.6. 😂 They’re both GOATS! Maybe I’m a bit biased cause I’m from the D
True what you said
@@lisalaursen3684 that's fair 👌
As a 43 year old Black Man, the GREATEST highlight was watching you young bros appreciate and learn from the past. Even the jokes about the old uniforms were funny 😂 I wish you young brothers ALL the success in life. Stay healthy, positive, blessed and continue to BE great.
that's the best thing I enjoyed about this video.
Same here
As a 51 year old white man I say a whole hearted AMEN
THESE GUYS KICK BUTT AND ROCK
They're great but they be capping on Bo! They don't know
Another white man claiming to be black
Mr. Sanders was one of the very very few blessings those of us who watched Lions games could treasure. Too bad he didn’t have a team to help him out. He just couldn’t do it all by himself. ❤❤❤
Barry was the complete package. But the thing that stands out the most to me is how he set up his direction changes by where others were on the field in real time. Even if his blockers weren't blocking, simply by having them in the way of the tacklers always extended the play. He was a master at this.
You can see all the players falling like pins as he strikes them all out like a bowling ball 🤣
His vision was elite. He mastered the art of direction and angles, and taking the most efficient route
The #9 clip against GB -- there were 3 or 4 defensemen scattered across the field like pins, watching him vanish!@@Magicvision333
He is one of those great players that had the misfortune of not being on a great team. However, we all can recognize a champion and his greatness. He was the only reason to watch the Lions back then.
Why do they talk about deon sanders as a two way athlete for the first 2 minutes lol it's Barry
I've been a Cowboy fan since 1977...and as I watched Barry Sanders in awe back then, I said if he had OL like E. Smith did, he'd break all the records. Barry Sanders best/humblest running back in my book.
The only reason he didn’t break the record is because he retired early.
He might of hit 2500 yards rushing playing for the Cowboys. He was elite.
I'm glad you boys enjoyed watching Berry... I'm from Michigan, and had the privilege to see him play live twice... and I'll tell you what, trying to watch Barry Sanders through a pair of binoculars,was like watching a cartoon!? You're watching him,and you think he's over here,when a second later,he's way over there!?🤷♂️❓️
I swear at times this man made very small subtle movements that were simply perfect. Like the #1 run they showed. At one point he made about 5 movements in an area less than 3 square yards n dodged half the defense. Literal perfection, divine intervention even. Incredible.
Barry was not only one of the best RB of all time but he’s a nice humble person. I lived across the street from him in the late 90s in Rochester Hills and would occasionally run into him while we were both walking our dogs. I was amazed at how down to earth and humble he was. It’s a shame he ended up leaving the NFL because the Lions executives lacked motivation to build a good team.
I used to run into him at the Whole Foods in Rochester in the late 90s. You are spot on, he is a great guy!
@@jamesalexander8872 he IS a great guy. He ain't dead yet..lol
The Fords don't really care about a winning culture and never have.
Wow, really? I lived in Rochester Hills in the late 90s and had no idea Barry lived there.
@@Funktaro5 He lived off Adams rd just north of Hamlin. Back then Hamlin was an unpaved country rd.
The lions have the honor of forcing two top ten players all time at their Position retire early because the team was so bad
Sounds about lions
So long as Ford owns the team, it will be nothing more than a place to have business meetings.
I wouldn't say the Lions were "so bad" during Barry's run... they were essentially a .500 team over his career. He played in six playoff games, but was only effective in one of them. It wasn't all on his teammates, he was shut down in big games more often than not. In 1994 he rushed for over 1800 yards in the regular season and then had 13 rushes for -1 yards in the playoff loss. Yes, ownership was cheap... lots of solid teammates walked into free agency... but they were rarely outright bad during Barry's career. The Lions improved by three games and made the playoffs the season immediately following Barry's retirement... so it wasn't like they were just hopeless scrubs without him. The biggest problem with the Lions during Barry's career was mediocre / inconsistent QB play, they had decent O-Lines and typically a competitive defense... just never found a franchise QB. Emmitt had Troy Aikmen. Thurmon Thomas had Jim Kelly. Who did Barry have? Rodney Peete, Bob Gagliano, Scott Mitchell, Charlie Batch... no more than a bunch of journeymen career backups.
😂 Fr tho
Yeah that happened to us …. Sorry megatron and barry !!!! Detroit made 💪🏼
In my opinion, Barry Sanders was the very best at changing direction, making defenders miss, bouncinging off defenders while keeping his balance, and then racing past them with his speed. He was the greatest combination of speed, power, agility, creativity, and vision of any running back in the history of the game. He was artistry in motion. Whenever he touched the ball, whether I was at the game or watching it in my living room, I would rise to my feet because I knew he was going to do something special. Something we had never seen before. He was simply the best.
I still have my all white Barry Sanders jersey 💯 Barry was the toughest running back in history to all of the defenses he faced when interviewed. They said that their teams would run them back and forth all week in practice to prepare for him.
His celebration for a TD is so classy. Just flip it to the ref every time
I agree its the ole "been there done that a million times before" it is so much more bad ass than any other celebration
It’s called class. Just like Rice respect for the game.
Best running back I have ever seen and it isn't close. I was fortunate to have had the pleasure of seeing Barry play during his Junior year in college (Oklahoma State) --- where he rushed for 2,628 yards (7.6 yards a carry), 238.9 yards a game and 37 touchdowns (including against then Big 8 powerhouses OU, Texas and Nebraska). Legendary running back who smoothly transitioned directions and could turn the jets on into afterburner in a split second. Sanders is the epitome of humility -- acts like he has been there. He was a joy to watch.
To me, he was out of the Walter Payton lineage of RB’s. It wasn’t necessarily about running over defenders, but running around them and making them miss.
Same here. I never root for another team but I own a Barry Sanders jersey because he was the greatest running back I've ever seen. Not close.
Yall missin Walter Payton
The classiest player in NFL history. He never spiked the ball. he handed it to the ref.
Glad i got to see him play
Not only was Barry a joy to watch on the field but off the field he was just a regular dude. Case in point...I attended Oakland University in Michigan back in the early 90's and would see Barry on campus from time to time...he would just be chilling by himself in the cafeteria or in the entrance to one of the dorms or in the study halls. No bodyguards, no entourage, no fan fare. He was just a down to earth humble dude who happened to be a superstar and didn't let it go to his head.
Your so right. He is such a humble guy. I too went to OU which sadly doesn’t have a football team.
What was barry doing in Oakland?. I didn't know he had any ties In Oakland..? I'm from Stillwater ...where oklahoma state is...Big fan sense he wore #21 before #20...and Wichita ks..where he grew up is just down the road an hour and half...and Lisa OU is oklahoma sooners ..of course barry didn't play there ...sooners are a rivery
@@weswelch5403 Oakland University is a local University here in the Michigan area that was located near the old Pontiac silverdome where the Lions used to play back in the 90s. If you remember.. Barry left Oklahoma State early so he was likely attending Oakland University finishing up his degree studies.
@@klmbaby6 oh OK awesome I was thinking Oakland California...lol thanks Kevin that's good to know ..he is an amazing man
@@weswelch5403 He’s referring to Oakland University in Rochester Hills Michigan (Adams rd and Walton Blvd). Barry lived nearby when he played for the lions. (Adams Rd just north of Hamlin Rd).
Damn man, Bo got injured so early in his career, you can't compare him to Deion. If you look at achievement over a short career, Bo was amazing.
Yeah it's obvious they're Cowboys, Falcons or Deion fanboys. Bo was next level.
Dude just be talking
@@whosaidthat84 Man, I'm old enough to be a Falcons & Braves fan when Deion was there, and that was amazing. But Bo was just different.
@@jchestn for sure. I was a kid back then but even I understood Bo. Both were great but Bo Knows.
bo is levels above Deion. Period.
“He hit up the whole team”! Lmao 🤣 they seen first hand Barry was the best! Period!!
A young dudes yall made my day. Good stuff. His college tape was the same like that!!!
I grew up a Packer fan and have been watching footbal for 40 years. I saw Sweetness Walter Payton run and thought nobody could top him. As soon as Barry Sanders was drafted by the Lions...it was as if god incarnated as a RB. He was a human highlight reel that Chris Berman on NFL Primetime on Sportcenter made a name for himself calling Sander's runs. There have been many good backs since him, but there will absolutely never be another like him. He was an absolute joy to watch.
And to think, the Packers could have had him if they didnt get conned by Mandarich.
Die hard lions fan here, and depending on the day i vary between who was better, Sanders or Sweetness
As a Bears fan, I feel like Barry was the best pure runner I’ve ever seen. Payton was the best RB as a total package: dirty/physical runner, vicious blocker, great receiver, charismatic team leader.
Disclaimer: I’ve never seen Jim Brown play, prime Adrian Peterson reminded me the most of Payton but with more speed, and Bo Jackson didn’t play long enough. Emmitt Smith was probably the RB that got the most out of his God-given ability in the history of the NFL aided by an all-time great line-such a smart/tough dude. It’s also very difficult to compare RBs of the last 10 years or so because RBs and offenses in general are so different.
Sweetness is the greatest
El mejor fue Walter Payton, 275 yds. En un solo juego, Payton es el Michael Jordan del football
Got to meet Barry Sanders at an event I was working in Wichita. He was my childhood hero and I got to tell him he was my favorite player. He was incredibly kind, humble and soft spoken. He told me his favorite player was Walter Payton "Sweetness." Barry didn't talk trash or gloat. He just played with the same quiet humility I saw for myself. All time great.
Yes, he's always so chill.
Thanks........trip down memory lane.
I'm glad you young people got a chance to watch...greatness 😅
Barry Sanders was the Micheal Jordan of football. No one plays running back like him. Now or since. Mad respect to him.gave us lions fans hope!
It's a crime he never got to play in a Super Bowl. Had he played for Dallas he would probably have been named Super Bowl MVP at least twice.
@@SingleTax exactly
He wasn't close to the Michael Jordan of football, Barry was a very flawed running back (unlike jordan as a basketball player). He did certain things better than everyone but it was a narrow band.
The running back equivalent to Jordan was Walter Payton who did literally everything on the field at a high level and had his own signature, unique skills/moves.
Also Barry was terrible in the playoffs unlike Jordan.
@@scottb3034 very flawed? How?
@@aaronscollectinganddetecti3018 He was a very, very bad redzone rusher and in the same vein was mediocre in short yardage. He also had increasingly diminishing returns the closer he got to the opponent goalline. He was 6 YPC on the Lions half of the field and dropped to about 3 YPC on the opponent half of the field. I also wouldn't call him the best pass protector or receiving back. He struggled in the postseason (and it wasn't ALWAYS because the Lions were bad). And there is obviously the well-documented issues where he didn't like taking the simple play, trying to get the homerun all the time.
What he was good at, he was really good at. He had plenty of big plays, he was very elusive in all fields, probably the best finesse RB ever. In his best seasons he was very efficient. But he was also very bad at the things he was bad at and his weaknesses were pretty clear. Hence flawed.
Let me add that being flawed doesn't mean he sucks. It just means he overcame more to be a great in the league. And for the record I would have preferred he had the rushing record over Emmitt if I had a choice.
To fully appreciate Barry Sanders, watch a full game highlight. Many of his actual best runs were between -2 and 3 yards, where he had to make 3 guys miss just to get back to the line of scrimmage.
Yes Barry had that same killer instinct on the field as MJ had on the court. A whole different level of drive then most athletes. But that’s why they’re Goats 🔥
I've always said Barry behind Emmitt's line would have racked up 3,000 yards.
Was going to post the same thing. Sanders had the greatest 2 or 3 yd runs I've ever seen (maybe someone like Gale Sayers was as good but never saw him in real time). That's meant to be a compliment to Sanders because he never had the luxury of a very good offensive line
As a UK non fan I don’t understand why he didn’t join a decent team
Great stuff guys. Barry is my favorite athlete of all time.
Bro I am 34 from Detroit and had the privilege of watching Barry all through elementary school. Dude was a BEAST. I wish I was a little older when I was watching him to have a full understanding of what I was really watching. As far as the uni's at around 4:47 in the video, the Lions usually play in the Thanksgiving day game...the uni's you all see there are a throwback set...some years they will wear those to pay homage to the earlier Lions years.
I watched Barry's entire career. And his entire career he destroyed my Bears. And another fact. Every single TD Barry scored. He handed the ball to the ref. Also, Barry's dad said Jim Brown was the greatest RB of all time. Even after Barry retired. And Barry and his dad were very close. His dad was just being honest. I'm from Michigan. And the day Barry announced his early retirement. All my family and friends were shocked. So was the entire NFL. Barry was so amazing.
And my Packers. Whenever he busted loose, I didn't get mad because I knew it was going to happen. He was one of those players.
@@chitownshank3164 He just made the entire division look silly his entire career. As a Bears fan, I will say. There hasn't been another one like him. And it's been 23 years since he retired.
Brown and Sanders were two different kinds of backs, so I don't think that's a fair comparison. There were things Brown could do Sanders couldn't, but there were also things Sanders could do Brown couldn't.
He never celebrated or spiked the ball, always handed it to the ref. Dude was just a different breed
When I found out Barry retired was 9 years old, and I cried. I'm 33 years old now, and I still remember that to this day.
The greatest running in football history..he got all his yards with no fullback..one man band
Good point!
Big Facts
no fullback, bad QBs, mediocre WRs, and an awful O line. Just look at how many of these runs he goes away from where the play is designed and/or the entire defense is collapsing on him
I had the privilege to see both Deion and Bo play in College and the Pros. I can tell you for certain Bo ran a 4.1 while at Auburn and weighed 220 pounds +. Bo is the better athlete and the best I have seen in a backfield besides Walter Payton. Deion is a tremendous talent and pure athlete. You need to remember Bo's career was cut short by his hip injury Bo was the first Pro athlete to play both NFL and MLB and dominated at both. I enjoy watching you're channel keep up the good work.
Great running back , if you watch again pay attention to how fast he transfers the ball from side to side !!!! (He hardly ever fumbled ,,, great reaction young men 👍👍✌️✌️
Barry was only a starter in college his Junior Year at OK State, where in 11 Games he put up 2,628 Yards Rushing and 37 Touchdowns, which means he averaged 239 Rushing Yards and over 3 TDs a game for one season. Just staggering figures!
And don’t forget Thurman Thomas was there too which makes Barry Sanders numbers even more remarkable.
And to think that OSU had both he and Thurman Thomas at the same time who was the All time leading rusher in OSU AND Big-8 history as well as 3 time All American. I don't think there's ever been or will ever be quite the 1-2 combo/2 RB package in a college Football team than the dynamic duo of Barry and Thurman. Absolutely incredible combo they were
@@RoadDoug you know what's funny about Thurman Thomas being there is that head coaches with instruct their defense is not to hurt Thurman Thomas in fear of Barry Sanders . True fact
@@thedonk2 yeah, I remember reading about that. But still, what a pair to contend with. Both first class with Barry being a first class +++
@@RoadDoug yeah there wasn't much room for error facing those two
You need to watch film on Walter Payton...that was a straight up power back
Fella's, please do some old school research. Barry was so amazing to watch, even when he was destroying your teams D, it was so crazy to watch this dude. I had the privilege to watch this human highlight real every Sunday and some Mondays. You won't be dissapointed!
Barry Sanders is legend!
Many a time when he was on the field after the play several defenders had to go pick up their shoes that came off trying to get a vector on Barry.
So cool to see you guys paying tribute to a legend! No doubt if Barry would've had Emmitt Smith's offensive line and not retire early, his records would never have been touched. He was just a class act! Never celebrated scoring a touchdown and even came out of a game when he had the chance to earn rushing record. Hands down Barry's the best there is, best there was and best there ever will be!
Barry's change of direction was subtle, he managed to make hard lateral moves while still somehow heading up field. He also had incredible balance.
Low center of gravity, strong legs, excellent change of speed..
@@PapaEli-pz8ff and that acceleration was insane. Looked like all he needed was 2 steps and he was at full speed. Some of those holes were only open for a split second and he’d burst through before anyone could fill them.
That Bo Deion debate is a good one you could go back and forth on for years.
It was an honor to watch this man play the game . Iv never seen another running back as consistant with running a pigskin as Sanders was . He will always be my favorite of all time .
Sanders' sit-down, cutback juke move was unparalleled in NFL history. He was and still is the best RB I have ever watched.
I swear to God that move defied the laws of physics. I still have no idea how he did it.
@@knarf_on_a_bike There's a youtube video of a physics major breaking down his cuts.
Not taking anything away from the greatness of Barry Sanders, but when combining blistering speed AND brute power, there hasn't been another RB like Bo Jackson, IMO. Derrick Henry comes close, but even he isn't a match for Bo's breakaway speed. Granted, the career-ending hip injury only gave us 3-4 years of prime Bo, but in terms of raw ability in their prime, I haven't seen of another RB like Bo. But you're right about no one having the amazing cutback ability of Sanders, that's for sure.
Facts
Barry was so humble, he never spiked the ball once. After every TD, he just handed the ball to the ref and jogged back to the side line.
Yup. No show-boating.
And half his tacklers had to horse collar him to get him down.
@@MSgt_0699 You mean no excitement and/or entertainment? People tend to only take issue with show-boating when they want. Otherwise, they know it's generally harmless and in good fun. I mean, are people not to experience excitement? Some have trouble containing such a powerful feeling in big moments where the thrill level reaches heights most don't see but a few times in their lives. I don't find it my place to put limitations on those who clearly have a much higher ceiling than myself.
@@ivankawnartist showboating is fine. I've got no problems with it. A guy like Primetime, it's in his blood. It's part of his game. It revs up the team and the fans, it's fun! But that wasn't Barry. Total respect to him for just being his humble self.
he was a lot like ricky williams - _extremely_ gifted athlete who just didn't love playing football
Barry is the goat, played rugby and I modeled my cuts after him. No one has change of direction like Barry, very humble post TD as well.
Barry was as amazing of a person off the field as he was on the field. Incredibly kind and humble....and I was fortunate to befriend him for a while. He actually said to me directly on a dance floor where i met him out at a club... "Damn Larry...you've got some moves." One of the greatest things ever said to me. We were so lucky to watch him as our running back... #20 THE GOAT...without a doubt!
Which club…..Have A Nice Day? 😂seen him there several times. After he quit….there was a huge empty circle surrounding him. No one went near him. And you should add yzerman to your name….he played on “one knee” and still led goals in the playoffs
@christineharrison7815 too funny...I am familiar with that one...but it was in downtown Royal Oak, above a restaurant called Sangeria. I meant him there along with a back up running back to Emmit Smith...I was with a buddy and we were with a former Ms Michigan and 4 other beautiful ladies. It was like a Seinfeld in that i was so nervous when I heard we were on our way to hang with Barry...literally he was so cool and I felt like "man I think he kind of likes me" lol...and the next day I contacted Ms Michigan and she said ya Barry liked you too and was cool with exchanging numbers. We called each other often for a handful of months. But damn our friendship dwindled as he was a busy guy as u can imagine. I ran into him another time a few years later and again he was so cool and talked about going golfing but it never transpired. Wish the best for #20 THE GOAT.
Barry Sanders was so good and so seemingly effortless that he made his opponents look like they weren't even trying. His balance, his footwork, his field of vision, his situational awareness, his ability to ride the sideline, his acceleration -- it was more than just "the whole package", it was more like a one-in-a-million combination. Then on top of that, he was a pretty amazing human being, too. And I say all this as a Washington Redskins fan in the 1980s-early '90s (go Darrell Green!). 😆
Bo was 230 during his college years, it's impressive to be as fast, quick, agile and strong as he was because we don't ever see athlete as physically gifted as Bo, ever!!!
@@NapTownKid410 don't forget earl Campbell
@@NapTownKid410 or Derrick Henry, for that matter
@@NapTownKid410 LOL...Herschel was actually faster than Bo.
I knew this was going to be finna 🔥.
We just unveiled a statue of Barry downtown at Ford Field yesterday, what a great time to be a Lions fan.
As I heard in your convo. Barry had no line, no deep threat that could give him an edge. That man did everything on his own. And never shoved it in anyones face. Most humble dude ever
False. Herman Moore, Johnnie Morton, Brett Perriman, Lomas Brown, Kevin Glover and Jeff Hartings all disagree.
Moore and Perriman had 100 catches apiece in the year of the receiver in 1995 (moore even set the reception record that season) and were all-pro. morton was a good receiver and a deep threat, Lomas Brown was a borderline HOF tackle and Glover and Hartings were pro bowlers. The ONLY thing Barry didn't have was a good QB. And if that is what makes him great then Walter Payton is the greatest of all time (which of course he is).
@@scottb3034 Herman Moore was only one and it still wasn't enough to adjust the defenses to take their eyes off Barry on any play. Not too mention QBs weren't anything to brag about nor would the line hold up enough to allow a deep threat. Herman Moore great player. But not enough for defenses to be backing off the threat of Barry.
@@EzraPeterson Herman Moore was ridiculously good. More than good enough to keep the safety out of the box. Pair him with Perriman who was excellent at the same time and then replace them/ play with them as the 3rd guy in Johnnie Morton (he had 4 1000 yard seasons 5 years there and 590 or more every year in detroit) they had a passing threat.
The real key for why detroit was terrible is the QB for sure. They had average at best QBs and their defenses were mediocre. So they could never rely on their QB in the playoffs or close games and their defense gave away games.
Also, again, they had a decent Oline. Lomas Brown is a HOF left tackle and Kevin Glover a pro bowl center. the rest of the guys besides jeff hartings were whatever for the most part but those are the two most important line positions.
Yep. Watch these plays again and look at where the play was "supposed to go". They telegraphed plays, 2 defenders waiting in the hole, and he still made it work
There were cut backs every play which is designed, every cutback designed run was wide open
As a junior at osu, Barry ran for 2628 yards in 11 games.
The one thing I didn’t see in this video was a celebration. I loved that about him. So cool.
This is the first time ever to see Barry. Must be living under a rock
He is the best running back I ever seen in my life! The man was so good, even after 11 years that his team refuse to let him leave! If he don’t retire when he did, Emmett Smith would still be running today because he was a straight monster! Mass Respect for this man doing what he did with very little protection from the O-line
QB #9 was Rodney Peete. And watching Barry play live is an experience in itself.
Barry running out to the practice field at the Pontiac Silverdome, everyone held there things they wanted autographed out, he grabbed my card and took off running and told me to catch up. Very lucky to be a kid watching Barry Live with my own eyes. I will say everytime I wanted a hot dog or had to go to the bathroom at the Silverdome, he would break an 80 yarder. You guys should also look at our kick returner during the Barry years, Mel Gray. He took one to the house every game I went to.
Dam I would love to watch a game with your group it's got to be a blast .
I am a lifelong Bears fan growing up in NC. I was born in 1975, Walter's rookie year. I started watching around 1980. He was such a great athlete , intelligent and yet humble. Barry was the same , never gloating or showboating. His actions on the field spoke for him. I miss watching both of them. Barry only played 10 years, stating "My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it". Many speculate he retired because Detroit would not let him out of his contract to play for a team with a better O-Line.
I agree with just about everything you said. I think if push came to shove I would still go with Payton #1 and Sanders#2. Just love the way Payton punished tacklers! One is a Punisher and one is Flash!
I heard an interview once with Bill Romanowski where they asked him who he would rather try to tackle Emmitt Smith or Barry Sanders. He didn't even hesitate to say Emmitt. He said with Emmitt, you would both lower shoulder and crash into each other. You'd win some, he'd win some. But Barry could make you look like you had never played football before in your life.
What’s amazing is most of these highlights are divisions games where the defenses saw him all the time and knew what was coming but they still couldn’t stop him. Bears for example had really good defenses back then and he twisted them up so much it was comical. Sanders was an all time great RB.
His Cuts and Foot work is G.O.A.T.
Barry Sanders best running back ever.
One of my favorite Barry Sanders stories is about this time at OSU, they were playing Oklahoma and Barry Seltzer the coach of Ok said whatever you do to his players, don't hurt Thurman Thomas, All-American, because if you do you won't want to face that freshman they have, none other than Barry Sanders! Quite a testament to his greatness at an early stage.
Congratulations to all of you. Getting a degree in what you want to be the best at is Amazing.
On the 90's i lived 3 miles from the Silverdome. Saw Barry many times. No words to describe him. The Lions were not awesome, but Barry was worth the price of admission by himself.
His feet never stop moving and his eyes never stop shifting, looking for the best route. He could change on a dime and not lose any momentum. Amazing. His lack of championships is an ownership failure. He is a marquee player that didn’t have the right team around him. And as said in Lisa’s comment, they man wasn’t flashy on the field and was humble off. A nice guy who wanted to make his mark. He’s a legend.
Barry's vision was phenomenal.
He was seeing his cut back lane before the QB even handed him the ball
Barry didn't want to leave Detroit. He never left. He picked up our draft picks (Jaymir Gibbs) from the airport. He's always with the organization and they just built a statue of him. It's dope
Careful... watching Barry Sanders highlights can be addictive.
Great reaction ! And Barry never celebrated or talked trash. Most elusive and quickest back ever. Not a super fast sprinter, but fast enough .Extremely low center of gravity and powerful legs. The Lions and Browns were awesome back in the fifties- not much success since then. But my Lions are clawing their way back this year. 😎
He ran full speed past the goal line, handed the ball to the ref after every touchdown or play, he wasn't cocky or arrogant, didn't showboat, played injured, gave 100% on every play, held celebrations to the bare minimum. He's a completely different player than today's athletes who need to be the center of attention, who love to show off, who need the "look at me" moments and need to be coddled. Barry let his play do the talking for him. He's the greatest running back of all time in my opinion.
He was all class for sure
Nick Chubb kind of reminds me of Barry Sanders.
Agreed, Barry is the GOAT, no other will ever be as good. Imagine him with the Dallas O line.
another reason sometimes age does have its advantages, getting to watch these games live on sunday as a kid... was amazing.
Brothers, keep doing what you doing, but you aint lying. That has to be one of the best running back in the league. I'm saying that because I'm from Detroit😅
I really love how these young men go back and learn their history from sports and entertainment, to whatever. I'm 44 and my childhood was in the 80's, adolescence, teenage, and coming of age in the 90's. Barry Sanders is my favorite Running Back of all time, and I think he's the best I've ever seen. Keep it up young brothers.
I read other comments mentioning about Walter "Sweetness" Payton, iconic running back for Chicago Bears from 1975 to 1987, those seasons, he rushed nearly 17,000 yards with 110 Touchdowns. Emmitt Snith of Dallas Cowboys broke rushing record. Both college and NFL setup awards named after Walter Payton: NCAA - Walter Payton for Best Offensive Player in College Div. 1 and NFL - Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for player who helps and supports his community.
He's often called the greatest football player ever, because he could do so many things (run, pass, punt, return kicks). He was a great player, and no one was tougher at RB than Sweetness.
I'm happy that I got to watch his whole career.
I met Barry and his brother while they were shooting a commercial. That man was an athlete period. His legs were huge.
He is so much more than the best running back of all time, he was mentored by Walter Payton and was with him when he passed and now runs a camp for kids with disabilities
Another reason to like Barry, good hearted person and one the most humble guys you can meet.
Next to Dan Marino, Barry Sanders was maybe my favorite football player to watch growing up. His vision, balance, and ability to change direction was unmatched. To this day the best RB I've ever watched play.
3rd saddest moment of my life was the day ESPN broke that news Barry retired. Ruined me for the whole season. For years after, thought he would come back. He was the greatest RB I ever saw
Barry Sanders made world class NFL athletes look like your drunk uncle in a pickup game at a barbecue.
Barry holds the college record, single season, it’ll never be broken
Y’all need to check out NFL HOF’er and one of the top power backs of all time, Earl Campbell. His workload was the only thing that could slow this beast down, 5’ 11’, 232lbs, thighs like redwoods, and a 4.5-40 time to boot. He carried 30-40 times a game for the Houston Oilers back in the late 70’s and early 80’s before finishing his career up with the Saints, and he would drag defenders with so much force his jersey would literally tear off and the defender would be left laying on the ground panting and wincing with shredded fabric still in their clutch as they watched him cannonball through his next victim lol. That force + speed combo was unstoppable…in 1980 he had 4 games in which he rushed for over 200 yards!
In EACH of his first three seasons he: led the league in rushing (plus his fourth time in his fourth year), was selected to the All- Pro Team, and won the Offensive POY award…in each of his first 3 pro years! In 8 NFL seasons overall: 5X pro-bowler, 3x Offensive POY, ROY, MVP - NFL Hall of Fame (1991). Not to mention his collegiate career where he amassed 4,443 yds, 40 touchdowns, and a massive 5.8 YPC career average over only 40 games, or his Heisman.
Brute force back with speed and agility…the Tyler Rose is a legend. And most importantly….he’s damn fun to watch!
Earl Campbell is the only person I’ve ever asked for an autograph. He signed it “Peace & Love, Earl Campbell” He had the same problem at Houston and New Orleans that Barry Sanders had at Detroit: he WAS the offense! He got so beat-up that he only played what?… 8 years or so.
He's the only guy I've ever seen where everyone knew he was getting the ball, including the defense, and they still struggled to stop him. He retired right before Warren Moon joined the Oilers. I would have loved to see the kind of team those two would have created if they played at the same time.
Thanks for this video. For a minute, I'd forgotten how unbelievable this dude was. All due respect to Emmitt, Barry was better. He just had the misfortune of playing for Detroit.
The goat boys. And look out this year for us!
Barry's field vision and ability to cut on a dime then immediately accelerate to top speed within a few steps was insane and only a few ever had that level of ability.
Barry sanders, OJ simpson, and Gale Sayers were the "cut Kings"!
@@arcticwater3206 YES!!
#40 GALE "THE KANSAS COMET" SAYERS!!
The best there was, the best there is, and the best there ever will be, and the most humble human to ever play sports period ‼️
Barry Sanders was an annual Thanksgiving treat. But I honestly think Greg Pruitt’s highlight real is even more impressive. Greg Pruitt was criminally underrated.
Barry Sanders is the GOAT. As a Lions fan, our success this season has been well worth the wait.