The legacies of the greats in American football change the game for us, not because they give us great memories, but they remind us of what we should be looking out for when we think about the NFL lines for upcoming seasons.
When we consider the players who changed the game, we cannot help but apply what they did to players on the field now, and that is a good thing, being able to apply these things means we are on the lookout for the next legend.
Many of the greats who have left epic legacies behind them started off highly doubted, Tom Brady did, he wasn’t even the first pick and look where he ended up, and the same sort of story happened for Barry Sanders.
So, let’s look at Sanders, and the legacy he left in his stead.
A 10-Year Highlight Reel
Many might call him one of the greatest of all time, however, that title is flung around a bit these days. That being said, he was undoubtedly the most epic running back. He had a 10-year career that just seemed to be a non-stop highlight reel.
He was great, he just kept getting better and better, achieving one accomplishment followed by another, and then another. He would set record after record, and gain yard, after yard, after yard.
What is most curious about this legend though, is that he showed up, wowed everyone, accomplished much, set records, gained yards and then one day *poof* He just walked away.
Many might say that his legacy is somewhat tainted by a few things, perhaps tainted so that it takes the mind off of how talented he was on the field. However, we disagree, things such as lacking a Super Bowl ring do not affect this.
There are many greats who never gained a Super Bowl ring, but that doesn’t mean they were not good players, or great players. A Super Bowl ring is not the be all end all, and it does not dictate how great a player is at the game.
So, despite his lack of having won a Super Bowl, he was still great, do not let that fool you!
Who Was He?
But, who was he?
Barry Sanders played for the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1998, and in spite of him never scoring a Super Bowl ring, he had many career highlights and many awards.
He was the 1997 NFL MVP, and he was twice over an NFL Offensive Player of the Year. In his beginning year he was also the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and was also a 6 time over First-team All-Pro as well.
He led the league in rushing touchdowns in 1991, and won the Walter Camp Award, Heisman trophy, and more!
He totaled 15,269 rushing yards at an average of 5 yards per carry. He scored 99 rushing touchdowns and made 352 receptions over his 10-year career.
He was just as great in his college career as he was in his NFL career, and so while he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, he was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 as well.
He was also inducted into the Michigan and Oklahoma Hall of Fame as well, so, as we previously said, in spite of him having no Super Bowl ring, he was great, if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be such a popular member of so many Hall of Fame set-ups.
Silencing His Doubters
Sometimes a player will come along, and we will automatically know they will be a future Hall of Famer, this was not the case for Sanders.
He was drafted as the 3rd pick by the Lions, but they did nearly pass on him, yet, the head coach, even though he was undersized and not seemingly strong enough to be in that play position.
But, Barry did silence his doubters, he made his first pro touchdown on his 4th carry and finished the 1989 season as the Rookie of the Year. Take that haters!
Over the following seasons, he became the leading rusher for 4 of his 10 seasons, and he was the only running back to have four seasons with consecutive 1,500 yard rushes.
He showed himself to be a legend on the field, with legendary rushing yards, touchdowns for days and constant successes and achievements.
He was a marker that stated running backs can be just as awesome, and important as quarterbacks, and that Super Bowl rings are not the end all, be all of success.
