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"!
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.
He was still breaking records he retired because he didn't want to get more yards than his idol a better line would have gotten him there faster but not having a line didn't stop him
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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).
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.
@@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 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 🤷🏾♂️
@@Fonte1971 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
When the subject of best RB of all time comes up, I usually think of Walter Payton and his many talents (moves, blocking, receiving, passing, punting (!)) and Barry Sanders with his moves and speed. Then I am reminded of Gayle Sayers. When he was young and healthy (before serious injuries), he was the best I have ever seen.
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.
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.
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.
I live in Canada, starting watching sports big time starting in 1989. We happened to have a Detroit feed as one of our channels so I watched Lions games, meaning I had the honour and privilege of watching Barry play from the beginning. He will always be the GOAT, not just because of his stats but his style. There will NEVER be another Barry Sanders, stats or style wise. When you watch this video, take notice how many of the runs are draws and delayed draws up the middle. He was a one man wrecking crew.
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.
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.
many don't remember, but Walter Payton was dying when Barry retired. It was speculated at that time, he retired to allow Walter to pass away with the rushing title. Kinda seems plausible knowing Walter was his favorite player and how humble he was.
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!
Bo jackson EMBARASSED dieon when they played eachother. Dieon publicly admitted he couldn't fuck with bo. Bo was a FREAK and would have been a hall of famer in both sports
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.
Sanders was responsinle for the well know saying after scoring a TD......"Act like you have been there before " Which implied act like you have been in the endzone many times before ....like it ain't no big thing , just doing my job and I am scoring TD's regularly instead of showboating and dancing and spiking the ball looking and acting like your so excited because you rarely get TD's
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. 😎
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!?🤷♂️❓️
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!). 😆
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
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 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.
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.
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
@@warrenamon5104 It's amazing how you got basically your entire comment wrong. Brett Perriman, Johnny Morton and most important Herman Moore were more than mediocre WRs. Moore set the record for receptions in a season as a lion, Perriman and Moore were the first 1000 yard receiver tandem in history IIRC. They also have 2 OL up for the HOF in Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover, both were regular pro bowlers. QB was up and down but they had a few good regular seasons.
Barry Sanders was & is a class act. No celebration in the end zone, just hand the ball to the Ref. and act like you’ve been there before. Retiring in his prime, he would have crushed ANY record. I’m glad I went back to see your reactions to the best that ever ran a down. GO LIONS 2024-2025!!!
I've gotta say, it was a pleasure watching you guys checking out Barry's best runs. I'm 41 and grew up watching and appreciating the GOAT...and I'm no Lions fan, haha. This just took me back. I especially remember those runs against my Jets...even when we had decent teams and the Lions were nothing special, Barry always was and he always gave us fits. But, he did that to the entire league, to be fair. If you really want to see some of his most truly mind-blowing displays, look up a supercut on his best negative yardage or short yardage runs. You'll see how it wasn't just his vision, but how smoothly he could change direction by shifting his weight, and how otherworldly this guy's balance and ability to "feel" the would-be tacklers around him was. Unmatched and unrivaled to this day. Plus, in doing so you'll also see how right dude is talking about how bad their line was. It was insane how many times he was literally under pressure as soon as he took the handoff, and how many people he made miss just to try to break even on a play. Great videos though, always enjoy watching the channel! 🍻 And one last thing, as a Jets fan, while when we're bad, we're really bad (talking Front Office all the way down to the person scrubbing the toilets after a game bad), I don't think they're in the running for the worst franchise in league history. They've got a SB win, granted it was the 3rd SB, but shit, we've got one! 😅🤣 But we've still had some fun and competitive teams, a few AFC Championship Games in the last 23 years or so. The Pennington years we had good teams, same as far as the skill position guys when Sanchez was the QB leaving much to be desired. Not putting my favorites on a pedestal, just trying to be objective. The first two that pop into mind are immediately the Lions and the Bengals, for me. No SB wins for either, limited playoff success as well besides a couple seasons where they went to the Conference Championship or SB and lost. Funny thing though, is when I was growing up the Lions would still have been in that conversation, but the others would probably have been the Bucs and the Patriots. We all know though that once we hit the 2000's, those teams' competitive fortunes changed drastically for the better.
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.
The GOAT of running backs. He was amazing, and with a crappy offensive line on a crappy team. It's also amazing that we still haven't seen another back like him to this day.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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!!!
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.
Can we PLEASE get more videos like this fellas I used to come to watch y'all videos to escape the MADNESS politics is meant to DIVIDE and CONQUER keep God and Christ first and the rest will be added unto you be blessed young brothers
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.
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.
@@curtisclayton8023 The worst wasted talent ever. If he had played for the cowboys or redskins of his era the records would be untouchable. Simply untouchable.
Glad you all found Barry! Number 9 was Rodney Pete! From my point of view, if the Lions at that time ran the I-Formation, no telling what they could have achieved Great video!
This was my FAVORITE running back as a kid. When i was in 4th grade he rushed for over 2000 yards in one season. It was the 97-98 season. I was glued to the games every sunday !!!
At 10:50 that was Rodney Pete at QB handing off to Barry. You should check out Jared Goffs perfect game 18-18 and a receiving TD against the Seahawks last week and they were undefeated coming into the game. #OnePride
They use to call Barry a human pinball machine. Because he would hit the/bounce back out/take for a 90 yard touchdown. He hands down was the most talented rb to ever play football. He improvised a lot of his runs.and that's what made him so great.
I have been a Lions fan since 1977. Barry is the greatest running back in football history and The Lions are indeed the WORST FRACHISE in foot ball history.
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.
There will never be another barry sanders. If he wouldn't have left the nfl he would have crushed the rushing record with shit for a o line and would have did it years before emmit Smith broke it and he always ran behind some of the best o lines in the league every year his entire career
He had two borderline HOFs on the OL.... what? His line wasn't bad. Also he wasn't going to CRUSH the record, he might have it but barely. Smith wound up with 18k, Barry was slowing down at 15k yards. He might not have had more than 17,500 by the time he retired from ineffectiveness. His last season was the worst of his career, his yards per carry was almost a yard lower than his career average and he couldn't score anymore.
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.
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
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
Pound for pound the greatest to ever run the ball, could stop on a dime, dude even broke Rod Woodson's ankle juking him! Will never be another with that kind of vision, speed, cuts, moves, and humbleness. Amazing person as well, never celebrated, just handed the ball to the ref and did his job. Shame he ended it so soon, no one would touch that record if he kept playing behind a good Oline.
Yes, OSU had 2 first ballot HOFers in the backfield at once. In the NFL, Barry was asked who the best RB in the NFL at the time is. At That time, Thurman Thomas was on the Bills and going to 4 straight SBs. He just grinned and said, "I don't know, but I know he went to Oklahoma State." I loved to watch him play, he was magic.
I will never forget watching the Bills lose all 4 of those SB's in a row. Heart wrenching, Felt so bad for Thurman. They were so close in the 2nd one against the Giants but lost 20-19.
You should have seen him when he was at Oklahoma State, especially the year he won the Heisman. Over 2600 yards, averaging nearly 240 yards a game for the whole season. I remember it because he embarrassed my Oklahoma Sooners. I'm 64, and I actually watched Jim Brown and Gale Sayers. Barry was incredible at every level.
I always laugh when I think of this quote by Switzer....."Whatever you do, don't hurt Thurman (Thomas). You don't want to play against this freshman back they have named Barry Sanders.- Barry Switzer (before the 1987 Oklahoma- Oklahoma State game)"
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.
This man never needed to tell people how great he was. No matter how amazing he played I never saw him do any kind of personal celebration. He would hand the ball to the referee like it was no big deal. 100% CLASS ACT. Wish we had more players with his character now, but his talent is of the rarest kind. So glad I got to see him play at the holiday bowl in San Diego
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. ❤❤❤
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 👍👍✌️✌️
I love see you youngsters getting the Barry experience! I got to see him live and even then the feeling was the same. NOTHING LIKE HIM! He actually made one of my favorite players of ALL time (Rod Woodson) tear his acl he shook him so bad. Love the video!
Barry retired early as he wanted to keep his health. He made millions and was smart enough to leave the game as 1 of the All-Time Greats. Detroit had a middle of the pack team. This man was amazing with change of direction and burst of speed.
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.
Barry Sanders is the greatest RB to ever play football in my life time and it was a pleasure to watch him from day one when Detroit drafted him in 89. There will never be another RB like him.
When watching these highlights take into consideration that every teams goal was to stop Barry. 8, 9, 10 in the box. And he still danced around them. His acceleration was insane.
The change of direction and acceleration is what always impressed me. Going full speed one direction, stop, shift 180 in the other direction, and be at full speed in like three steps. Barry handled like a F1 car 😂
Dion was a primer athlete! He is a HOF CB, that right there shows how good he was as a football player. He did also play baseball, but was no where near the baseball player that Bo was. Bo was an all around better athlete. Watch Bo Jackson 30 for 30 and you will see Bo Jackson differently
Deion also played for the Yankees (highest pay roll in baseball) while Bo played for small market KC. If Bo hadn't got injured...we might be talking about him as a notch under Barry Sanders
I'm 46 and Barry was the best RB I've ever seen. Speed, change of motion, vision, smarts. He had it all. And, Brandon, I usually agree with you, but Bo was better than Deion.
Us michigan people were spoiled by watching him playing, such a pure talent. They used to always say during the broadcast, you couldn't tackle him in a telephone booth
Saw him play live too. Best RB ever and no one is close. Literally every run you held your breath. Also, those WERE his legs, not pads!! I'm a 5'9, 200lb RB and stood a foot from Barry once... EACH of his legs are bigger than my whole waste! Heard he has to have custom made pants and its facts. Plus I towered over him. He's under 5'6 all day long.
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
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.
He was still breaking records he retired because he didn't want to get more yards than his idol a better line would have gotten him there faster but not having a line didn't stop him
Emmit had better blocking, Sanders ,Payton avg blocking
O Line, QB, Fullback..
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
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.
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.
@@Digitalsapien Acting like we didnt just live through Marshawn Lynch is crazy
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
So awesome to see the younger generation appreciate Barry…Respect…
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.
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.
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
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
Detroit done Barry wrong, they never got him the offensive line that he deserved or else he'd probably hit that 4,000.00 yard plateau
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!
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,
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).
Notice all the horse collars too lol; I remember watching #1 live as a kid, I was FREAKING TF OUT lol, good memories guys thanks.
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 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.
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 🤷🏾♂️
@@Fonte1971 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 👌
When the subject of best RB of all time comes up, I usually think of Walter Payton and his many talents (moves, blocking, receiving, passing, punting (!)) and Barry Sanders with his moves and speed. Then I am reminded of Gayle Sayers. When he was young and healthy (before serious injuries), he was the best I have ever seen.
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
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.
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.
I live in Canada, starting watching sports big time starting in 1989. We happened to have a Detroit feed as one of our channels so I watched Lions games, meaning I had the honour and privilege of watching Barry play from the beginning. He will always be the GOAT, not just because of his stats but his style. There will NEVER be another Barry Sanders, stats or style wise. When you watch this video, take notice how many of the runs are draws and delayed draws up the middle. He was a one man wrecking crew.
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 💪🏼
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.
many don't remember, but Walter Payton was dying when Barry retired. It was speculated at that time, he retired to allow Walter to pass away with the rushing title. Kinda seems plausible knowing Walter was his favorite player and how humble he was.
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!
Bo jackson EMBARASSED dieon when they played eachother. Dieon publicly admitted he couldn't fuck with bo. Bo was a FREAK and would have been a hall of famer in both sports
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.
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.
Sanders was responsinle for the well know saying after scoring a TD......"Act like you have been there before " Which implied act like you have been in the endzone many times before ....like it ain't no big thing , just doing my job and I am scoring TD's regularly instead of showboating and dancing and spiking the ball looking and acting like your so excited because you rarely get TD's
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. 😎
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!?🤷♂️❓️
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!). 😆
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
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 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.
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
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
@@warrenamon5104 It's amazing how you got basically your entire comment wrong. Brett Perriman, Johnny Morton and most important Herman Moore were more than mediocre WRs. Moore set the record for receptions in a season as a lion, Perriman and Moore were the first 1000 yard receiver tandem in history IIRC. They also have 2 OL up for the HOF in Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover, both were regular pro bowlers. QB was up and down but they had a few good regular seasons.
Barry Sanders was & is a class act. No celebration in the end zone, just hand the ball to the Ref. and act like you’ve been there before. Retiring in his prime, he would have crushed ANY record. I’m glad I went back to see your reactions to the best that ever ran a down. GO LIONS 2024-2025!!!
I've gotta say, it was a pleasure watching you guys checking out Barry's best runs. I'm 41 and grew up watching and appreciating the GOAT...and I'm no Lions fan, haha. This just took me back. I especially remember those runs against my Jets...even when we had decent teams and the Lions were nothing special, Barry always was and he always gave us fits. But, he did that to the entire league, to be fair.
If you really want to see some of his most truly mind-blowing displays, look up a supercut on his best negative yardage or short yardage runs. You'll see how it wasn't just his vision, but how smoothly he could change direction by shifting his weight, and how otherworldly this guy's balance and ability to "feel" the would-be tacklers around him was. Unmatched and unrivaled to this day. Plus, in doing so you'll also see how right dude is talking about how bad their line was. It was insane how many times he was literally under pressure as soon as he took the handoff, and how many people he made miss just to try to break even on a play.
Great videos though, always enjoy watching the channel! 🍻
And one last thing, as a Jets fan, while when we're bad, we're really bad (talking Front Office all the way down to the person scrubbing the toilets after a game bad), I don't think they're in the running for the worst franchise in league history. They've got a SB win, granted it was the 3rd SB, but shit, we've got one! 😅🤣 But we've still had some fun and competitive teams, a few AFC Championship Games in the last 23 years or so. The Pennington years we had good teams, same as far as the skill position guys when Sanchez was the QB leaving much to be desired. Not putting my favorites on a pedestal, just trying to be objective. The first two that pop into mind are immediately the Lions and the Bengals, for me. No SB wins for either, limited playoff success as well besides a couple seasons where they went to the Conference Championship or SB and lost. Funny thing though, is when I was growing up the Lions would still have been in that conversation, but the others would probably have been the Bucs and the Patriots. We all know though that once we hit the 2000's, those teams' competitive fortunes changed drastically for the better.
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.
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.
The GOAT of running backs. He was amazing, and with a crappy offensive line on a crappy team. It's also amazing that we still haven't seen another back like him to this day.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
@@dmvbay2535 and Deion in the 100
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.
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 😂
Can we PLEASE get more videos like this fellas I used to come to watch y'all videos to escape the MADNESS politics is meant to DIVIDE and CONQUER keep God and Christ first and the rest will be added unto you be blessed young brothers
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.
I was blessed to see Barry his entire career. You never ever knew what he was gonna do and that was most exciting. Lions ALWAYS had a chance to win.
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
@@scottrackley4457In the post merger era anyway
@@curtisclayton8023 The worst wasted talent ever. If he had played for the cowboys or redskins of his era the records would be untouchable. Simply untouchable.
Glad you all found Barry! Number 9 was Rodney Pete! From my point of view, if the Lions at that time ran the I-Formation, no telling what they could have achieved Great video!
Barry's vision was phenomenal.
He was seeing his cut back lane before the QB even handed him the ball
As a junior at osu, Barry ran for 2628 yards in 11 games.
This was my FAVORITE running back as a kid. When i was in 4th grade he rushed for over 2000 yards in one season. It was the 97-98 season. I was glued to the games every sunday !!!
he ran for 2000 yards in 14 games. his 1st 2 game he had 53 yards total, barry ended up having 2053 yards that season
@@burns4246 he was ridiculous. Him, deion and randy moss are my favorite players of all time.
At 10:50 that was Rodney Pete at QB handing off to Barry. You should check out Jared Goffs perfect game 18-18 and a receiving TD against the Seahawks last week and they were undefeated coming into the game. #OnePride
Watching it live with a couple beers 🍻 was all we needed in the 90s 😇
They use to call Barry a human pinball machine. Because he would hit the/bounce back out/take for a 90 yard touchdown. He hands down was the most talented rb to ever play football. He improvised a lot of his runs.and that's what made him so great.
I have been a Lions fan since 1977. Barry is the greatest running back in football history and The Lions are indeed the WORST FRACHISE in foot ball history.
“He hit up the whole team”! Lmao 🤣 they seen first hand Barry was the best! Period!!
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.
You need to watch film on Walter Payton...that was a straight up power back
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 ‼️
There will never be another barry sanders. If he wouldn't have left the nfl he would have crushed the rushing record with shit for a o line and would have did it years before emmit Smith broke it and he always ran behind some of the best o lines in the league every year his entire career
He had two borderline HOFs on the OL.... what? His line wasn't bad.
Also he wasn't going to CRUSH the record, he might have it but barely. Smith wound up with 18k, Barry was slowing down at 15k yards. He might not have had more than 17,500 by the time he retired from ineffectiveness. His last season was the worst of his career, his yards per carry was almost a yard lower than his career average and he couldn't score anymore.
QB #9 was Rodney Peete. And watching Barry play live is an experience in itself.
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.
@@aphairas love me some "Sweetness", but Jim Brown was just as fast at 230+ Lbs., stronger and I'd wager much meaner.
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
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.
Pound for pound the greatest to ever run the ball, could stop on a dime, dude even broke Rod Woodson's ankle juking him!
Will never be another with that kind of vision, speed, cuts, moves, and humbleness. Amazing person as well, never celebrated, just handed the ball to the ref and did his job. Shame he ended it so soon, no one would touch that record if he kept playing behind a good Oline.
It was Rod Woodson's knee... gotta tell it right my friend
Yes, OSU had 2 first ballot HOFers in the backfield at once. In the NFL, Barry was asked who the best RB in the NFL at the time is. At That time, Thurman Thomas was on the Bills and going to 4 straight SBs. He just grinned and said, "I don't know, but I know he went to Oklahoma State." I loved to watch him play, he was magic.
I will never forget watching the Bills lose all 4 of those SB's in a row. Heart wrenching, Felt so bad for Thurman. They were so close in the 2nd one against the Giants but lost 20-19.
@@MetalMcfly Yes. But, BTW, the Giants SB was the first one, just FYI.
I'm Frederick Williams 47 Barry Sanders is the best & cut on a dime runningback I ever seen he is the best
You should have seen him when he was at Oklahoma State, especially the year he won the Heisman. Over 2600 yards, averaging nearly 240 yards a game for the whole season. I remember it because he embarrassed my Oklahoma Sooners. I'm 64, and I actually watched Jim Brown and Gale Sayers. Barry was incredible at every level.
Absolutely right. One of the best four college highlight tapes I've ever seen. And I'm 70
I always laugh when I think of this quote by Switzer....."Whatever you do, don't hurt Thurman (Thomas). You don't want to play against this freshman back they have named Barry Sanders.- Barry Switzer (before the 1987 Oklahoma- Oklahoma State game)"
3 months late but this. The single most dominant college RB I have ever seen.
Was Jim brown overrated
Barry Sanders best running back ever.
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!!
I'm glad you young people got a chance to watch...greatness 😅
Barry holds the college record, single season, it’ll never be broken
This man never needed to tell people how great he was. No matter how amazing he played I never saw him do any kind of personal celebration. He would hand the ball to the referee like it was no big deal. 100% CLASS ACT. Wish we had more players with his character now, but his talent is of the rarest kind. So glad I got to see him play at the holiday bowl in San Diego
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. ❤❤❤
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 👍👍✌️✌️
I love see you youngsters getting the Barry experience! I got to see him live and even then the feeling was the same. NOTHING LIKE HIM! He actually made one of my favorite players of ALL time (Rod Woodson) tear his acl he shook him so bad. Love the video!
I wanted to mention that soooooo bad, like show that footage…
I am a 49ers fan but I always loved Barry Sanders performances. He was above and beyond any and all RBs and I believe even to this day.
Barry retired early as he wanted to keep his health. He made millions and was smart enough
to leave the game as 1 of the All-Time Greats. Detroit had a middle of the pack team. This man
was amazing with change of direction and burst of speed.
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.
Barry Sanders is the greatest RB to ever play football in my life time and it was a pleasure to watch him from day one when Detroit drafted him in 89. There will never be another RB like him.
One thing Barry never did, is celebrate in the end zone. He was a very humble person.
Walter Payton started that practice.
Went to college with him and coached his son in middle school A great guy
Makes me happy to see you guys appreciate athletes before your time.
When watching these highlights take into consideration that every teams goal was to stop Barry. 8, 9, 10 in the box. And he still danced around them. His acceleration was insane.
The change of direction and acceleration is what always impressed me. Going full speed one direction, stop, shift 180 in the other direction, and be at full speed in like three steps.
Barry handled like a F1 car 😂
Dion was a primer athlete! He is a HOF CB, that right there shows how good he was as a football player. He did also play baseball, but was no where near the baseball player that Bo was. Bo was an all around better athlete. Watch Bo Jackson 30 for 30 and you will see Bo Jackson differently
Bo Jackson has the fastest 40 recorded at the combine 4.12 . Deon was 4.2 . Not to mention Bo was 40lbs heavier .
Deion also played for the Yankees (highest pay roll in baseball) while Bo played for small market KC. If Bo hadn't got injured...we might be talking about him as a notch under Barry Sanders
I'm 46 and Barry was the best RB I've ever seen. Speed, change of motion, vision, smarts. He had it all. And, Brandon, I usually agree with you, but Bo was better than Deion.
Us michigan people were spoiled by watching him playing, such a pure talent. They used to always say during the broadcast, you couldn't tackle him in a telephone booth
Saw him play live too. Best RB ever and no one is close. Literally every run you held your breath.
Also, those WERE his legs, not pads!!
I'm a 5'9, 200lb RB and stood a foot from Barry once... EACH of his legs are bigger than my whole waste! Heard he has to have custom made pants and its facts. Plus I towered over him. He's under 5'6 all day long.