I watched his entire career and all these years later, I'm still in awe. Catching Barry Sanders was like trying to catch a cricket. He retired way too soon. we miss you Barry...
All these years later and nobody has ever been close to the moves Barry had. I swear the dudes ligaments were made of rubber. Astounding he ran on that shitty astro turf and never blew out a major ligaments with the change of direction he ran with
Watching Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas as a kid was a dream. I wish the running back position could still produce talents like Sanders. Obviously Adrian Peterson and Ladanian Tomlinson were great talents and Le'Veon Bell was the last to show major potential (maybe Christian McCafferey). No one comes even close to Barry
He did all this while on a horrible team, balance second to none, leg strength and elusiveness and refusal to give up on a play.. best running back I have ever seen.. to me he is the G O A T
@Lendul yes he had a great lune but the fact remains one playoff win says a lot about the team. I blame ownership during that period more then the players but he did end his career early because he could see ownership was not willing to make the steps to make the team a winner. The new ownership is the opposite maybe same bloodline but totally different drive.
As a native Detroiter who got to see Barry live… I really appreciate you gents highlighting his play still. What a gem he was to watch… and still is. They’re erecting a bronze statue of him this fall for good reason. FORWARD DOWN THE FIELD!!! Go Lions!!!
That is awesome to hear!😀 I am 43 year old Tennessee native but the Detroit Lions have been my team ever since I saw Barry run the ball when I was a kid. The fact that he stayed with the Lions throughout his career during all the hard times is testament to his undying loyalty.. Something that is a lost concept for most of today's players unfortunately.
Important to remember that on every team he played on he was the only option. Every defense he played against knew he was getting the ball and it didn't matter. Side note, on play 8 he makes #47 fall down while touching nothing. #47 is John Lynch. He's in the Hall of Fame mostly based on his excellence at tackling people.
He had weapons on offense with him. Herman Moore, Johnny Morton, Brett Perriman. The problem was horrible QB play combined with even more horrible luck with O linemen. First Mike Utley getting paralyzed, followed by Erik Andolsek being hit by a semi while mowing his lawn.
He was the weapon on Offense. His presence made the rest of them look ok.. Only Herman was consistent. Perriman was up and down. Morton doesnt even count. Youre right with his QB though, and the only decent QB he had was Scotty boy-Marinos back up quarterback that had one good season when Marino got hurt....Mitchell, is TRASH too.....lol BARRY IS THE GOAT!!!@@Brocuzgodlocdunfamdogson
@@seangooden4711 i remember Lomas saying he let his guy beat him just so Mitchell would get rocked. You gotta be bad if your own guys are throwing you under the bus like that.
Trust me when I say there are many more in other videos. Some of which could have been in the top 50. Barry has more runs for 2-3 yard loses than anyone ever, but he made them look amazing. #HighlightMachine
I heard a story that one team bought live chickens to practice and had the defense chase them around and try to catch them, which is basically what trying to tackle Barry was like.
Barry Sanders could make a 2-yard loss exciting. He was so hard to tackle that opponents accused him of spraying silicon lube on his jersey. His low center of gravity made him near-impossible to take down one-on-one. Truly a one of a kind player.
Yeah, and some of the 2 yard losses should have been 10 yard losses and he would have run a total of 35 yards or more! Never saw this man give up on a play, he was never going to quit you had to go get him 😲😃
I remember that game....vs. Minnesota his rookie year they stopped the game in the 3rd quarter because Minnesota's defense said their hands were slipping off him! Omg how good are you when you get accused of spraying lubricant on your Jersey!!!BEST RUNNING BACK TO EVER TOUCH THE BALL 💯💯
one of my favorite plays that he made was actually about a 2 yd loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. he was about 8 yds deep single back. the defense had the play snuffed out with a perfect run blitz. Barry made a spin move on the handoff to avoid the tackle and managed to lunge forward almost back to the line of scrimmage. the quickness and balance to execute that was impeccable.
The crazy part is that he didn't just make some average players look like they didn't belong on the field. In the #8 clip the player #47 that totally missed him is a hall of fame player John Lynch who was one of the hardest hitters in the league and was always making great plays.
Barry played college football for Oklahoma state. Professional for Detroit Lions . Not flashy. Straight up played best back ever. Could have broke all records playing one more year but was smart enough to know he wanted to keep his body in tact . Retired , moved back to Oklahoma to raise his family.
He retired because he was tired of LOSING. Bobby Ross wasted 2 Top 10 Draft picks on the Biggest Lineman he could find in the draft in 1998....they SUCKED and were out of the league shortly thereafter. Barry quit out of frustration and wanted to be traded. Had the Lions management not been A-Holes and let him out of his contract/Trade him he would have kept on playing.
@@billiondollarbaby3276 I remember watching an interview with him a couple of years after he left. He asked the reporter....Have you ever been in automobile accident? The reporter said, yes and it hurt. Barry said, I have 20 auto accidents a week for 16 weeks a year. He knew that if he stuck around his quality of life was going to be worse if he kept playing
Barry Sanders didn't have the highest top speed in NFL history, but he certainly has a case for being the most agile and quickest acceleration. His vision was incredible as well, as you said, he just seemed to dice through groups of people because he saw holes in the defense that most couldn't or wouldn't dare to run through. And his most underrated attribute is his strength. He had some very powerful legs that kept him upright in times where he had no business continuing to stand.
Experts have suggested Barry could reach full speed from a standing start in 2-3 steps. For context Usain Bolt requires 8 to 10 strides to reach his top speed.
He in fact retired not only because of team management disrespect, he didn't want to break Payton's record. Whenever he was asked about it when he played he said Payton will always be #1. Little did he expect Emmet Smith to play another 10+ years with a super bowl caliber O line and take the record by running a straight line into the D. Oh well.
Hey guys how you doing I'm from Detroit and I had the Good Fortune of watching Barry his entire carrier and he quite frankly was the best running back in the world. EVER! Bo Jackson different ones like that but nobody is even close to Barry Sanders he truly is fantastic. What makes him so good and why he's so strong is the fact that his legs are like tree trunks specially his size and you know he just doesn't go down he just he just stands there in a pile and then eventually takes off. Good job men that was an excellent. I enjoyed your show, I really appreciated it.
Barry Sanders ability to go from zero to full speed and stop and go was unmatched. There's never been anyone like him, and I doubt there ever will be.. In my opinion he is the G.O.A.T.
Barry Sanders' best skills were his ability to change direction seemingly without losing pace and his tremendous vision of the field. He could see seams other RBs would miss. He was actually not exceptionally fast. If you want to see speed, look at the video of Bo Jackson who had track speed. Jackson also played professional baseball.
I grew up in the Detroit area, and watching him play for my Lions was one of the joys of my childhood! He was by far the best running back to ever play! Thanks for doing this reaction guys!
Really love seeing my British cousins appreciating what Barry Sanders could do. He was absolutely remarkable, the way he could change direction so fast then hit the turbo button and accelerate past EVERYone. Thanks for the video fellas.
The offensive linemen are important for the running game too. They are given specific blocking schemes on any given play to create a specific gap that the RB is supposed to run through. If the defense out plays them then the RB is left to improvise on his own . Barry Sanders was very good at improvising ! A great video to display this is Football 101 Counter by weekly spiral channel.
The Lions had a terrible Offensive Line back when Barry Sanders was on the team. It was well known. There was some good blocking here or there, but so many hand off's to Barry he was getting hit within 1-2 steps after receiving the ball in his career due to how poor the O-line play was.
Unfortunately this video was blocked after another claim from the NFL. To get the video back up we have had to trim a segment out in the middle. We do apologise but this is the only way we could get it unblocked. Thanks for watching!
Was the best player to start with! He had a God given talent! Was so amazing to watch! Was lucky enough to see #1 live...... but the dude quit.... we are Detroit! And Steve Yzerman played on 1 knee to bring us the Stanley Cup! But Barry quit........ he could've gone to any great team in the NFL and Detroit would've still followed him and rejoiced if he won a Superbowl..... but he just didn't show up one year and his dad finally came forward and said he retired (while he was hiding in Europe) he could've made records that would've been hard to beat! But he quit! When he finally came back into town he was a pariah.... seen him out and there was a 20 foot radius around him no one crossed.... he finally moved back to Texas.
Yeah it’s not necessarily his straight line speed (while that is fast), it’s his stop-start, quick feet, balance, and vision that separated him. Greatest running back in NFL history no question.
Yeah, there have been faster guys over 40-100 yards. But I don't think there's ever been a player who could cover 10-20 yards as fast, or change directions as fast. Baryshnikov in cleats.
I was at the game shown in highlight 46, sitting on the goal line Barry was running to about 30 rows up. I remember him breaking toward the sideline and in the blink of an eye he was in the end zone. TV doesn't do justice to how fast and elusive he is. I also met Barry after a practice back in 1991. He's about 5'8", his legs are like tree trunks, with each thigh being about as big as my torso. He's very quiet, incredibly humble, and signed an autograph for me, which I still have to this day. It was an absolute privilege getting to watch him play.
Barry was a great back in a time of great backs. Barry, Bo, Thurman Thomas, Christian Okoye (a personal favorite), Emmitt Smith, and you should check out Walter Payton. Great job guys. Loved this.
Barry had the best moves, best change of direction, and was the most exciting running back of all time. His skills and style of running was such that he took less clean shots than most running backs. Longevity is incredibly important at the running back position. Barry was in the league for 10 years, which in itself is a long career for a running back but the craziest thing about that is that he retired while still in his prime. It should also be noted that many (myself included) consider Barry to be the greatest running back in college football history. Interestingly, he and fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas were teammates at Oklahoma State. That is an absolutely insane duo to have in a college football backfield.
Yup, wish I was alive to watch those two in college. I've grown up a huge okstate cowboy fan and loved watching their highlights, barry is the reason I'm a lions fan and now that malcolm rodriguez is there it makes it real sweet to watch the lions
And just think, this was back when horse-collar tackles were allowed...Imagine how much more of a game changer he would've been with that rule in place...
Although not in the highlights, 2 NFL All Pros, Joey Browner & Rod Woodson (a Hall of Famer) suffered season ending knee injuries trying to tackle Barry on artificial turf.
There was one where he bopped his way through Wilbur Marshall and Mike Singletary like they weren’t even there. Even against the Bears defense of the mid-80’s Barry was unstoppable.
Last week the Lions unveiled a beautiful statue of Barry Sanders at Ford Field. He was visibly moved. This recognition was long overdue since he is regarded as one of the best running backs to ever play the game. Only wish the Lions were a better team for him. Thanks much for your great reaction. 👏👏👍🥰
Barry was just special. Everything about him. Most impressive was his character. He had speed, vision, balance, big thick lower body, elusive, could catch great. He was the prototype running back for the next generation. He probably could have played another 5-8 years and still be a top RB.
Great Reaction. I think that what made Sanders so special is that Sanders played in a time where teams heavily prioritized the running game, and opposing defenses were often geared towards stopping it. Now days, teams often pass more than they run, using different players with different skill sets. Over twenty years later, I am not sure we will witness this type of RB again. A fun video to watch would be Best "Big Guy" Moments in NFL History
Couple things about Barry. It is his acceleration that excelled. On his long runs, most of the time they catch up with him. He led the league in runs for a loss. He would run 50 yards for a 3 yd. gain. I was very fortunate growing up as a Lions fan. Man, it hurt when he retired young like he did.
Great job blokes. Love your amazing reactions to American football. You really seem to appreciate the skill and strength the players have. Barry at 5ft 9in was really playing with giants. His short distance burst of speed and super quick feet, allowed him to see a hole develop in front of him an dart through faster than any other player ever. His top speed was good but many players, both offensive and defensive have been much faster than Barry. At eye level, I'm sure his small stature helped him get lost among all of those much taller players. His strength and speed at his size was truly incredible too. And don't forget that the defensive players that he is outpacing with ease are themselves world class sprinters and athletes. You gotta check out a true athletic freak. Randy Moss. You will not be disappointed!!♠
This was the golden modern age of football imo. So glad I was a fan back then. Not too much now but recently started watching my Bills again. It was always fun watching guys like Barry.
I agree, where Barry Sanders is in my opinion, the greatest running back of all time, I'd also put in my 2 cents opinion that Randy Moss is probably the greatest wide receiver of all time, although there are many greats.
Great reaction to the GOAT. Best running back ever. No debate. His terrible teammates were no help. That's why every time Barry got the ball, if defenders weren't already in the backfield, they were waiting in the hole he was supposed to run through. I saw him live here in Detroit. Several of my favorite runs weren't even on here. Your exclamation counter: 16 - Wow! 17 - How? 8 - Nice! 26 - Ohhh!/ Oh God!/ Oh Mate! 4 - Ridiculous! 2- Insane! 1 - Brilliant!
Running down the sidelines is taught because it eliminates a whole section of the field for the defender to approach from. Also, notice when Barry gets to the sideline, he switches the ball to whichever hand is parallel to the sideline, putting his body between the defender and the ball to protect it from getting stripped from his hands.
This is something I was going to note. People who aren't familiar with the NFL won't notice but ball carriers are trained to switch the ball to the arm that is closest to the outside of the field, or the sideline, to keep it safer from defenders trying to grab it or the carrying arm to cause a fumble. NFL ball carriers are so well trained and experienced at this that while watching their highlights it's extremely seamless and easy to miss when they change arms. I was watching Sanders do this several times throughout this video, and it was hard to catch it even knowing when he was about to do it.
the best one is when Rodney Peete (QB #9) has his hands up when Barry still has like 10 yards and two or three guys to beat. Rodney knew they weren't gonna stop him, lol
A linemen that blocked for Barry in Detroit was best man in my brother in law’s wedding back in the 90’s. Jeff Hartings was his name. I asked him how in the world he was supposed to block for Barry and he said that you don’t. You just make your assigned blocks and Barry will do what he does. He had some cool stories about those days.
If you want to see the complete opposite style of running back, look up Earl Campbell. Where Sanders was quick and elusive, Campbell was a power back who would simply run through or over players who tried to tackle him. He actively sought out contact and hit the defender instead of getting hit. 5'11", 245 pounds, still very fast in the open field, he was incredibly powerful. Hell, the man had 34" thighs, and that's not an exaggeration. He's well worth a look.
@@mastick5106 Earl was essentially a RB with a LB mentality. He wanted to deliver the blow. When he came around the corner and some poor CB was faced with him... It was fun to watch, but not for the CB.
His ability to change direction abruptly and then seemingly be back up to top speed in two steps is amazing. He reminds me of a surfer on a big wave with the wave virtually covering him and suddenly he shoots out of it unscathed leaving the defenders grasping at air.
Bob Hayes was the fastest NFL player ever. He was a gold medal winner in the Olympics as a sprinter, making him the fastest human alive at the time. He brought his speed to the NFL as a wide receiver.
Thanks for mentioning Bob Hayes, who played for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm from Dallas, and I hadn't thought of him in years, but as these guys were watching this video Bob Hayes came to my mind, and I was thinking that he was probably faster. Bob Hayes was a wide receiver as I recall, and Dallas drafted him because he was so fast and had won the gold medal. However, I don't think he had ever played college football before and had to learn the game. The Cowboys wanted him because he was so fast and could outrun his defenders. Thanks for bringing up that memory from childhood. 👍😀
The best part of Barry’s game for me was the fact that after he scored a touchdown he would just hand the ball to the nearest official and trot back to the sideline. No huge “look at me!” celebration with teammates. No silly dance moves or gestures directed at opposing fans.
Barry grew up playing tag, he kept playing it in the NFL. He was so chill, he could take a nap during games. Great guy, got to play some pickup basketball with him - him legs were like tree trunks.
Good Stuff! Barry was the Messi of Running Backs. Not the fastest but accelerated so fast and the agility was off the charts. Fast running backs to check out Bo Jackson and Chris Johnson. Really Fast…Tyreek Hill, Wide Receiver.
Thanks for watching. We’ve got a lot of American Football videos in a playlist you can view here - th-cam.com/play/PLNhViuzpamTNYUhhMGJR5uZeyj320uPRR.html
Quickest player is probably Chris Johnson RB 4.24. He was small but could fly. Deion Sanders 'Prime Time' CB/WR claims to have a crazy 40 or Darrell Green CB was very fast to his late 30s 40s. Recently Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen ran 4.26 40yard. However Straight line speed and football speed can be vastly different.
On top of all that, he was a really humble guy and stayed loyal to a fan base and a franchise that won only one playoff game in his career. He was and still is one of the most respected players for how he carries himself. He would have broken every record in the books if he had not retired at the age of 30. The team wasn't winning and he decided to leave the sport while his body was still in good shape and not broken down. He ran for 2,053 yards in a season -- the highest season of his career -- in his second to last season. He was still in his prime when he retired and was selected to the Pro Bowl (all-star game) every single year of his 10-season career.
Bo Jackson is the fastest player to ever touch a football. Unlike all of the other players who are at the highest level of speed in the history of the NFL, Bo Jackson was 235 lbs. Quite a large man who recorded the fastest 40-yard - time in the history of the NFL, 4.12 seconds. This was not at the NFL combine but it was timed by an NFL coach. There's no one else as large as Bo Jackson who can run like Bo Jackson. He was the fastest with what is called, "football speed". When you put pads on and you run around the field, it's a different thing than running indoors on a track at the NFL combine. Because Bo Jackson played baseball at a high level in MLB he never actually got to play a full 16-game NFL season. So any of his statistics are from abbreviated seasons of no more than 11 games. In a 16-game season in which Bo Jackson trained specifically for football like everybody else before the beginning of the regular season, there's no telling how many yards he would have run and how many touchdowns he would have scored. When he was finished with baseball, he would immediately put the pads on and start playing in the NFL. Unlike every other player in the NFL, Bo Jackson never attended minicamp, preseason, lifting weights preparing for the season to come. Everyone else was in football shape but Bo was a different level of speed and physical prowess. And he was like that his entire life. If Bo Jackson did not get injured the way he did there is no telling what type of Records he was established and what type of career he would have had in the NFL. I would not doubt if he would have ran for 300 yards in a game for instance. Purely speculation on my part I understand but he was unlike anybody else before and I've never seen anyone since with his physical capacity. That injury was a freak accident and it's a shame we didn't get to see what he could have done. There are definitely other players very close to the speed of Bo Jackson but all of them are a lot smaller than Bo was. One other player that comes to mind that might be the fastest player of all time is Darrell Green. Faster than everyone his entire career pretty much screwed chase-down everybody who is considered the fastest. Willie Gault included.. Eric Dickerson. You name it.. Darrell Green was fast at 50 years old. He was clocked running a 4.4 second forty-yard dash. There is a video of him doing so here on TH-cam.
@@marktho Top speed maybe... But I don't think he was the fastest accelerator. That 40 time is up for debate... as many of the times from that era were. My guess if he'd run in the 4.30 area with today's testing and have a top speed in the 22-23mph area
What made Barry so incredible was his vision + his speed. He would see openings and holes forming in the defense and just hit the jets to get through it before anybody realized he had changed directions
He was short 5'7" I think, so physically couldn't be the fastest, but his size gave him a low center of gravity, so he was extremely hard to knock down. He was fast too 4.4speed
He was one of the fastest in his era... he ran sub 4.4 40 in an era where to run 4.4 was considered elite... only Bo, Deion, and a couple of others had better speed
Not the fastest Player but definitely fast. He was known more for his quickness and his vision. He ran like everyone was in slow motion. He was one player you never saw get hit hard because he always left defenders standing still. The best shot at getting him was catching him from behind. He could of been the All Time Leading Rusher if he hadn't retired so early. He is my all time favorite Athlete.
Thanks for watching, we hope you enjoyed! Please like, share & subscribe to support the channel. Other ways to support the channel: Donate to the channel via PayPal (PayPal account not needed) - www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=BZRANMGGL9Q9Q Join our Discord, meet the community, submit requests, be included in channel and content polls - discord.gg/cAkQwUuPN8 Find great Football products on Amazon - Our Affiliate Links are - amzn.to/3zvNAaj (Football) & amzn.to/434hHTI
I am a Cowboys fan and have been for over 30 years. Every time we played the Lions back in the 90's...I was like "Oh god we have to play against Barry Sanders."
He was awesome to watch and had so many good games. If you get a chance take a look at his all time stats. In 2004 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the best to ever play the game!
Barry Sanders didn't have amazing top-end speed, but his acceleration from a stop was second to none. He also had a low center of gravity, powerful drive, and incredible balance. Also important: he knew how to use his blockers, he could visualize how a play would develop, and he was confident and patient enough to wait for it to develop.
@@darchon5 You're right, he had good speed. I'm not saying he was slow, just that speed wasn't his defining characteristic. He was faster than a lot of guys, but he also got caught from behind with some regularity.
@@bentighe4811 4.37 isn't just good speed for RBs, that's tied for the 8th fastest ever recorded 40 combine time among RBs. Dunno how much you watched him beyond this video (where he outran a lot more guys than getting caught), but having followed him for his entire career, he did NOT get "caught from behind with some regularity". (EDIT: and let's be clear, someone taking him down when they have the angle, which they're supposed to, isn't the same as getting caught from behind. And yet even in this video, he still outran some guys who had the angle on him even)
@@darchon5 I watched his entire career as an envious Vikings fan, and he is the best RB I ever saw. I understand a great deal about what made him the best since Jim Brown, and possibly the best ever. And it wasn't mere speed; it was a variety of factors. Can we agree on that?
@@bentighe4811 If that's the case then you should know that he certainly did NOT get run down from behind "with some regularity". Already said I agreed with everything else you said. I only took issue with your claim that he didn't have great speed, and then doubling down with the "some regularity". Last time I'll address this so we can move on from this minutiae - I did this for someone else, but might as well add it here since I already did the work: in this video alone, he outran guys (incl many who had the angle) to the house 19/27 times in plays where he got to fully stride while he was being chased but there weren't defenders directly impeding him in front at the 2nd level. 6 other times he got caught by guys with the angle, and only twice did he get truly caught from behind - play #38 where a teammate slowed him down first, and #36, where he got run down by a faster guy (Giants db Thomas Randolph w a 4.3 40). If you still consider that getting caught from behind with "some regularity", then you just simply have a different notion of 'regularity' and/or you didn't watch that many games of him live.
Barry was a tremendous back... the guy was so incredibley talented with each and move...I can't count how many times this guy would break a tackle in a game...
One contributing factor that makes Barry the Great Of All Time was his humbleness, after each of those 50 great plays there is no arrogant celebration, simple hand off of the ball to the official. Barry rarely complained to the officials, other players or management (some think to his detriment), he was and still is a class act. He played for 1 team his whole career, stayed true to his fans and did not go chasing money. He retired in his prime while he could have kept playing and cemented his career with unbreakable records he just felt it was time. Has many have mentioned he did all of this while playing on horrible teams that went nowhere, he was amazing.
I grew up near Detroit as a kid and we LOVED Barry. Arguably one of the best RB’s of all time. Humble, quiet, great teammate and lots of class. He still has a house around here and I’ve gotten to see and chat with him a few times at the local golf driving range by my folks house. Easily one of the most favorite Detroit stars the last 30 years along with Steve Yzerman and Miguel Cabrera/Justin Verlander (whom all 3 are worthy of a highlights reaction video too). Those are all HOF players.
He had _individual games_ where a half-dozen of his runs would have been the top "WOW!" moments of many a great running back and made their "Career Highlight Film!" 🏃💨💨💨
I was lucky enough to have season tickets to lions games when Barry was there. The team was horrendous, but watching Barry live was amazing. Best RB of all time.
As someone who was raised about 4 hours north of Detroit Michigan during the Barry Sanders era. There are a few things he possessed. Top Notch balance, control of his center of gravity to stay standing when most would go down. Constantly moving feet, leg strength, explosiveness, and top notch vision to find the gaps in the defense to carve out large chunks of yards.
Barry had this unique ability to see the field and everyone on it. He could pick his lane and in a split second find an opening and get pass everyone. If he got by your side you were feeling nothing but air as he ran pass you.
You guys touched it all, the vision, burst, strength, shifty movement, slippery, hard to bring down. My favorite player of all-time and made me love the sport as a kid. A different type of player to watch career highlights of as a Lions fan, I would give some love to the Bears with Brian Urlacher, Linebacker. Well worth a watch. Steelers Troy Polomalu, Safety is another with a very unique stand out play style.
This is so fun seeing you both amazed with the “that’s a joke” astonishment adding commentary which sounds fit for World Cup football or Wimbledon. Thank you for your reactions. It seemed about half of the touchdowns for which Mr. Sanders ran were against my home-state Minnesota Vikings. Yes, Barry was a career Detroit Lion and retired in his still prime after, I believe, 10 ludicrous seasons. No one really knew way he walked away when he could have become the career most yards rusher in a few years. Sadly, like receiver Calvin Johnson-the next can’t-miss-watching-this game Lion who also walked away young-he played on some poor teams. When the Purple were fielding teams just good enough to continue breaking the hearts and souls of we diehard 0-4 Super Bowl record fanatic Minnesotans, Detroit was probably in the rebuilding mode and not the playoffs for a decade. However, they always found a way-as we played them twice each yea-to be a spoiler for the Vikings, and my dad and I watched both Barry sanders and then Calvin Johnson live in the pretty horrible Metrodome,, shred our lauded defenses with career games and wins that sometimes kept us out of the playoffs ourselves. But if a three win, 13 loss team comes to town the last game of the season and your squad needs to win it for a wildcard spot but you can see by about the middle of the first quarter that the opposition is absolutely going to smoke you that day, and the lowly Lions were about to end your season, at least you got to watch Ankle-breaker Barry rush for almost 200 yards and 2 TD’s or Mr. Johnson with 10 catches,183 receiving yards, 3 TD’s. It was kind of brutal, but absolutely brilliant-those gentlemen were a treat for all “Black and Blue” NFC North Division fans. I apologize for rambling, but that was really fun to watch. I will check out more of your content and am going to watch this video again, to see if I can pick out games when my late father and I are in the stands 🙏🏽✌🏽❤️-from Minnesota.
Lawrence Taylor, line backer Once heard the Barry Sanders attributed his moves to playing flag football as a kid. He never wanted to be tackled by having his flag taking off his hips so he would try to shift his hips away from the other people.
Barry was a beast. Pure dedication to his game and he put up his numbers while never having a great line or QBs, or recieving corps to take the pressure off of him....
My idol growing up. Growing up outside of Detroit in the 90s, he is who I pretended to be as a kid in the yard. In wore #20, etc. He was more quick than fast. He could move but he wasn't the fastest guy in the game, he was just BY FAR the quickest. He could make 5 guys miss in a phone booth, haha.
You picked the best runner ever for your first reaction. 3 if those tds vs the Vikes were in the same game all in 4th quarter to.come back and win down 18 in 4th. Also, the 47 dude he juked out of.h9s.jock vs the Bucs was one of the fiercest tacklers in the history of the league. Barry made EVERYONE look bad. Some of his greatest runs, though, were like 1 yard gains, or even 1 yard losses as he'd have a ton of defenders in his face at times in the backfield as he got the ball. Making 3 men miss as soon as he gets the ball 4 yards deep and gaining one yard... Amazing mobility! Loved watching him play!
He was a “mage” on a field of “warriors”! He had excellent sight, quickness, and balance. For what he lacked(in small part) speed and power! He was a “squirrel, in a bear race” and he was the most fun to watch!!!
Barry Sanders was amazing, with legs like tree trunks and superhuman speed. Probably my favorite running back ever. I’d recommend checking out Kurt Warner highlights…he was cut from the league, and then came back and threw bombs all day long in the late ‘90’s for the Rams and is a Super Bowl champ and MVP. His story is amazing.
LoL. NO reaction collection is complete with out a Barry Sanders reaction!!! Let's GO! 💪🏼😂 Barry's acceleration is amazing, but his ability to stop on a dime and switch directions is what makes him so dangerous. "It's like he's been fired out of a cannon." Yes! And, that cannon ball can change directions in a split second. This allows him to run up the middle of the crowd because they all reacted to him juking left when he goes right at a MUCH faster pace than the defenders. Barry was also a very SMALL running back, relatively. He did it all on a subpar team, overall. lol. He was amazing!
You've got some great videos here. You should definitely check out these two running backs - Gale Sayers, and Walter Payton. Both of them were almost always exciting to see playing the game. Like Barry Sanders, great players, and great people, too. They do not disappoint.
@@DNReacts Definitely Walter Payton aka “Sweetness”. One of the most revered athletes and men to play professional sports. Mr Class. Walter sadly died young.
For my money, Barry was the best. He probably could have played a few more years, and been still at the top of his game. Barry had said that he developed his moves and jukes as a kid. They didn't have tackle football for kids where he grew up, so he played flag football. He learned to be shifty to avoid getting his flag pulled. Once heard a defensive player asked what was the hardest part of stopping Barry. He said "I've never really done it, but I am pretty sure he can cut and change direction even when he isn't touching the ground"!!! Barry always just handed the ball to an official or just put it down. Said he didn't want to act like he hadn't been in the end zone before or that he wasn't going to be back there.
Barry Sanders was absolutely amazing. He had great vision and with every step he could completely change direction and turn on the speed and be gone. He was a little guy, and you wouldn't call him a hard hitter. Not saying he couldn't hit you hard but that wasn't his game. Barry was all about making the defenders miss and running past them. And he was great catching passes too. His team was never very good, but everyone would watch just to see what kind of magic act Barry was putting on that day. He played for the Detroit Lions for 10 years and then just walked away from the game and was basically still in his prime. I think he just got tired of playing on a bad team. Even though we was so amazing, and made big mean men look silly trying to tackle him, he played with respect and humility and always carried himself with class.
Greatest NFL running back in history. It’s not even a discussion. Forget the rushing record. Barry would have shattered it if he played longer, if he had even an average offensive line during his career….don’t tell me Emmitt. Don’t tell me Jim Brown. All greats…but the GOAT is Mr Sanders.
If you can find a video of the 1980s Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino - it is stunning the number of pass completions. He had three great receivers as well.
When he really got my attention was at the Quarterback Challenge on NFL Allstar weekend, when the best QBs were taking turns throwing the ball at moving targets of various distances, and one QB threw a good accurate pass at one of the closer targets, and when congratulated by one of the other QBs, we hear him say through his microphone, "Wait til Marino gets up there." Marino gets up there and is the only one to throw at the furthest moving target and nails it almost dead center like 40-50 yards away or something. I was like 13 or 14 and remember that being the day when I temporarily switched from being a Dallas Cowboys fan to a Dolphins fan while he and Don Shula were there.
Growing up in Michigan as a Lions fan, I was so fortunate to have had him play for my team. He had the chance to break the all time rushing record, but chose to retire in his prime, He was never one for attention or adulation.
Never once danced around and celebrated. After a great run after a touchdown, he would always simply hand the ball off to the ref. We loved him here in Detroit.
![โอ้เธอช่าง... - บี้เดอะสกา ft. ต๋อง เทวัญ (Prod. by ป๋าเพชร) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zbWhiLFmVL0/mqdefault.jpg)
NFL PATREON RELEASES - Quarterback (Netflix), 30 For 30s, 85’ Chicago Bears, 72’ Dolphins, All Blocked TH-cam Videos and Plenty more! www.patreon.com/DNReacts
I watched his entire career and all these years later, I'm still in awe. Catching Barry Sanders was like trying to catch a cricket. He retired way too soon. we miss you Barry...
All these years later and nobody has ever been close to the moves Barry had. I swear the dudes ligaments were made of rubber. Astounding he ran on that shitty astro turf and never blew out a major ligaments with the change of direction he ran with
@Josh Lewis Tomlinson came close. Not as shifty as sanders but Def had the change of direction.
Watching Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas as a kid was a dream. I wish the running back position could still produce talents like Sanders. Obviously Adrian Peterson and Ladanian Tomlinson were great talents and Le'Veon Bell was the last to show major potential (maybe Christian McCafferey). No one comes even close to Barry
@@TG-uj6yu The fact that Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas were both at oklahoma state at the same time is nuts lmao. Best runningback duo of all time
The NFL has devalued the running back to the point that a lot of the potential greats now switch to linebacker or safety.
He did all this while on a horrible team, balance second to none, leg strength and elusiveness and refusal to give up on a play.. best running back I have ever seen.. to me he is the G O A T
Against some of the top defences.
Sanders being on a horrible teams is a myth. That team had a good, not great line and a Pro Bowl WR in Moore to help defenses somewhat honest.
@Lendul yes he had a great lune but the fact remains one playoff win says a lot about the team. I blame ownership during that period more then the players but he did end his career early because he could see ownership was not willing to make the steps to make the team a winner. The new ownership is the opposite maybe same bloodline but totally different drive.
@@Lendul Myth? The lions were garbage. Terrible coaching. Average at best offensive line.
him and walter payton
As a native Detroiter who got to see Barry live… I really appreciate you gents highlighting his play still. What a gem he was to watch… and still is. They’re erecting a bronze statue of him this fall for good reason. FORWARD DOWN THE FIELD!!! Go Lions!!!
He was amazing! Lucky that you got to see him!
finally got his statue in stillwater too
That is awesome to hear!😀 I am 43 year old Tennessee native but the Detroit Lions have been my team ever since I saw Barry run the ball when I was a kid. The fact that he stayed with the Lions throughout his career during all the hard times is testament to his undying loyalty.. Something that is a lost concept for most of today's players unfortunately.
Lived in Detroit during this time. Between the sheer size of the Silverdome and team stinking, home games were always blacked out on tv.
Important to remember that on every team he played on he was the only option. Every defense he played against knew he was getting the ball and it didn't matter. Side note, on play 8 he makes #47 fall down while touching nothing. #47 is John Lynch. He's in the Hall of Fame mostly based on his excellence at tackling people.
He had weapons on offense with him. Herman Moore, Johnny Morton, Brett Perriman. The problem was horrible QB play combined with even more horrible luck with O linemen. First Mike Utley getting paralyzed, followed by Erik Andolsek being hit by a semi while mowing his lawn.
He was the weapon on Offense. His presence made the rest of them look ok.. Only Herman was consistent. Perriman was up and down. Morton doesnt even count. Youre right with his QB though, and the only decent QB he had was Scotty boy-Marinos back up quarterback that had one good season when Marino got hurt....Mitchell, is TRASH too.....lol
BARRY IS THE GOAT!!!@@Brocuzgodlocdunfamdogson
Barry, is the GOAT.. But, He was THURMANS BACK UP at one point ...IN THE NFL, he ONLY PLAYED for 1 team.....
@@seangooden4711 i remember Lomas saying he let his guy beat him just so Mitchell would get rocked. You gotta be bad if your own guys are throwing you under the bus like that.
When your Tackle doesn't like you.... YIKES!!!! lol@@Brocuzgodlocdunfamdogson
The fact there are 50 highlights of him is something in itself.
Absolutely!
Trust me when I say there are many more in other videos. Some of which could have been in the top 50.
Barry has more runs for 2-3 yard loses than anyone ever, but he made them look amazing.
#HighlightMachine
FYI: The other teams in the NFL actually had to create a "Barry Sanders defense" in their playbooks. That's how tough it was to deal with him!!
I heard a story that one team bought live chickens to practice and had the defense chase them around and try to catch them, which is basically what trying to tackle Barry was like.
Barry Sanders could make a 2-yard loss exciting. He was so hard to tackle that opponents accused him of spraying silicon lube on his jersey. His low center of gravity made him near-impossible to take down one-on-one. Truly a one of a kind player.
He looks incredible!
Yeah, and some of the 2 yard losses should have been 10 yard losses and he would have run a total of 35 yards or more! Never saw this man give up on a play, he was never going to quit you had to go get him 😲😃
Keep in mind Detroit had no passing game so opposing teams knew they would run the ball and still
Couldn’t stop Barry.
I remember that game....vs. Minnesota his rookie year they stopped the game in the 3rd quarter because Minnesota's defense said their hands were slipping off him! Omg how good are you when you get accused of spraying lubricant on your Jersey!!!BEST RUNNING BACK TO EVER TOUCH THE BALL 💯💯
one of my favorite plays that he made was actually about a 2 yd loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. he was about 8 yds deep single back. the defense had the play snuffed out with a perfect run blitz. Barry made a spin move on the handoff to avoid the tackle and managed to lunge forward almost back to the line of scrimmage. the quickness and balance to execute that was impeccable.
The crazy part is that he didn't just make some average players look like they didn't belong on the field. In the #8 clip the player #47 that totally missed him is a hall of fame player John Lynch who was one of the hardest hitters in the league and was always making great plays.
More, I spotted White, Atwater, Sapp, Dent, Singletary, Doleman and some more I missed. He left Hall of Famers laying on the turf like laundry.
Barry played college football for Oklahoma state. Professional for Detroit Lions . Not flashy. Straight up played best back ever. Could have broke all records playing one more year but was smart enough to know he wanted to keep his body in tact . Retired , moved back to Oklahoma to raise his family.
He retired because he was tired of LOSING. Bobby Ross wasted 2 Top 10 Draft picks on the Biggest Lineman he could find in the draft in 1998....they SUCKED and were out of the league shortly thereafter. Barry quit out of frustration and wanted to be traded. Had the Lions management not been A-Holes and let him out of his contract/Trade him he would have kept on playing.
I believe he's a special advisor for the Lions organization.
Yeah compare how he is physically compared to Campbell… Earl Campbell destroyed his body during his career and is barely walking…
Watched him play at OSU as a BACKUP to Thurman Thomas. Imagine having to face those two.
@@billiondollarbaby3276 I remember watching an interview with him a couple of years after he left. He asked the reporter....Have you ever been in automobile accident? The reporter said, yes and it hurt. Barry said, I have 20 auto accidents a week for 16 weeks a year. He knew that if he stuck around his quality of life was going to be worse if he kept playing
Barry Sanders didn't have the highest top speed in NFL history, but he certainly has a case for being the most agile and quickest acceleration. His vision was incredible as well, as you said, he just seemed to dice through groups of people because he saw holes in the defense that most couldn't or wouldn't dare to run through. And his most underrated attribute is his strength. He had some very powerful legs that kept him upright in times where he had no business continuing to stand.
Experts have suggested Barry could reach full speed from a standing start in 2-3 steps. For context Usain Bolt requires 8 to 10 strides to reach his top speed.
@@mattmays9063 I wouldn't doubt it!
guess I should read comments before posting...just said the same thing.
Barry Sanders is incredibly kind, humble and quiet. He told me Walter Payton "Sweetness" was his favorite player
He in fact retired not only because of team management disrespect, he didn't want to break Payton's record. Whenever he was asked about it when he played he said Payton will always be #1. Little did he expect Emmet Smith to play another 10+ years with a super bowl caliber O line and take the record by running a straight line into the D. Oh well.
Barry was the greatest scat back and Walter was the greatest complete back.
You got to talk to Barry?!?!?!? So jealous!!!! What an amazing humble human he is!!!
Barry’s father considered Jim Brown the greatest running back of all time.
@@daretoscareable This is true
I can promise you watching Barry sanders highlights is a formative experience for many American football fans
My favorite aspect of him was Barry, the man himself-subtle, class act
Hey guys how you doing I'm from Detroit and I had the Good Fortune of watching Barry his entire carrier and he quite frankly was the best running back in the world. EVER! Bo Jackson different ones like that but nobody is even close to Barry Sanders he truly is fantastic. What makes him so good and why he's so strong is the fact that his legs are like tree trunks specially his size and you know he just doesn't go down he just he just stands there in a pile and then eventually takes off. Good job men that was an excellent. I enjoyed your show, I really appreciated it.
Barry Sanders ability to go from zero to full speed and stop and go was unmatched. There's never been anyone like him, and I doubt there ever will be.. In my opinion he is the G.O.A.T.
Barry Sanders' best skills were his ability to change direction seemingly without losing pace and his tremendous vision of the field. He could see seams other RBs would miss. He was actually not exceptionally fast. If you want to see speed, look at the video of Bo Jackson who had track speed. Jackson also played professional baseball.
I grew up in the Detroit area, and watching him play for my Lions was one of the joys of my childhood! He was by far the best running back to ever play! Thanks for doing this reaction guys!
You’re welcome Dan. We loved it!
Really love seeing my British cousins appreciating what Barry Sanders could do. He was absolutely remarkable, the way he could change direction so fast then hit the turbo button and accelerate past EVERYone. Thanks for the video fellas.
Thank you David, I’ve even come back and watched this a few times myself. The change of direction and that acceleration from 0-20 metres is insane
Greatest running back in NFL history. Great strength, speed and an absolute water bug cutter.
He was incredible!
I grew up watching Barry play. Watching this left me breathless and I had a huge smile on my face. Brilliant!
The offensive linemen are important for the running game too. They are given specific blocking schemes on any given play to create a specific gap that the RB is supposed to run through.
If the defense out plays them then the RB is left to improvise on his own .
Barry Sanders was very good at improvising !
A great video to display this is Football 101 Counter by weekly spiral channel.
The Lions had a terrible Offensive Line back when Barry Sanders was on the team. It was well known. There was some good blocking here or there, but so many hand off's to Barry he was getting hit within 1-2 steps after receiving the ball in his career due to how poor the O-line play was.
Unfortunately this video was blocked after another claim from the NFL. To get the video back up we have had to trim a segment out in the middle. We do apologise but this is the only way we could get it unblocked.
Thanks for watching!
Was the best player to start with! He had a God given talent! Was so amazing to watch! Was lucky enough to see #1 live...... but the dude quit.... we are Detroit! And Steve Yzerman played on 1 knee to bring us the Stanley Cup! But Barry quit........ he could've gone to any great team in the NFL and Detroit would've still followed him and rejoiced if he won a Superbowl..... but he just didn't show up one year and his dad finally came forward and said he retired (while he was hiding in Europe) he could've made records that would've been hard to beat! But he quit! When he finally came back into town he was a pariah.... seen him out and there was a 20 foot radius around him no one crossed.... he finally moved back to Texas.
Yeah it’s not necessarily his straight line speed (while that is fast), it’s his stop-start, quick feet, balance, and vision that separated him.
Greatest running back in NFL history no question.
He was so good!
The greatest ever running back,top ten greatest player ever
Yeah, there have been faster guys over 40-100 yards. But I don't think there's ever been a player who could cover 10-20 yards as fast, or change directions as fast. Baryshnikov in cleats.
Exactly. He was at full speed in like 3 steps
maybe walter payton also
I was at the game shown in highlight 46, sitting on the goal line Barry was running to about 30 rows up. I remember him breaking toward the sideline and in the blink of an eye he was in the end zone. TV doesn't do justice to how fast and elusive he is.
I also met Barry after a practice back in 1991. He's about 5'8", his legs are like tree trunks, with each thigh being about as big as my torso. He's very quiet, incredibly humble, and signed an autograph for me, which I still have to this day. It was an absolute privilege getting to watch him play.
His ablilty to make unbelievably fast and effective cuts/reverse direction/see the opportunities... and the acceleration was incredible. What a beast!
Barry was a great back in a time of great backs. Barry, Bo, Thurman Thomas, Christian Okoye (a personal favorite), Emmitt Smith, and you should check out Walter Payton. Great job guys. Loved this.
Bo Jackson was a great college and NFL running back and also a great Major League Baseball player.
Barry had the best moves, best change of direction, and was the most exciting running back of all time. His skills and style of running was such that he took less clean shots than most running backs. Longevity is incredibly important at the running back position. Barry was in the league for 10 years, which in itself is a long career for a running back but the craziest thing about that is that he retired while still in his prime.
It should also be noted that many (myself included) consider Barry to be the greatest running back in college football history. Interestingly, he and fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas were teammates at Oklahoma State. That is an absolutely insane duo to have in a college football backfield.
Really appreciate the comment Jesse! Sounds like he was an amazing player!
His Heisman year numbers are always comical whenever I see em. Dude averaged almost 300 a game as a running back
Yup, wish I was alive to watch those two in college. I've grown up a huge okstate cowboy fan and loved watching their highlights, barry is the reason I'm a lions fan and now that malcolm rodriguez is there it makes it real sweet to watch the lions
Keep in mind, a lot of those guys he made look silly are now hall-of-famers. World-class athletes, and he made them seem slow and awkward.
Yeah.
He made John Lynch look like a scrub.
And just think, this was back when horse-collar tackles were allowed...Imagine how much more of a game changer he would've been with that rule in place...
Although not in the highlights, 2 NFL All Pros, Joey Browner & Rod Woodson (a Hall of Famer) suffered season ending knee injuries trying to tackle Barry on artificial turf.
There was one where he bopped his way through Wilbur Marshall and Mike Singletary like they weren’t even there. Even against the Bears defense of the mid-80’s Barry was unstoppable.
Last week the Lions unveiled a beautiful statue of Barry Sanders at Ford Field. He was visibly moved. This recognition was long overdue since he is regarded as one of the best running backs to ever play the game. Only wish the Lions were a better team for him. Thanks much for your great reaction. 👏👏👍🥰
That is awesome, love that and definitely deserved! Thank you, we really appreciate the comment!
Barry was just special. Everything about him. Most impressive was his character. He had speed, vision, balance, big thick lower body, elusive, could catch great. He was the prototype running back for the next generation. He probably could have played another 5-8 years and still be a top RB.
Great Reaction. I think that what made Sanders so special is that Sanders played in a time where teams heavily prioritized the running game, and opposing defenses were often geared towards stopping it. Now days, teams often pass more than they run, using different players with different skill sets. Over twenty years later, I am not sure we will witness this type of RB again. A fun video to watch would be Best "Big Guy" Moments in NFL History
Thank you so much! We really enjoyed this one!
Couple things about Barry. It is his acceleration that excelled. On his long runs, most of the time they catch up with him. He led the league in runs for a loss. He would run 50 yards for a 3 yd. gain. I was very fortunate growing up as a Lions fan. Man, it hurt when he retired young like he did.
Yeah, he would get caught from behind, but only after he had gained 30-40 yards. 🙂
I never thought of him as an elite burner but he had unmatched agility, elusiveness and ability to start and stop.
Barry’s ability to stop and go was unmatched.
Great job blokes. Love your amazing reactions to American football. You really seem to appreciate the skill and strength the players have. Barry at 5ft 9in was really playing with giants. His short distance burst of speed and super quick feet, allowed him to see a hole develop in front of him an dart through faster than any other player ever. His top speed was good but many players, both offensive and defensive have been much faster than Barry. At eye level, I'm sure his small stature helped him get lost among all of those much taller players. His strength and speed at his size was truly incredible too. And don't forget that the defensive players that he is outpacing with ease are themselves world class sprinters and athletes.
You gotta check out a true athletic freak. Randy Moss. You will not be disappointed!!♠
Thank you! How can you not appreciate Barry, guy was a machine!
This was the golden modern age of football imo. So glad I was a fan back then. Not too much now but recently started watching my Bills again. It was always fun watching guys like Barry.
I agree, where Barry Sanders is in my opinion, the greatest running back of all time, I'd also put in my 2 cents opinion that Randy Moss is probably the greatest wide receiver of all time, although there are many greats.
@@Parallaxus Cannot disagree with that!! Barry and Randy dominate their eras.
The Most Incredible Running Back Ever and The Most Hummble!! He Never Show Boated! Pure Class!!
Great reaction to the GOAT. Best running back ever. No debate. His terrible teammates were no help. That's why every time Barry got the ball, if defenders weren't already in the backfield, they were waiting in the hole he was supposed to run through. I saw him live here in Detroit. Several of my favorite runs weren't even on here.
Your exclamation counter:
16 - Wow!
17 - How?
8 - Nice!
26 - Ohhh!/ Oh God!/ Oh Mate!
4 - Ridiculous!
2- Insane!
1 - Brilliant!
I love that you counted our exclamations 😂 you can tell we enjoyed it!
And Barry Sanders is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. It speaks volumes that he had so much talent and was still humble.
Running down the sidelines is taught because it eliminates a whole section of the field for the defender to approach from. Also, notice when Barry gets to the sideline, he switches the ball to whichever hand is parallel to the sideline, putting his body between the defender and the ball to protect it from getting stripped from his hands.
I didn’t notice that!! That’s a great idea though!
This is something I was going to note. People who aren't familiar with the NFL won't notice but ball carriers are trained to switch the ball to the arm that is closest to the outside of the field, or the sideline, to keep it safer from defenders trying to grab it or the carrying arm to cause a fumble. NFL ball carriers are so well trained and experienced at this that while watching their highlights it's extremely seamless and easy to miss when they change arms. I was watching Sanders do this several times throughout this video, and it was hard to catch it even knowing when he was about to do it.
His speed, quickness, and balance are excellent and can sometimes make you loose sight of how good his vision to find a seam (opening) was.
My favorites are the ones where the teamates are putting up the touchdown sign before he got back to the line. They were right every time.
the best one is when Rodney Peete (QB #9) has his hands up when Barry still has like 10 yards and two or three guys to beat. Rodney knew they weren't gonna stop him, lol
That guy was amazing to watch. Unbelievable talent.
A linemen that blocked for Barry in Detroit was best man in my brother in law’s wedding back in the 90’s. Jeff Hartings was his name. I asked him how in the world he was supposed to block for Barry and he said that you don’t. You just make your assigned blocks and Barry will do what he does. He had some cool stories about those days.
I wish i could watch Barry Sanders highlights for the first time again. Just to relive that in aww moment.
If you want to see the complete opposite style of running back, look up Earl Campbell. Where Sanders was quick and elusive, Campbell was a power back who would simply run through or over players who tried to tackle him. He actively sought out contact and hit the defender instead of getting hit.
5'11", 245 pounds, still very fast in the open field, he was incredibly powerful. Hell, the man had 34" thighs, and that's not an exaggeration. He's well worth a look.
Earl Campbell is SO under-rated it's a crime
Campbell's first four seasons in the NFL were incredible (1978-81).
Earl Campbell was the only player I ever heard Mean Joe Greene refer to as "scary".
@@mastick5106 Earl was essentially a RB with a LB mentality. He wanted to deliver the blow. When he came around the corner and some poor CB was faced with him... It was fun to watch, but not for the CB.
His ability to change direction abruptly and then seemingly be back up to top speed in two steps is amazing. He reminds me of a surfer on a big wave with the wave virtually covering him and suddenly he shoots out of it unscathed leaving the defenders grasping at air.
Bob Hayes was the fastest NFL player ever. He was a gold medal winner in the Olympics as a sprinter, making him the fastest human alive at the time. He brought his speed to the NFL as a wide receiver.
Thanks for mentioning Bob Hayes, who played for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm from Dallas, and I hadn't thought of him in years, but as these guys were watching this video Bob Hayes came to my mind, and I was thinking that he was probably faster. Bob Hayes was a wide receiver as I recall, and Dallas drafted him because he was so fast and had won the gold medal. However, I don't think he had ever played college football before and had to learn the game. The Cowboys wanted him because he was so fast and could outrun his defenders. Thanks for bringing up that memory from childhood. 👍😀
I don't know much about bob hayes, how did his speed compare to tyreek hill?
This is THE BEST reaction. Not falling out of your chair like you haven’t seen a guy run. Straight respect.
The best part of Barry’s game for me was the fact that after he scored a touchdown he would just hand the ball to the nearest official and trot back to the sideline. No huge “look at me!” celebration with teammates. No silly dance moves or gestures directed at opposing fans.
Larry Fitzgerald was like this too. No showboating, just skill
So lmao the celebration makes the game a little more exciting
Nothing wrong with a tasteful celebration. It is a game after all
Jim Brown also.
All around great Runningback.
Detroit Lions
Barry grew up playing tag, he kept playing it in the NFL. He was so chill, he could take a nap during games. Great guy, got to play some pickup basketball with him - him legs were like tree trunks.
Good Stuff! Barry was the Messi of Running Backs. Not the fastest but accelerated so fast and the agility was off the charts. Fast running backs to check out Bo Jackson and Chris Johnson. Really Fast…Tyreek Hill, Wide Receiver.
Never missed a Detroit game when Barry played. I wasn’t a Lions fan but I loved watching Barry play. Greatest RB of all time.
Thanks for watching. We’ve got a lot of American Football videos in a playlist you can view here -
th-cam.com/play/PLNhViuzpamTNYUhhMGJR5uZeyj320uPRR.html
Imagine him as a Rugby winger or fullback... Those moves on the kick runback...
Quickest player is probably Chris Johnson RB 4.24. He was small but could fly. Deion Sanders 'Prime Time' CB/WR claims to have a crazy 40 or Darrell Green CB was very fast to his late 30s 40s. Recently Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen ran 4.26 40yard. However Straight line speed and football speed can be vastly different.
On top of all that, he was a really humble guy and stayed loyal to a fan base and a franchise that won only one playoff game in his career. He was and still is one of the most respected players for how he carries himself. He would have broken every record in the books if he had not retired at the age of 30. The team wasn't winning and he decided to leave the sport while his body was still in good shape and not broken down. He ran for 2,053 yards in a season -- the highest season of his career -- in his second to last season. He was still in his prime when he retired and was selected to the Pro Bowl (all-star game) every single year of his 10-season career.
Bo Jackson is the fastest player to ever touch a football. Unlike all of the other players who are at the highest level of speed in the history of the NFL, Bo Jackson was 235 lbs. Quite a large man who recorded the fastest 40-yard - time in the history of the NFL, 4.12 seconds. This was not at the NFL combine but it was timed by an NFL coach. There's no one else as large as Bo Jackson who can run like Bo Jackson. He was the fastest with what is called, "football speed". When you put pads on and you run around the field, it's a different thing than running indoors on a track at the NFL combine.
Because Bo Jackson played baseball at a high level in MLB he never actually got to play a full 16-game NFL season. So any of his statistics are from abbreviated seasons of no more than 11 games. In a 16-game season in which Bo Jackson trained specifically for football like everybody else before the beginning of the regular season, there's no telling how many yards he would have run and how many touchdowns he would have scored. When he was finished with baseball, he would immediately put the pads on and start playing in the NFL. Unlike every other player in the NFL, Bo Jackson never attended minicamp, preseason, lifting weights preparing for the season to come. Everyone else was in football shape but Bo was a different level of speed and physical prowess. And he was like that his entire life. If Bo Jackson did not get injured the way he did there is no telling what type of Records he was established and what type of career he would have had in the NFL. I would not doubt if he would have ran for 300 yards in a game for instance. Purely speculation on my part I understand but he was unlike anybody else before and I've never seen anyone since with his physical capacity. That injury was a freak accident and it's a shame we didn't get to see what he could have done.
There are definitely other players very close to the speed of Bo Jackson but all of them are a lot smaller than Bo was. One other player that comes to mind that might be the fastest player of all time is Darrell Green. Faster than everyone his entire career pretty much screwed chase-down everybody who is considered the fastest. Willie Gault included.. Eric Dickerson. You name it.. Darrell Green was fast at 50 years old. He was clocked running a 4.4 second forty-yard dash. There is a video of him doing so here on TH-cam.
@@marktho Top speed maybe... But I don't think he was the fastest accelerator. That 40 time is up for debate... as many of the times from that era were. My guess if he'd run in the 4.30 area with today's testing and have a top speed in the 22-23mph area
What made Barry so incredible was his vision + his speed. He would see openings and holes forming in the defense and just hit the jets to get through it before anybody realized he had changed directions
He wasn't the fastest. He was shifty, with great instincts
He was short 5'7" I think, so physically couldn't be the fastest, but his size gave him a low center of gravity, so he was extremely hard to knock down. He was fast too 4.4speed
His legs never stopped moving
He was one of the fastest in his era... he ran sub 4.4 40 in an era where to run 4.4 was considered elite... only Bo, Deion, and a couple of others had better speed
Deion Sanders was the fastest ever
@@EM-cz4rd - you spelled Chris Johnson wrong ;) (John Ross is technically the fastest, but he didn't have much of an impact as a player in the league)
Not the fastest Player but definitely fast. He was known more for his quickness and his vision. He ran like everyone was in slow motion. He was one player you never saw get hit hard because he always left defenders standing still. The best shot at getting him was catching him from behind. He could of been the All Time Leading Rusher if he hadn't retired so early. He is my all time favorite Athlete.
My absolute favorite athlete ever. Humble as they come as well.
Thanks for watching, we hope you enjoyed! Please like, share & subscribe to support the channel.
Other ways to support the channel:
Donate to the channel via PayPal (PayPal account not needed) - www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=BZRANMGGL9Q9Q
Join our Discord, meet the community, submit requests, be included in channel and content polls - discord.gg/cAkQwUuPN8
Find great Football products on Amazon - Our Affiliate Links are - amzn.to/3zvNAaj (Football) & amzn.to/434hHTI
Fun to rewatch great plays by all the greats in the history of the NFL.
Acceleration was one of his greatest assets. 3 steps he was at full stride.
That's where he really excelled. I've never seen anyone who could stop and start with the speed that Barry could.
I am a Cowboys fan and have been for over 30 years. Every time we played the Lions back in the 90's...I was like "Oh god we have to play against Barry Sanders."
In his time he was the quickest but i think thomlenson was a little quicker overall.
The best running back to ever play the game
He was awesome to watch and had so many good games. If you get a chance take a look at his all time stats. In 2004 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the best to ever play the game!
Barry Sanders didn't have amazing top-end speed, but his acceleration from a stop was second to none. He also had a low center of gravity, powerful drive, and incredible balance. Also important: he knew how to use his blockers, he could visualize how a play would develop, and he was confident and patient enough to wait for it to develop.
Actually, he ran a 4.37 40, which is pretty amazing for a 5'8" guy (ie shorter strides). Otherwise, totally agree with everything else you said.
@@darchon5 You're right, he had good speed. I'm not saying he was slow, just that speed wasn't his defining characteristic. He was faster than a lot of guys, but he also got caught from behind with some regularity.
@@bentighe4811 4.37 isn't just good speed for RBs, that's tied for the 8th fastest ever recorded 40 combine time among RBs. Dunno how much you watched him beyond this video (where he outran a lot more guys than getting caught), but having followed him for his entire career, he did NOT get "caught from behind with some regularity". (EDIT: and let's be clear, someone taking him down when they have the angle, which they're supposed to, isn't the same as getting caught from behind. And yet even in this video, he still outran some guys who had the angle on him even)
@@darchon5 I watched his entire career as an envious Vikings fan, and he is the best RB I ever saw. I understand a great deal about what made him the best since Jim Brown, and possibly the best ever. And it wasn't mere speed; it was a variety of factors. Can we agree on that?
@@bentighe4811 If that's the case then you should know that he certainly did NOT get run down from behind "with some regularity". Already said I agreed with everything else you said. I only took issue with your claim that he didn't have great speed, and then doubling down with the "some regularity".
Last time I'll address this so we can move on from this minutiae - I did this for someone else, but might as well add it here since I already did the work: in this video alone, he outran guys (incl many who had the angle) to the house 19/27 times in plays where he got to fully stride while he was being chased but there weren't defenders directly impeding him in front at the 2nd level. 6 other times he got caught by guys with the angle, and only twice did he get truly caught from behind - play #38 where a teammate slowed him down first, and #36, where he got run down by a faster guy (Giants db Thomas Randolph w a 4.3 40). If you still consider that getting caught from behind with "some regularity", then you just simply have a different notion of 'regularity' and/or you didn't watch that many games of him live.
As a Detroit fan, this guy was like a semi truck when he started running. He was very short but built solid, no one could touch him. Great video!
Sanders wobbles, but he doesn't fall down!!! Emmett Smith has a nice highlights package!!
Barry was a tremendous back... the guy was so incredibley talented with each and move...I can't count how many times this guy would break a tackle in a game...
I loved Barry as a kid because he was such a good human being and role model (especially for a small kid like me)
One contributing factor that makes Barry the Great Of All Time was his humbleness, after each of those 50 great plays there is no arrogant celebration, simple hand off of the ball to the official.
Barry rarely complained to the officials, other players or management (some think to his detriment), he was and still is a class act. He played for 1 team his whole career, stayed true to his fans and did not go chasing money. He retired in his prime while he could have kept playing and cemented his career with unbreakable records he just felt it was time.
Has many have mentioned he did all of this while playing on horrible teams that went nowhere, he was amazing.
Barry was the complete package! 💯
I grew up near Detroit as a kid and we LOVED Barry. Arguably one of the best RB’s of all time. Humble, quiet, great teammate and lots of class. He still has a house around here and I’ve gotten to see and chat with him a few times at the local golf driving range by my folks house. Easily one of the most favorite Detroit stars the last 30 years along with Steve Yzerman and Miguel Cabrera/Justin Verlander (whom all 3 are worthy of a highlights reaction video too). Those are all HOF players.
Thanks Devin. Have added these 3 to our list!
I'm from Detroit and got to watch him live for many years, it's great to see your reaction to what he did. Great job
Thank you! We really enjoyed Watching him!
He had _individual games_ where a half-dozen of his runs would have been the top "WOW!" moments of many a great running back and made their "Career Highlight Film!" 🏃💨💨💨
I was lucky enough to have season tickets to lions games when Barry was there. The team was horrendous, but watching Barry live was amazing. Best RB of all time.
As someone who was raised about 4 hours north of Detroit Michigan during the Barry Sanders era. There are a few things he possessed. Top Notch balance, control of his center of gravity to stay standing when most would go down. Constantly moving feet, leg strength, explosiveness, and top notch vision to find the gaps in the defense to carve out large chunks of yards.
Barry had this unique ability to see the field and everyone on it. He could pick his lane and in a split second find an opening and get pass everyone. If he got by your side you were feeling nothing but air as he ran pass you.
I was lucky enough to see him play. He would always go off on the Thanksgiving games lol
That’s amazing!
You guys touched it all, the vision, burst, strength, shifty movement, slippery, hard to bring down. My favorite player of all-time and made me love the sport as a kid. A different type of player to watch career highlights of as a Lions fan, I would give some love to the Bears with Brian Urlacher, Linebacker. Well worth a watch. Steelers Troy Polomalu, Safety is another with a very unique stand out play style.
Thank you Lark, really glad you enjoyed! Have added the suggestions to our list!
This is so fun seeing you both amazed with the “that’s a joke” astonishment adding commentary which sounds fit for World Cup football or Wimbledon. Thank you for your reactions. It seemed about half of the touchdowns for which Mr. Sanders ran were against my home-state Minnesota Vikings. Yes, Barry was a career Detroit Lion and retired in his still prime after, I believe, 10 ludicrous seasons. No one really knew way he walked away when he could have become the career most yards rusher in a few years. Sadly, like receiver Calvin Johnson-the next can’t-miss-watching-this game Lion who also walked away young-he played on some poor teams. When the Purple were fielding teams just good enough to continue breaking the hearts and souls of we diehard 0-4 Super Bowl record fanatic Minnesotans, Detroit was probably in the rebuilding mode and not the playoffs for a decade. However, they always found a way-as we played them twice each yea-to be a spoiler for the Vikings, and my dad and I watched both Barry sanders and then Calvin Johnson live in the pretty horrible Metrodome,, shred our lauded defenses with career games and wins that sometimes kept us out of the playoffs ourselves.
But if a three win, 13 loss team comes to town the last game of the season and your squad needs to win it for a wildcard spot but you can see by about the middle of the first quarter that the opposition is absolutely going to smoke you that day, and the lowly Lions were about to end your season, at least you got to watch Ankle-breaker Barry rush for almost 200 yards and 2 TD’s or Mr. Johnson with 10 catches,183 receiving yards, 3 TD’s. It was kind of brutal, but absolutely brilliant-those gentlemen were a treat for all “Black and Blue” NFC North Division fans.
I apologize for rambling, but that was really fun to watch. I will check out more of your content and am going to watch this video again, to see if I can pick out games when my late father and I are in the stands
🙏🏽✌🏽❤️-from Minnesota.
Great comment, thank you, really appreciate it!
Lawrence Taylor, line backer
Once heard the Barry Sanders attributed his moves to playing flag football as a kid. He never wanted to be tackled by having his flag taking off his hips so he would try to shift his hips away from the other people.
He was the greatest scat back to every play the game! When he touched the ball you got out of your seat waiting for greatness to happen.
You young men have such intelligent observations!
Barry was a beast. Pure dedication to his game and he put up his numbers while never having a great line or QBs, or recieving corps to take the pressure off of him....
My idol growing up. Growing up outside of Detroit in the 90s, he is who I pretended to be as a kid in the yard. In wore #20, etc.
He was more quick than fast. He could move but he wasn't the fastest guy in the game, he was just BY FAR the quickest. He could make 5 guys miss in a phone booth, haha.
You picked the best runner ever for your first reaction. 3 if those tds vs the Vikes were in the same game all in 4th quarter to.come back and win down 18 in 4th. Also, the 47 dude he juked out of.h9s.jock vs the Bucs was one of the fiercest tacklers in the history of the league. Barry made EVERYONE look bad. Some of his greatest runs, though, were like 1 yard gains, or even 1 yard losses as he'd have a ton of defenders in his face at times in the backfield as he got the ball. Making 3 men miss as soon as he gets the ball 4 yards deep and gaining one yard... Amazing mobility! Loved watching him play!
He was so fun to watch.
He was a “mage” on a field of “warriors”! He had excellent sight, quickness, and balance. For what he lacked(in small part) speed and power! He was a “squirrel, in a bear race” and he was the most fun to watch!!!
Barry Sanders was amazing, with legs like tree trunks and superhuman speed. Probably my favorite running back ever. I’d recommend checking out Kurt Warner highlights…he was cut from the league, and then came back and threw bombs all day long in the late ‘90’s for the Rams and is a Super Bowl champ and MVP. His story is amazing.
LoL. NO reaction collection is complete with out a Barry Sanders reaction!!!
Let's GO! 💪🏼😂
Barry's acceleration is amazing, but his ability to stop on a dime and switch directions is what makes him so dangerous.
"It's like he's been fired out of a cannon."
Yes! And, that cannon ball can change directions in a split second. This allows him to run up the middle of the crowd because they all reacted to him juking left when he goes right at a MUCH faster pace than the defenders.
Barry was also a very SMALL running back, relatively.
He did it all on a subpar team, overall. lol. He was amazing!
You've got some great videos here. You should definitely check out these two running backs - Gale Sayers, and Walter Payton. Both of them were almost always exciting to see playing the game. Like Barry Sanders, great players, and great people, too. They do not disappoint.
Thank you for the suggestion!
@@DNReacts Definitely Walter Payton aka “Sweetness”. One of the most revered athletes and men to play professional sports. Mr Class. Walter sadly died young.
For my money, Barry was the best. He probably could have played a few more years, and been still at the top of his game. Barry had said that he developed his moves and jukes as a kid. They didn't have tackle football for kids where he grew up, so he played flag football. He learned to be shifty to avoid getting his flag pulled. Once heard a defensive player asked what was the hardest part of stopping Barry. He said "I've never really done it, but I am pretty sure he can cut and change direction even when he isn't touching the ground"!!! Barry always just handed the ball to an official or just put it down. Said he didn't want to act like he hadn't been in the end zone before or that he wasn't going to be back there.
Love this Jeff. Sounds like he was a great guy on and off the field!
Barry Sanders was absolutely amazing. He had great vision and with every step he could completely change direction and turn on the speed and be gone. He was a little guy, and you wouldn't call him a hard hitter. Not saying he couldn't hit you hard but that wasn't his game. Barry was all about making the defenders miss and running past them. And he was great catching passes too. His team was never very good, but everyone would watch just to see what kind of magic act Barry was putting on that day. He played for the Detroit Lions for 10 years and then just walked away from the game and was basically still in his prime. I think he just got tired of playing on a bad team. Even though we was so amazing, and made big mean men look silly trying to tackle him, he played with respect and humility and always carried himself with class.
Greatest NFL running back in history. It’s not even a discussion. Forget the rushing record. Barry would have shattered it if he played longer, if he had even an average offensive line during his career….don’t tell me Emmitt. Don’t tell me Jim Brown. All greats…but the GOAT is Mr Sanders.
If you can find a video of the 1980s Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino - it is stunning the number of pass completions. He had three great receivers as well.
When he really got my attention was at the Quarterback Challenge on NFL Allstar weekend, when the best QBs were taking turns throwing the ball at moving targets of various distances, and one QB threw a good accurate pass at one of the closer targets, and when congratulated by one of the other QBs, we hear him say through his microphone, "Wait til Marino gets up there."
Marino gets up there and is the only one to throw at the furthest moving target and nails it almost dead center like 40-50 yards away or something. I was like 13 or 14 and remember that being the day when I temporarily switched from being a Dallas Cowboys fan to a Dolphins fan while he and Don Shula were there.
First initial burst and ability to make cuts is what made him the best.
his top end is good but his acceleration was godly. and his jukes and spins. was my favorite player to watch during his career.
Growing up in Michigan as a Lions fan, I was so fortunate to have had him play for my team. He had the chance to break the all time rushing record, but chose to retire in his prime, He was never one for attention or adulation.
Never once danced around and celebrated. After a great run after a touchdown, he would always simply hand the ball off to the ref. We loved him here in Detroit.
and never once did you see Sanders dancing in the endzone or acting a fool. He did his dancing on the way to the endzone. Sanders was all class