Celebrating Barry Sanders’ 55th Birthday With His Greatest Career Highlights
In Detroit, we have no doubt in who’s the greatest running back of all-time in the NFL. It’s Barry Sanders. Any other answer is simply wrong. Emmett Smith? Nope, it’s Barry. Walter Payton? Sorry, Barry’s better.
The Detroit Lions’ Hall Of Fame running back turns 55 years old on Sunday, July 16th. We wanted to acknowledge number 20’s milestone by celebrating with his greatest highlights and career accomplishments. For some, this will be a reminder of why he’s the Greatest Of All Time; for others, let this be an introduction to the best to ever do it.
Before The Roar

Barry Sanders inducted to Oklahoma State University’s ring of fame (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
By the time Barry Sanders arrived in Detroit, he was already a star with some amazing accomplishments. Barry’s Junior season at Oklahoma State, in 1988, is considered to be one of the greatest individual performances in a season that collegiate football has seen. In 11 games, he rushed 344 times for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns. I’ll do the math for you: he rushed for an average of 7.6 yards per rush and 238.9 yards per game. On top of all of that, he also had 19 receptions for 106 yards, and served as the team’s punt and kickoff returner. That’s extraordinary and earned him the Heisman Trophy, and several other honors that year including the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award, and was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year.
During his time at Oklahoma State, Sanders set 34 NCAA Division 1 FBS records, many of which still stand. His records that still haven’t been broken include:
- Most rushing yards in a season: 2,628
- Most rushing yards gained in a three, four, and five game span: 937; 1,152; 1,472
- Most rushing touchdowns in a season: 37
- Most 2+ rushing touchdown games in a season: 11
- Most 3+ rushing touchdown games in a season: 8
- Most consecutive games scoring two or more touchdowns: 13
- Most scrimmage touchdowns in a season: 39 (tied with Montee Ball)
- Most games rushing for 300+ yards in a season and career: 4
- Most all-purpose yards per game in a season: 295.5
- Most rushing yards per game in a season: 238.9
Check out some of Barry Sanders’ highlights from college at Oklahoma State below!
Welcome To Detroit

Barry Sanders during a game in 1991 (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions drafted Barry Sanders with the third overall pick in the 1989 Draft. In Barry’s first game as a professional, he rushed 9 times for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Phoenix (now Arizona) Cardinals. He went on to start 13 of the 16 games in his rookie year. He ended his rookie season with a total of 1,470 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 280 attempts, just 10 yards short of the rushing title that year.
Despite missing out on the rushing title, Sanders still had an incredibly impressive rookie campaign. He set a rookie franchise record and franchise record for any player, regardless of experience, by rushing for 1,470 yards. His performance all season earned him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl and named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press, as a rookie. Clearly, it didn’t take Barry long to find success in the NFL.
Highlights from his first NFL game with the Detroit Lions below!
Career Accomplishments
The success Barry Sanders had in college and his rookie season continued throughout his career, basically from start to finish. Barry was able to stay healthy for the majority of his career, hardly ever missing a game throughout his career. It, almost literally, never happened. It’s something Barry, deservingly, takes a lot of pride in.
I only played 11 games in 1993, but that was the last time I missed game. Outside of that year I only missed 2 other games. Being counted on for a decade by @Lions teammates and fans was a great honor. #RestireTheRoar https://t.co/cY4WNF9dCH
— Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) May 24, 2021
During his historic Hall Of Fame career with the Lions, Barry rushed for 15,269 yards and 99 rushing touchdowns on 3,062 carries. He added 2,921 yards and 10 touchdowns through 352 career receptions. Barry Sanders only lost 15 fumbles over his illustrious career with the Lions.
While he was excellent every year he played, his arguably greatest season came in 1997. That year, Sanders rushed for a career high 2,053 yards on 335 carries and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. That led to him being named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1997. He also won NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1994, but came in second for the MVP behind Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers.
You can watch highlights from one of his best games during his MVP season below. Including the play where he went over 2,000 yards rushing.
Barry still holds many NFL records from his tenure with the Lions. That includes:
- Seasons with 1,500 or more yards rushing: 5
- Consecutive games with 100 or more yards rushing: 14
- Games with 100 or more yards rushing in a season: 14
- 150+ yard rushing games: 25
- 150+ scrimmage yard games: 46
- First running back to have two 80+ yard touchdown runs in a game
By the time Sanders hung up his cleats for good after the 1998 season, he had earned several career awards and honors, including:
- NFL Most Valuable Player Award: 1997
- 2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award: 1994, 1997
- 4x NFL rushing champion: 1990, 1994, 1996, 1997
- NFL rushing touchdowns leader: 1991
- 10x Pro Bowl: 1989-1998
- 6x First-team All-Pro: 1989-1991, 1994, 1995, 1997
- 4x Second-team All-Pro: 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998
- PFWA All-Rookie Team: 1989
- Bert Bell Award: 1991, 1997
- NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
- Number 20 retired by the Detroit Lions
- Pride of the Lions
Check out some of the best and most iconic plays from Barry’s career below!
Greatest Games
Barry Sanders had one of the greatest career in NFL history. You don’t get that title without some fantastic individual performances along the way. When you break the impressive career down to a game-by-game basis, here are three of 20’s greatest career games as a Lion.
Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – November 13, 1994
Barry rushed 26 times for 237 rush yards in their 14-9 win against the Bucs. Despite not scoring a touchdown, it’s considered one of his greatest games because it’s where he recorded his career high for rush yards with an impressive 237.
Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings – November 24, 1991
Barry rushed for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns in this game. The four touchdowns were his most in a single game in his career. Check out highlights from this epic performance above. Lions went on to win 34-14.
Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – October12, 1997
It was hard to pick from a batch of impressive fall games during his 1997 MVP run. I landed on this game against the Bucs (he must have really loved playing them…see the highlights below) because he ran for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Lions victory. So many iconic explosive plays from Sanders in this one.
Legacy
When I say Barry Sanders is the best running back to ever play the game, I’m not just being a homer. I’m not the only one making these claims. Several sports outlets have, as well, including Bleacher Report.
We look back and remember Barry’s one of a kind athleticism and ability to create plays when it looks like there’s no hope. I think agile is the most appropriate word to describe Sanders. Barry would be breaking ankles on the football field like a talented point guard in basketball. 20 was truly a one of a kind runner.
Barry Sanders was also one of a kind and famous for his humility on the football field. He was known for being a humble superstar. When he scored a touchdown, he acted like he had been there before and didn’t put on a show or draw attention to himself. Barry was a real team player.
Off The Field
Barry Sanders has four sons: Barry J. Sanders, Nick, Nigel, and Noah. He has been active in the community and supports several causes. Sanders was the first NFL player to appear on the cover of Madden more than once (in 2013 and 2000).
Today, he’s still working hard, as we’ve seen on social media. You deserve the break, Barry!
I obviously was working much hard than the rest of you... https://t.co/HsRWwUOpxw
— Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) July 12, 2023
Happy Birthday, Barry! We’re proud to have you as one of our own, and appreciate all you did for the city of Detroit and its fans both on and off the field. Happy Birthday to the GOAT!