OT: Barry Sanders Heisman Highlight Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7S8wN_tL5Y (via EDSBS)
Boy, if you thought there were some ridiculous high school recruit videos out there, this one tops them all. Sanders absolutely destroys the competition, legit D-I teams, in his Heisman winning season. I consider Barry the best running back in the 90s; loved watching that guy, even if he was shredding my beloved Packers...
August 14th, 2009 at 9:56 AM ^
But what's more impressive is how he made NFL defenses look like that throughout his career. Reggie Bush might be the closest college comparison to Barry, and he hasn't come close to replicating that success in the NFL.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:57 AM ^
G.O.A.T.
Other backs benefited from being on good teams while in the pros, not Barry. Emmitt had great offensive lines, Peyton too. Barry had to make his own holes and typically dodge a guy as he was taking a hand off. None better.
August 14th, 2009 at 11:01 AM ^
It's a myth that the Lions offensive line was bad while Barry was here, at least for his first five or six years in the league. LT Lomas Brown and C Kevin Glover were both Pro Bowlers.
August 14th, 2009 at 11:09 AM ^
Correct. There is a big misconception about the 90s Lions - they were NOT the doormats that they have been in the Millen era.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:11 PM ^
Lomas Brown and Glover wer good, but there were some years where Barry's line was really, really terrible. Especially 1992, which was the first year after Mike Utley got injured and Erik Andolsek got killed. He also had mostly crappy quarterbacks who couldn't keep defenses honest. He got mobbed behind the line of scrimmage so many times it was sad. He broke so many long runs because defenses would crowd the box with eight guys, and if he managed to escape, there was nobody left to stop him. He succeeded with Bob Gagliano, Rodney Peete, Andre Ware, Erik Kramer, David Krieg, and Scott Mitchell all playing QB.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:16 PM ^
The two biggest mistakes that the Lions organization made in the early to mid '90s were:
1) Keeping Wayne Fontes around for a couple of years too long
2) Signing Scott Mitchell instead of keeping Erik Kramer, or, signing Warren Moon.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^
The real #1 was hiring Dan Henning and ditching the "Silver Stretch" (the Lions' variation on the Run and Shoot). Henning was a complete shitheaded moron and he destroyed the Lions' offense. The Lions went from 12-4 in 1991 to 5-11 in 1992, and it was due mostly to that idiotic dumbfuck.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:59 PM ^
Mitchell piloted a very capable offense for Detroit occasionally, but yeah, I think that was a short sighted signing.
Fontes is a tough one because Sanders and a lot of the team obviously loved the guy. He, as Berman repeatedly pointed out, was also "Rasputin" like in his ability to get the Lions hot when the Fire Wayne talk started.
August 14th, 2009 at 2:02 PM ^
Fontes wasn't a bad coach but he just couldn't keep the team up every week. He seemed like the ultimate "players coach" and the team reflected that in both good and bad ways.
August 14th, 2009 at 2:27 PM ^
The problem with Fontes was that he had final say in player personnel matters, thanks in large part to his sucking up to Billy Clay Sr. Of course, he had a nasty habit of throwing his assistants under the bus, too.
The front office wanted no part of Andre Ware and tried desperately to convince Wayne that he would be a bust. Old Wayne-O wouldn't hear any of it.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:00 AM ^
When Amos Zeroue (SP) was a senior in college, S&S or Steele, commented that, Amos was Barry Sanders with more speed. I found the remark comical at the time and still find it comical
August 14th, 2009 at 10:02 AM ^
a million years since Barry left the Lions. His sudden departure was an oddity but can anyone blame him? Leaving the Lions was the best career decision ever.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:13 AM ^
It's a shame that he ended up on the Lions, it would have been better if he was on a contending team.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:21 AM ^
The Lions went to the playoffs five times, and to the NFC Conference Championship once, during Barry's career.
In 6 playoff games, Barry had 386 yards and one TD.
QUALIFICATION:
- I am not saying the Lions were awesome. I am saying the LOLIONS meme doesn't really apply to the Fontes years, when the team actually was something of a contender a few times.
- I think Barry is one of, if not the, greatest talent to ever play RB in the NFL.
- I do not blame Barry soley for Detroit's lack of playoff success during his tenure - at the same time, people LOVE to kill A-Rod for two bad series (he's actually above average for his career in the playoffs) while Sanders get a complete pass for a stat line that would get him labeled a "CHOKER" if he played for someone else. Just pointing out the hypocrisy.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:14 AM ^
I went to the Lions open practice with my brother in-law and we were discussing how we both feel that if Barry tried and got in shape* then he could still come back and make defenses look pretty bad.
It consistently amazes me, when I look back and think about it, how the Lions were able to only win one playoff game with a player like that on their roster.
*Not saying that he's out of shape, but he's probably not in "football shape".
August 14th, 2009 at 10:21 AM ^
I met Barry last year while I was golfing. He's really not anywhere near football shape, but I did ask him to come out of retirement. He just laughed.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:26 AM ^
When I picture retired NFL greats I always picture them a little bit pudgier and slower than they were before, but I also always think of them working out a fair bit and staying in shape (at least for the first several years after retiring).
At least he laughed and didn't call you an idiot or something, that would be unpleasant.
August 14th, 2009 at 11:13 AM ^
Haha. That is great. +1 for you.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:23 AM ^
a player leave than Barry Sanders. I have not been around all that long but he was certainly my favorite player to watch in the NFL. I was devastated when he retired but as said previously, he didn't really have a team to compliment him. I have a great deal of respect for him because he chose to cut his career short rather than demand a trade or sign with another team. He was an old school player and truly one of the best (if not the best) RB of all time IME.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:43 AM ^
Glad to see another one on here.
August 14th, 2009 at 11:12 AM ^
I can't believe some Lions fans don't like Barry because of the way he left the game. I'm just glad that I was able to watch him for as long as I did. He was amazing.
August 14th, 2009 at 2:56 PM ^
I just wish that he care as much about the records and legacy for himself as all of his fans did for him. It is selfish for us as fans to say that he should have stayed a couple more years to be the all-time rushing leader and be considered "hands down" the best running back ever. He stepped away from the game on his own terms and can't be faulted for that. IMO he is absolutely the best RB to ever play the game, and because his career ended so abruptly in the season before he would have broken the all-time record, there will always be a question as to how great he could have been. It is just disappointing to us as fans. But to Barry, his legacy was not the most important thing to him. He cared about other things in life, and by retiring early, he is still healthy and able to enjoy the rest of his years. Thank for everything Barry, you were the greatest!
August 14th, 2009 at 7:15 PM ^
Barry was just a beast, I wish I had been around to watch those games live. I bet they were was no one yelling "Down in Front" when he played.