What Could Have Been?- Part 4

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Barry Sanders and the Detroit Lions

In 1988, Sanders had what was arguably the best season college in football history. He rushed for 2,628 yards rushing and 39 total touchdowns which 37 of the 39 were rushing touchdowns. He was drafted 3rd overall in the 1989 by the Detroit Lions and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year that season.

The best season the Lions had under Sanders was in 1991 when they went 12-4 and won their first playoff game since 1957. They were beaten in the NFC Championship Game 41-10 by the Washington Redskins. They made the playoffs four more time during Sander's tenure but were eliminated in the first round each time.

In 1999, he announced his retirement by faxing a letter to the Wichita Eagle in July. He was only 1,458 rushing yards away from breaking Walter Payton's all-time rushing record. Years after retirement, Sanders admitted that the culture of losing from the Lions was too much to deal with and said it robbed him of his competitive spirit and had no reason that things were going to improve.

So what would have happened if Sanders was drafted by a team that constantly went to the playoffs and won? Would have he multiple Super Bowls and be remembered as the best running back in history? Would winning made him continue to play in the NFL longer and put the rushing record out of reach?




Part 5- Woody Hayes And His Ohio State Legacy

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

Years after retirement, Sanders admitted that the culture of losing from the Lions was too much to deal with and said it robbed him of his competitive spirit and had no reason that things were going to improve.

This says it all right here. Barry Sanders wanted to win, and the Lions just couldn't make it over that hump. They experienced the most success in franchise history with Sanders in the backfield, but no matter how many yards Barry rushed for, the rest of the team couldn't get it done. He later said that he sobbed for three months after the Lions lost in the last game he played, because he knew in his heart that he would never play another game. He wanted to win so badly, and I admire him so much for that. Too many athletes today follow the money. Barry Sanders would have cut his paycheck in half to touch the Lombardi Trophy.

If he demanded a trade to a contender, rather than abruptly retiring, and were sent to a team on the brink of being elite, I have no doubt that he would have played out his contract, rushing for over 5,000 more yards, and ending up with some hardware on his fingers. It's a shame that the Lions couldn't win the big one, because Barry Sanders was a human highlight real and we missed out on several more years of spectacular plays and moments.

 

[Big Sexy]

In my opinion Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all time. If you replace him with Emmit Smith in Dallas then I believe Barry would have gotten those three rings easily. Barry was a part of the worst organization in football and he still managed to do things that will probably never be seen again. If he was on a contender he would be the all time leading rusher and it wouldn't even be that close. I mean if he just would have played one more season in Detroit he'd have broken the record and two or three more seasons would have allowed him to keep it for a long time.

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

In my opinion Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all time. If you replace him with Emmit Smith in Dallas then I believe Barry would have gotten those three rings easily. Barry was a part of the worst organization in football and he still managed to do things that will probably never be seen again. If he was on a contender he would be the all time leading rusher and it wouldn't even be that close. I mean if he just would have played one more season in Detroit he'd have broken the record and two or three more seasons would have allowed him to keep it for a long time.

Remember when Reggie Bush was labeled as the second coming of Barry Sanders? Reggie Bush has a better build than Barry, and is a better pure athlete, but Barry had an uncommon ability to read holes in the defense better than anyone that I have ever seen. He was not only one of the most talented backs ever, but one of the smartest. Or, if not smartest, he was the quickest thinker. There were time when a defender was literally two inches in front of him, and he could react well enough to duck under the tackle or spin off of it. If he were to switch places with Smith, I say that even more rings are in Dallas right now. Smith was one of the greatest backs of all time, but Sanders was unbelievable. He was super-human, out of this world. He would have broken every rushing record there is to break and would have raised the bar so far above what anyone else could reach.

 

[Big Sexy]

Remember when Reggie Bush was labeled as the second coming of Barry Sanders? Reggie Bush has a better build than Barry, and is a better pure athlete, but Barry had an uncommon ability to read holes in the defense better than anyone that I have ever seen. He was not only one of the most talented backs ever, but one of the smartest. Or, if not smartest, he was the quickest thinker. There were time when a defender was literally two inches in front of him, and he could react well enough to duck under the tackle or spin off of it. If he were to switch places with Smith, I say that even more rings are in Dallas right now. Smith was one of the greatest backs of all time, but Sanders was unbelievable. He was super-human, out of this world. He would have broken every rushing record there is to break and would have raised the bar so far above what anyone else could reach.

I agree 100%. Being from around Detroit I had the privilege of seeing Barry Sanders play in person a couple times. I was at the game when he surpassed the 2000 yard mark for the season. Also in that game if the Lions won they would make the playoffs and if they lost they were out. It was amazing watching Barry carry the team to victory and to the playoffs, but of course the next week they lost in the first round like they always did. Barry Sanders deserved much better then what the Lions organization gave him.