Barry Sanders and The Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have won four Super Bowl Natinal Football League Championships, the last win was in 1957. They have yet to paly in the modern day Super Bowl. Since 1957, the team has only won a single playoff game and that was in 1991. They belong the National Football Conference.

One of the most well known football players for the Detroit Lions is Barry Sanders. Barry Sanders spent his entire professional football career playing for the Detroit Lions. He was a phenominal running back who is now in the Football Hall of Fame and a Heisman Trophy winner. Barry Sanders left professional football just shy of the all-time rushing record.

Barry Sanders was born July 16th, 1968 in Wichita, Kansas. He attended Wichita North High School where he played football. However, it was not until his senior year of high school that Barry Sanders played the position of a running back. He rushed for 1,322 yards in seven games earning him first in all-state. Most college recruiters however were not impressed with his size. Oklahoma State ended up offering him a scholarship to play for them and he did.

In 1988 Barry Sanders lead college football by averaging 7.6 yards per carry and over 200 yards per game. He set college football season records with 2,628 yards rushing, 3,249 total yards, 234 points, 39 touchdowns, of which 37 were rushing, 5 consecutive 200 yard games, scored at least 2 touchdowns in 11 consecutive games, and 9 times he scored at least 3 touchdowns. Sanders won the Heisman Trophy as the season's most outstanding player. Sanders decided to enter the NFL Draft.

The Detroit Lions selected Barry Sanders with their 1st-round, 3rd overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. Barry Sanders had a flashy playing style. He was too quick for defenders to hit solidly on a consistent basis and too strong to bring down with arm tackles. All of Barry Sanders talents did not go to his head. He was rarely seen celebrating after a blown whistle, he preferred to hand the ball to a referee, and was one of the few players seen congratulating teammates. Unlike many of his peer players, he never spiked the ball after a touchdown. At the end of his first year of play with the Detroit Lions, he finished second in the National Football League for rushing yards and touchdowns winning him the award of Rookie of the Year.

As great as Barry Sanders was, landing him at the Pro-bowl ten times, the Detroit Lions never landed at the Super Bowl.