Professional career

The Detroit Lions selected Barry Sanders third overall withtheir 1st-round pick in the 1989 draft. Though again there were concerns about his size it turned out that these concerns were mostly unfounded. Sanders was far too quick for defenders to hit solidly on a consistent basis, and too strong to bring down with arm tackles. Though short, Sanders was very stocky -- his playing weight of 200 pounds was in fact the same as Walter Payton and only slightly under the NFL average for a back. Further, Sanders was able to dazzle onlookers at an ESPN slam-dunk contest by jamming comfortably from a flat footed position demonstrating his other defining characteristic -- explosiveness. This, combined with his low center of gravity allowed remarkably quick starts and stops -- he was notorious for sometimes running the full width of the field to gain only a yard on a play then, on the next, suddenly breaking through a hole for a long gain. Also of note was his on-field humility. Despite his flashy playing style, Sanders was rarely seen celebrating after the whistle was blown. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he would usually finish a touchdown run or catch by simply handing the ball to the nearest official.

Sanders' most productive year came in 1997. Rushing for 2,053 yards, he became only the third player to reach 2,000 yards in a single season. He was the first running back to rush for 1,500 yards in five seasons and the only one to do it four consecutive years. He also set an NFL record by rushing for at least 100 yards in 14 consecutive games. He shared the league's Most Valuable Player with Brett Favre.

Despite his individual success, the Lions never reached the Super Bowl while Sanders played for them (or any other time before or after that). The closest they ever came was in the 1991 season. Aided by Sanders 1,855 combined rushing/receiving yards and 17 touchdowns during the season, they recorded a 12-4 record and went on to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 38-6 in the divisional playoffs. However, they were crushed by the Washington Redskins 41-13 in the NFC championship game, and Sanders was held to just 59 total yards. Detroit made the playoffs 4 more times during Sanders' career, but each time they were eliminated in the first round. As of 2006, the 1991 divisional playoff victory is the only postseason win the Lions have recorded since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger.