Getty Barry Sanders celebrates with Herman Moore.
The Detroit Lions had one of the NFL’s best workhorses in Barry Sanders, and many folks know how statistically dominant Sanders was through the years.
Even though that’s the case, there are still facts that captivate about Sanders all these years later. Specifically, how consistent he was while playing running back with the Lions for years. A new stat has been unearthed which shows just how great Sanders was at getting the job done.
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As explained, Sanders is the only non-active player to have at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage in every single season on the field.
NO SEASONS OFF
The only non-active player in history with at least 1,300 scrimmage yards in EVERY ONE of his seasons in the NFL was Barry Sanders.
1989: 1,752
1990: 1,784
1991: 1,855
1992: 1,577
1993: 1,320
1994: 2,166
1995: 1,898
1996: 1,700
1997: 2,358
1998: 1,780
As Sanders said in a subsequent tweet, it was an honor to be counted on by teammates and fans for a decade and something he is very proud of.
Everyone knows how good Sanders was in terms of his highlight reel, but what they might not realize is how consistent he was statistically. This only serves to prove how Sanders could not only be counted on for the big highlight, but for consistency in the trenches as well.
These days, it’s hard to imagine another player showing this kind of consistency in between the lines, but that is simply another chapter to note in the magic of Sanders.
Sanders’ Career Stats
To see Sanders run the ball for Lions fans through the years was to believe given what he was able to do with the team on the field. Sanders routinely had the quickness and deft ability to break plenty of ankles on the football field and remains one of the greatest highlights in the game fans love watching even years after his retirement. Athleticism is something that came naturally to Sanders, something that was constantly proved with every big play he turned in.
With the Lions, Sanders rushed for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns. He was routinely thought of as the best running back in the league, and would have shattered plenty of NFL rushing records had he decided to keep playing. Sanders, however, walked away from the game in 1999 on the eve of training camp, which stunned the Lions and all of their fans. The parties then went through a frustrating split for multiple years, based mostly upon the fact that the franchise made him pay back part of his contract amid retirement. It is a situation not unlike what has been happening with Calvin Johnson up until recently.
Sanders Will Be a Lions Legend Forever
Since, time has healed all wounds and Sanders has patched things up with the Lions and has become engaged in their alumni group. He also makes several visits a year to games the team is playing in, and was recently named to Detroit’s All-Century team, which is a major feather in his cap given what he was able to do as a team leader and a dominating force in the franchise.
As a result of his early retirement, Sanders maintains his health and vitality and looks phenomenal. It’s not a stretch to say that he could possibly still grind out some tough yards in the league at this point in time if he had to.
Through the years, there were few NFL players as consistent as Sanders was in between the tackles.
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