Editing Barry Sanders (section)

== Legacy ==
Sanders is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs in the history of the NFL, being ranked No. 1 by [[Bleacher Report]] and in the top ten by other media outlets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Horner |first=Tyler |date=July 2, 2014 |title=Top 25 Running Backs in NFL History |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2115558-top-25-running-backs-in-nfl-history |access-date=June 17, 2022 |website=[[Bleacher Report]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandt |first=Gil |author-link=Gil Brandt |date=June 15, 2017 |title=Gil Brandt's 25 greatest NFL running backs of all time |url=https://www.nfl.com/photos/gil-brandt-s-25-greatest-nfl-running-backs-of-all-time-0ap3000000815786 |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=NFL.com |publisher=[[National Football League]] |language=en-US}}</ref> When he retired, Sanders was ranked second all-time in career rushing yards with 15,269 rushing yards, sixth all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 99 rushing touchdowns, and second all-time in career rushing attempts with 3,062 attempts. As of 2022, Sanders is still ranked in the top ten in all three statistics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1998 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_td_career_1998.htm |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=Pro Football Reference |publisher=[[Sports Reference, LLC]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL Career Rushing Yards Leaders Through 1998 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_yds_career_1998.htm |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=Pro Football Reference |publisher=[[Sports Reference, LLC]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL Career Rushing Attempts Leaders Through 1998 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_att_career_1998.htm |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=Pro Football Reference |publisher=[[Sports Reference, LLC]] |language=en}}</ref> Over his entire career, Sanders averaged 1,527 rushing yards per season, and 99.8 rushing yards per game, the latter stat second to Jim Brown.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Will |date=October 3, 2001 |title=Monday Night Football - Classic MNF: Barry's last hurrah |url=http://www.espn.com/abcsports/mnf/s/classic/sanders98.html |access-date=June 12, 2022 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref> He never went below 1,000 yards in any of his ten seasons and has the second-most career 1,000-yard rushing seasons, with ten.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most seasons with 1,000 rushing yards, NFL history |url=https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/who-has-the-most-1000-yard-rushing-seasons |access-date=June 9, 2022 |website=www.statmuse.com |publisher=[[StatMuse]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Sanders was a notable bright spot on a Lions franchise that had endured years of unsuccessful play, helping to lead the team to their first playoff victory in decades.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeGetmon |first=C. |date=December 10, 2009 |title=Detroit Lions: A Retrospective Of Failure. |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/306294-detroit-lions-a-retrospective-of-failure |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=[[Bleacher Report]] |language=en}}</ref> At the same time, Sanders only won one playoff game throughout his ten-year career, with [[NFL Network]]'s Derrin Horton stating: "Not even Barry Sanders... could pull Detroit out of the playoff snakebit," in reference to the team's postseason failures.<ref name=":24">{{Cite episode |title=Top 10 Snakebitten Franchises |series=NFL Top 10 |series-link=NFL Top 10 |network=NFL Network |date=July 31, 2009}}</ref> The Lions' overall unsuccessful play was noted for possibly being a reason for Sanders' early retirement.<ref name=":0" /> His number 20 was retired by the Lions on November 25, 2004, along with Sims and [[Lem Barney]] (who wore the same number).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hackenberg |first=Dave |date=November 26, 2004 |title=Lions have 20-20-20 vision |url=https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/pro/2004/11/26/Lions-have-20-20-20-vision/stories/200411260102 |access-date=June 17, 2022 |website=[[Toledo Blade]] |language=en}}</ref> Sanders was also honored by the Lions when they inducted him into the [[Pride of the Lions]], the franchise's ring of honor.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 30, 2018 |title=Lions to add three Legends to Pride of the Lions |url=https://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-to-add-three-legends-to-pride-of-the-lions |access-date=June 17, 2022 |website=[[Detroit Lions]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2023, the Lions also immortalized Sanders with an 8-foot bronze statue located outside of [[Ford Field]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woodyard |first=Eric |date=September 16, 2023 |title=Lions unveil Barry Sanders statue in ceremony at Ford Field |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38417118/lions-unveil-barry-sanders-statue-ceremony-ford-field |access-date=November 26, 2023 |website=[[ESPN.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

Throughout his career, he achieved Pro Bowl and All-Pro status in all ten of his NFL seasons.<ref name=":1" /> Sanders was named first-team All-Pro six times; and named second-team All-Pro four times. Sanders was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1994 and 1997, awarded two Bert Bell Awards, and was named to the 1990s NFL All-Decade team. Both the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] and [[Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame]] enshrined him on August 8, 2004, and August 21, 2005, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlson |first=Jenni |date=August 21, 2005 |title=2005 Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame Legends of the fall Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas are together again for induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2005/08/21/oklahoma-sports-famebrlegends-fallbrbarry-sanders-thurman-thomas-together-induction-oklahoma-sports/61929383007/ |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=[[The Oklahoman]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Barry Sanders |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/barry-sanders/ |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] |language=en}}</ref> At the age of 36, Sanders became the second-youngest player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones  |first=Jonathan  |date=July 29, 2022 |title=Niners training camp 2022: Bump in road at practice won't slow Trey Lance's roll, plus Deebo deal on horizon |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/niners-training-camp-2022-bump-in-road-at-practice-wont-slow-trey-lances-roll-plus-deebo-deal-on-horizon/ |access-date=July 31, 2022 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2019, Sanders was named to the [[National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team|NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL 100 |url=https://www.nfl.com/100/all-time-team/roster |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=www.nfl.com |publisher=[[National Football League]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2007, he was ranked by [[NFL Network]]'s ''[[NFL Top 10]]'' series as the most elusive runner in NFL history, and in 2012 was placed No. 1 on their list of the greatest players to never play in a Super Bowl.<ref name="NFL Top 10 Elusive Runners">{{cite web |author=NFL Network |date=May 28, 2008 |title=Top 10 most elusive runners in NFL history |url=http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/09000d5d8087474a/article/top-10-most-elusive-runners-in-nfl-history |access-date=September 9, 2013 |website=www.nfl.com |publisher=[[National Football League]]}}</ref><ref name="NFL Top 10 Superbowl Miss">{{Cite web |date=January 30, 2012 |title=Some all-time great players never even reached Super Bowl |url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story/09000d5d8267672f/article/some-alltime-great-players-never-even-reached-super-bowl |access-date=September 9, 2013 |website=NFL.com |publisher=[[National Football League]]}}</ref>

Sanders led the NFL in rushing yards four times (second to Brown), and in rushing touchdowns once in 1994. He co-won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 1997 (with [[Brett Favre]]) after rushing for 2,053 yards in 16 games, becoming the third running back to surpass 2,000 yards. In the same season, Sanders totaled a record 2,358 yards from scrimmage, later surpassed by both [[Marshall Faulk]] and [[Chris Johnson (running back)|Chris Johnson]]. By the end of his career, Sanders was known as "one of the game's most electrifying runners", as described by the Pro Football Hall of Fame; this was a view shared by ''[[Sports Illustrated]],'' who described him as "running circles around NFL defenses with an electrifying style unlike anything the league has seen."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Zimmerman |first=Paul |date=December 8, 1997 |title=Lion King Barry Sanders Is Running Circles Around NFL Defenses With An Electrifying Style Unlike Anything The League Has Seen |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1997/12/08/lion-king-barry-sanders-is-running-circles-around-nfl-defenses-with-an-electrifying-style-unlike-anything-the-league-has-seen |access-date=June 9, 2022 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":16" /> His 1989 season is regarded as one of the best all-time by a rookie running back, ranked No. 3 by NFL analyst Elliot Harrison, and No 4. by [[ESPN]] analyst Jeff Merron.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harrison |first=Elliot |date=April 29, 2015 |title=Top rookie seasons of the Super Bowl era: Running backs |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/top-rookie-seasons-of-the-super-bowl-era-running-backs-0ap3000000488801 |access-date=June 9, 2022 |website=www.nfl.com |publisher=[[National Football League]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="ESPN best rookies">{{cite news |last=Merron |first=Jeff |date=September 2003 |title=LT best NFL rookie of all time |work=[[ESPN]] |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/list/nflrookies.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816144913/http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/nflrookies.html |archive-date=August 16, 2007}}</ref> In 1999, an ESPN survey of journalists, athletes, and other sports figures ranked Sanders as the 76th greatest North American athlete of the 20th-century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESPN.com: Top N. American athletes of the century |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/athletes.html |access-date=June 9, 2022 |website=www.espn.com |publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

Although he sat behind fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas on the [[depth chart]] for his first two collegiate seasons, Sanders is considered one of the greatest college football players of all time. His Heisman trophy-winning season in 1988, in which he set single-season college football records for most rushing yards gained, touchdowns scored, and total scrimmage yards (among other records), is often considered the greatest individual college football season ever, ranked No. 1 by ESPN and Sporting News.<ref name="ESPN Page2">{{cite news |last=Merron |first=Jeff |title=Best individual college football seasons |work=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/list/collegefootball/seasons.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924190445/https://www.espn.com/page2/s/list/collegefootball/seasons.html |archive-date=September 24, 2016 |quote=The only serious question when composing this list was 'Who's No. 2?'}}</ref><ref name=":15" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Iyer |first=Vinnie |date=January 14, 2020 |title=CFB 150: Top 10 individual single-season performances in college football history |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/top-10-individual-single-season-performances-in-college-football-history/1s4bv13g9pu8o1r7j5hztadnik |access-date=June 9, 2022 |website=[[Sporting News]] |language=en}}</ref> In commemoration of the 150th year of college football, Sanders was honored during [[Half-time|halftime]] at the [[College Football Playoff National Championship]] game on January 13, 2020, as the No. 9 player of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nagel |first=Cody |date=January 14, 2020 |title=Barry Sanders included among ESPN's Top 150 players |url=https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma-state/Article/Oklahoma-State-Barry-Sanders-ESPN-top-150-players-142163986/ |access-date=January 14, 2020 |website=GoPokes |publisher=[[247Sports]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In contrast to many of the star players of his era, Sanders was noted for his on-field humility.{{Sfn|Crompton|2008|p=93}} Despite his flashy playing style, Sanders was rarely seen celebrating after the whistle was blown; instead, he handed the ball to a referee, and was never tempted into celebrating any further.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hruby |first=Patrick |title=Burning questions: Barry Sanders |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/061120&src=mobile |access-date=June 15, 2022 |website=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref> He was recognized for putting his team's success over his stats, as shown when he denied a request from head coach Wayne Fontes to return to play in a game so that he could gain enough rushing yards to become the rushing leader for that season.<ref name=":12" /> He disliked speaking to the press, and rarely spoke about his accomplishments publicly.<ref name=":23" /> When reflecting on his career, ESPN described Sanders as a "humble superstar."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trotter |first=Jake |author-link=Jake Trotter |date=August 23, 2018 |title=Inside Barry Sanders' record-setting, Heisman-winning (and nap-taking) 1988 season |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24440133/the-untold-stories-barry-sanders-record-setting-1988-season |access-date=June 11, 2022 |website=[[ESPN.com]] |language=en}}</ref>