Lions Plan To Give Barry Sanders A Distinctive Honor Ahead Of Home Opener

Back in the day, Barry Sanders terrorized opposing teams on a regular basis as a member of the Detroit Lions.

He was quite possibly the greatest running back in NFL history, and he was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 pro seasons, and he also has six All-Pro First-Teams, three Offensive Player of the Year awards, and one MVP to his name.

Per Eric Woodyard, the Lions will reportedly give Sanders a very special honor just before their home opener on September 16 by unveiling a statue that bears his likeness.

In a non-public event, the #Lions will unveil HOFer Barry Sanders’ statue a day ahead of the home opener on Sept. 16th. Sanders will become the 1st Lions player to get a statue.

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) August 8, 2023

Sanders was the No. 3 pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, and he quickly revitalized a moribund and long-dormant Lions franchise.

He ran for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns as a rookie, and he seemingly had the entire package: athleticism, explosiveness, moves, and the ability to evade tackles.

In his third season, Detroit made the playoffs for the first time since 1983, and they won their first playoff game since the 1957 season, as they went all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

For his career, Sanders finished with 15,269 rushing yards and 99 rushing touchdowns.

Unfortunately for him, the 1991 season was the only time his Lions teams won a playoff game, but it wasn’t really his fault, as they never really had enough reinforcements to be anything more than a decent squad.

But Sanders still proved himself, and those who saw him play throughout the 1990s would likely swear that no other running back in the history of football was better than him.

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