Detroit Lions running back, Barry Sanders, top 50 career plays. Subscribe to NFL: j.mp/1L0bVBu Check out our other channels: NFL Network / nflnetwork NFL Films / nflfilms NFL Rush / nflrush
If he had Cowboys or 49ers team he would probably have 2000 yards every season and 8 super bowl rings. He literally took the lions to the NFC Championship by himself
No one past, present or future will come close to the talent, sportsmanship and over all class this man possessed. When asked why he doesn’t spike the ball or celebrates in the end zone he replied “Because I plan on doing this again.”
@@macortiz8260 Walter Payton. Roberto Clemente,Chris Long.and the list goes on...I love Barry and understand the adoration,but don't make it seem like he was the only one.
Handed the ball to the referee after every touchdown. There's no point in celebrating when you know you're going to score again in the not too distant future.
Barry once explained that he grew up playing touch football, and he learned quickly that, if a guy doesn't touch him, he also cannot tackle him. Made a career out of making people miss. Now we all miss him.
He woulda had 100 if Herman Moore blocked that safety against the Bears on his longest run 90 plus without a td at 04:50 also holding penalties negated at least a couple Baker dozens
Don't forget dogged determination. That guy gave absolutely one hundred percent every single play, scrapping for every inch possible. If I may also throw in a team first attitude, and took care of the ball exceptionally well, fumbling rarely.
@@yourztruly9287 idk… Bo ram the 40 in under 4.2 and was stronger than the linebackers trying to tackle him… Sanders ram the 40 in street clothes and tennis shoes without a warm up and still ran in under 4.4. Both Bo and Sanders were all pro athletes in 2(!!) sports… sanders was an amazing running back but I wouldn’t put him ahead of Bo or Sanders…
I’ve had people say emmit smith and L Tomlinson are better….. L is HOF I won’t lie but not Barry levels of good… And Emmit Smith………. Bruh he literally admitted himself that he’s nothing compared to Barry
@@lionguy8959Barry would've had the record in the time he played with what Emmitt had in front of him. I know of at least 8 that were better than he was, and LT was one. Emmitt is 9 or 10. Dickerson, OJ, Faulk, Sayers, and probably AP outside Sanders, Payton and Brown.
Try watching Gale Sayers. Even people who don't care about sports find his runs great art. I remember watching "Brian's Song" in middle school gym class (it was during a tropical storm) and girls who didn't know or care anything about football were actually tearing up watching his highlights as well as during the ending.
Barry was the sickest combination of speed and agility. His ability to plant, juke, change direction and then accelerate is something I’ve never seen from any other player. On top of that, he was strong as hell. The guy broke tackles as much as he avoided them. And all while being probably the classiest player the league has ever had. True legend.
He was so strong that tacklers would just slide off of him. The power he had in his lower body was unreal. He gets attention for his agility and all that, but he'd slip tackles from people all the time like they weren't even there.
The only other player I saw with a similar run style, albeit to a lesser extent of course was Eric Metcalf who rarely gets much attention. But even though Metcalf had very similar moves and running style he was no Barry as Barry was just a level beyond anything else by far. Outside of those two guys though I have never seen another runner be able to do all those things consistently.
Barry is the reason why I became a football fan way back in the day!!, and a lions fan from Boston!!, I remember being sad and shocked when he retired after nine years, but in retrospect it was the smart thing to do, without a doubt he was the G.O.A.T running back!!
Steven Watchorn and how I use to laugh when I saw that ... no body remembers the play offs against San Fan ... they almost went to the SuperBowl that year ... Eddie Murray misses a field goal ...... DAMMIT!
Peete knew that Barry had an open field to the goal line and only one defender to beat. The only way Barry was not going to score was if he slipped on some loose turf.
I remember lineman saying "you don't have to chase Barry because he will end up coming back to you" with all his weaving around. The most respected player of all time. No celebrating just hand the ball to the ref and go back to the sideline. Awesome
I watched a video a couple days ago of the top ten running backs of all time. Barry Sanders had replaced Walter Payton as number one. Congrats Barry Sanders and thank you for the memories. You were the best!
@Trophy Stackin I know I was just pointing out the crazy runs where I think he got caught because of stamina. I'd give Barry a 92 in speed, but a 99 in acceleration and agility.
I'm only 24 and finally getting back into NFL (go G-Men) but I had to go into some history. Never almost became teary-eyed watching someone like this play football, and reading the comments at the same time. What a Legend. Respectful, tactful, I mean true definition of all-american.
As a Lions fan born in 97, I never had the chance to see Barry play. I finally decided to educate myself since I realized I had never really sat down and watched film on him. The way he hit holes (if there was one) and accelerated blows my mind. And that’s just the beginning. Watching the NFL today I realize Barry is timeless and would be the best back in any era. Best of all time.
@J. A. The Lions organization was and is garbage. What they did to Sanders and Megatron is inexcusable. Fontes didn't put him in because he was bad-minded. Barry came with superhuman stats from college and it wasn't like they didn't know that. Lions organization gets no love from me.
Undeniable talent. There is nothing bad you can say about his game. He would dominate in any era. Watching Barry play was equivalent to the first time I ever heard the music of The Doors. Perfection in every sense of the word. A truly magical experience. A ballet of genius.
@Lighthouse in the Storm aye, you obviously weren't alive then. emmitt's #'s seem paltry despite his monster oline. barry would have had 7-8 2000+ yard seasons behind that line. and cowboys would have won even more superbowls during the 90's
It's the same with Calvin Johnson. If either one had a championship team behind them it would have been a guaranteed winner everytime. And yes, I am a lifelong Detroit fan.
He's made a lot of hall of fame defenders look like amateurs. I don't think the NFL has ever seen a RB with this level of talent, ever. Not even Bo Jackson. Bo had the size and top speed, but Barry had it all.
Lol. Dude! I was gonna say something like that. It's like he's got robot legs with 360 degree articulation at every joint. And 0 to 60 or 60 to 0 at any moment.
@@lloydkline1518 he did that several times. He's a humble man that could have beat the all time rushing record but didn't because he wasn't about that. Every player will have haters. Football hasn't been the same without him. Make the NFL great again!!
Best RB ever period!!! To me it’s not close!!! I’m a 49er fan and love roger Craig and Ricky waters frank gore garrison Hearst!!!! But Barry was the best I ever watched!!! He retired early and still has 15,000+yards Imagine Barry playing for the Cowboys or the 49ers of that era That dude would have had 20,000 rushing yards and 3+ chips
Actually he set his team up for 2nd and long and 3rd and long because he was in search of that "highlight reel" run. Which, he got quite often. Buuuut "highlight reel runs" don't equate to winning in the NFL. In the NFL, your goal should be to win games, not say "hey everyone, look at me" . Sanders holds the ALL-TIME record for most rushes with 0 or less yards, and the ALL-TIME record for total negative yards. Again, the NFL is about winning. Just taking the 2-4 yards available on 1st down helps you win. Backing up, juking, hoping you can break one, hurts your teams chances of winning. Which is a huge factor on why their record was a measly 74 wins and 79 losses when Barry played. He was a highlight reel master. When it came to helping his team win, he failed. Miserably.
Put some respect on Adrian Peterson's name. Barry is the GOAT, hands down, and I'm a Lions fan, but A.D. was an absolute beast. Certainly the best of the generation after Barry, along with L.T. Although I'd bet my bank account they both had a heck of a lot more help up front than Barry ever did.
@@1TotalJabroni - much respect to both guys mentioned AP and LT who were absolutely great but I believe he is referring to running style. I find it funny how people always try to say Shady runs like Barry. It was just something about Barry's low center of gravity and quickness that can't be duplicated. Defenders always talked about how powerful he ran. Not in the sense of running you over but having to try to tackle someone so short, compact and quick was so hard when you are 6ft 2" 250 pounds. AP was a tall runner and very strong with speed which made him a nightmare but Barry was just on a different level.
I like how on 5 Rodney Peete raises his arms in the touchdown formation while Barry still has to run 20 yards and break 4 tackles. 😂 That’s how I remember it. We always expected he would score every play he had any space at all.
@@jjprulz As a Lions fan, The Fords are such horrible owners! Well Martha is doing better then William ever did. But the NFL owners never showed love to our Lions, How can we build a contending team if the refs are just take games from us. The Lions are the most hated team to the refs.
Aneya Slimm no he wasn’t! He was a terrible pass blocker, he could never get short tough yards, he was ineffective in the red zone, he was taken out of the game on the goal line, he was not a leader, he routinely quit on his football team, he wasn’t a big game player, he wasn’t a tough player. Barry was a highlight runner. That gets you good stats and fans, but it doesn’t win you games. Emmitt > Barry by a lot!!!
@@357twilson when you ARE the team, you are the leader...it's leading by example...Emmitt's team was also a tad better...he literally ran behind the best OL in history...tho the Lions OL wasn't as bad as people make out. 5 yards a carry for 10 years...
Well let me put it this way, Eric Dickerson had a smoother run, and he definitely was a faster runner than Barry, and mind you, Dickerson was 6'3" but Barry was hands down the most elusive runner the game has seen, the only other player that even remotely came close to Barry's elusiveness was Gale Sayers
He was the best. The stats don't tell the story of how great he was. He came out of the game in the 4th anytime the lions were way up to give backups a chance and the Lions didn't want to risk injuring him for no reason. Also.....He would come out in 4th quarter of many games when the Lions were down a bundle and had to score quickly and often. So no real garbage eating up the clock in the 4th quarter when the defense is tired kind of yards.....which happen to account for many yards of the other great back of time Emmit Smith.
Barry Sanders is hands down the greatest running back to ever play in the NFL. His burst off the line of scrimmage was insane,then his ability to make cuts once he reached the second level of the defense was quick and decisive. His speed in the open field and upper body strength to shed tacklers is what made him a complete back! Barry Sanders had legs the size of tree trunks! The guy was an absolute beast,and the best to ever do It!
This video of Barry Sanders is a gem. Never watched the Detroit Lions. So wonderful to view some of his phenomenal runs now. Thank you for sharing this remarkable man's running accomplishments. Really. I said Wow Wow and WOW! so much.
My favorite thing about Barry Sanders, you never seen celebrating the end zone. They asked him why once and he said, because I've been there before.... Classy dude
A theory I've heard is this: he Always handed the ball to an official after scoring a TD. He didn't spike it; he didn't celebrate; he didn't do all those TO bullshit, showboating "look at me" things. The biggest insult for a defense was when he just handed the ball to the ref. It was his insulting way, to the defense, to say FU, y'all couldn't stop me. Love HOF 1st ballot Barry Sanders.
One if the greatest to ever touch a football!! We loving the monument of him thats going up in front of Ford Field here in Detroit! It is well deserved! Thank you for the historical moments Barry Sanders! #20 GOLIONS!
The biggest testament to Sanders is at 8:22 when Peete throws his hands up signaling TD while Barry was still behind the line of scrimmage with two defenders in front of him. That man knows who he's handing the ball off to for sure
Bro you should be mad he almost went to the packers but they chose a lineman who ended up being a bust even I'm mad because while I like the lions barry never had the Career he should've had
@@sourpatch4209 trust me, not taking Barry Sanders is without a doubt the biggest mistake the Packers ever made... yeah i feel bad that he didnt get some rings he deserved, but if i was a lions fan, i would still love the fact i would have bragging rights to say i had a top five running back in the entire nfl history...
I am too young to have ever seen him play, but watching these highlights, I can't help but be amazed. The defenders are world class athletes who train their entire lives to be able to make tackles and keep up with a RB, and spend days each week studying opponents on film frame by frame. But when Sanders runs he makes them look like children. It feels like I'm watching a movie that people would say is unrealistic. There are only a handful of athletes ever who are so stunning in this way.
Barry played for the worst franchise of all time and I'm from Michigan. He had little to no support or blocking and still managed to be amazing. It makes me happy to see people in your generation appreciating him bc he was something truly amazing to watch.
You nailed it young man....he had the ability to make professionals look like amateurs. He did all that when the Lions' executives didn't invest in a line at all, and the team rarely had a deep threat. Defenses often played heavy in the box because there was no reason not to....and yet the man still accomplished all that he did. He was truly amazing, both on and off the field. He is the Michael Jordan of the RB position, and always had more class.
his trademark jukes were so good, but his vision might be the best the league will ever see. The holes he spotted sometimes were barely there and he somehow found his way through them without missing a step or even brushing against anyone. He is the best halfback this game will ever see, without question.
I'm 45 and have been a diehard Packers fan my entire life. He's the only player that I hoped would do well against my team. He was by far the funnest player to watch. He is hands down, no questions asked, the best to ever play the game.
In the 90s when the Lions were on tv and had the ball everyone with a remote interest on football would be glued to the set in anticipation of the next Barry carry
Exactly, there's never been another running back that would have EVERYBODY stop watching their team, and change the channel just to watch this man run, NO OTHER RB PERIOD!!!
@@Chrisinthecivic im a steeler fan die hard and bell is awesome but barry is in another league altogether. I watched him be all defenses nightmare including steelers all those years.
Exactly Todd. He was the football version of Tiger or MJ. If the Redzone channel existed back then they'd have cut to him every time he touched the ball, regardless of field position.
I was a Bears fan as a kid, but I remember watching Lions games just to see this guy run. As a kid! I didn't want to miss his games. I think its cause I was just getting into Tecmo Bowl for the Nintendo, so watching Mr. Sanders run was like a real life video game. Maybe not great Top Speed, but Incredible Vision, unmatched Elusiveness & Acceleration like no other! He may not have invented the, 'juke,' but he definitely mastered it. RESPECT #20
The unsung hero in most of his long touchdown runs was #84 Herman Moore. He was downfield blocking on almost all of those long runs. One of the best Wide Receivers and maybe the best blocking Wide Receiver ever.
I just want to let the young people who are commenting on here to understand something. These are some of Barrys 50 highlights somebody put up. These are the times the offense line actually blocked. I watched every game Barry played and 75% of the time he had no blocking and made great runs. Every other great running back you can name had a good or great offense line they played on. Barry played on a horrible team and if he didn't retire early because he got tired of the Lions front office he would have the most yards ever in football.
Agreed, Robert. How many times did we see Barry get the ball four yards behind the line of scrimmage with three defenders right in front of him, and still get three or four positive yards out of it? Countless hundreds of times. The best ever.
Lions had two pro-bowl OL's in the Barry Sanders era. Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover were credited for Sanders early success Aswell as Jerry Ball all-star one year. Let's not over do it with the "No o-line at all" ..wasnt like he was Earl Campbell on the Saints or Blair Thomas with the Jets..those were border line ASSAULTS
His ability was simply jaw-dropping... The fact the other team basically gameplanned soley for him all week and these are the results is close to UNBELIEVABLE.
Barry is so good you can entertain non-football and non-sports fans with his highlights. That's a transcendence very few human beings reach in any respected genre, let alone sports.
It's been over 2 decades and I'm still scratching my head at how this guy never blew out his ankles, achilles, ACL's and MCL's with the way he constantly cut, juked and bent his knees at the angles and speeds in which he did. He basically won the genetic lottery and we will probably never see another guy like him suit up.
I am a huge Die Hard Chicago Bears fan, And I know people will say how could I say Barry Sanders is better than Walter Payton. Barry Sanders is the best running back that ever lived. Love to Watch Walter Payton play in the 80s when I was a kid, but I have to give it to Barry Sanders hands down. The guy was pure Magic.
I think walter was better all around with blocking ect but Barry is the better back with the ball in his hands. Both are #1 #2 in my book. I think emmitt is overrated
What he did to your Bears on Thanksgiving '96, he should be prosecuted for. Straight up murdered that entire defense, for 60 minutes. As a tortured Lions fan, it may be my fondest football memory Hell, I'm from Oxford Mississippi. Never been within 250 miles of the city of Detroit, let alone the state of Michigan. My 1st memory of football period, was Barry Sanders shredding GB on Sunday night football. Been a die hard Lions fan since that day. May God have mercy on my soul lol
Sean Clark: I am right there with you. I am a lifelong Bucs fan, look at how many of these highlights are against us. He once ran two 80+ yard TD's against us in one game, I think that's still the only time it's ever been done. We did hold him to 20 yards once though.
Elthenar , the only man I think that might have rivaled or been better than Barry Sanders if he would have had a full career, is Bo Jackson I was really young when he was playing but he was Unreal too.
There is no question that Barry Sanders is the all time best running back to ever play the game. A running back with no offensive line to block for him, and the amount of yards that he accumulated over his career is unheard of. Emmitt Smith is the all-time leading rusher in the NFL., with 18,355 yards playing 15 years in the NFL. Barry Sanders has 15,269 all-time career yards with only 10 NFL seasons. Emmitt Smith had a monster offensive line to block for him. So you play five more seasons than Barry Sanders and only beat him by 3,086 yards. Barry Sanders could have had that in the next two seasons that's why I consider him the best running back to ever play the game.
He had some good offensive lines, too. Tackle Lomas Brown (3X All-Pro) and Center Kevin Glover (4X All-Pro) were stars. Mike Utley and Eric Andolsek were strong guards. Regrettably one was paralyzed and the other killed by a truck in his front year. Others like Bill Fralic passed through.
@@tomconstance2391 Cmon man...Lomas was all pro for his pass blocking. Glover I will give you. I wouldn't exactly call Utley and Andolsek "strong" Barry's lines were average at the absolute best. Pretty big difference between that and arguably the greatest line of all time Smith played behind.
Yup ... every few years I dial up a Barry highlight reel and confirm what everyone knows. GOAT at RB. Sad he was trapped here in Detroit, but man did I enjoy watching him play. Absolute magic.
Insane! Play #1 even his own teammates are confused with his moves. Everyone jumping to the ground in case was fumble, and Barry was already 10 yards ahead running alone… what a great human being and what a big pride for Lions heritage !!!!
An underrated aspect of Barry Sanders: his strength. People always thought of him as a little jitterbug, but he had an unreal lower body--that's what separated him from mere scatbacks. He may have been short, but his legs and hips were incredibly powerful which is why so many of his highlights feature broken tackles, not just missed tackles. When you combine his speed, vision and elusiveness with so much sheer strength, you have arguably the greatest running back ever. It's between him and Jim Brown, IMO.
@@emichels Nobody seriously considers Bo Jackson the greatest running back ever. Yes, I know: "But he was the most talented running back ever and if he had played full seasons and a full career he totally would have been the best ever." In the real world, he was a talented and exciting player over a few half-seasons who never had to deal with the rigors of full NFL seasons and didn't have to show career longevity. So he's correctly never included in discussions of greatest running back ever. If you want to nominate him for greatest "what-if" ever, we can definitely consider that.
Watch some of these plays closely. A lesser man would have been ripped to the ground by some of these efforts to tackle him and yet he manages to keep chugging and somehow vertical based on his sheer core strength.
Best damn running back ever! No Showboat, no dancing no singing, stayed humble went out and played for his teammates and had an amazing career. Nobody else has become a highlight reel like that man, that played on a team that rarely made the playoffs. I love living in Detroit and going to watch that man play, he is amazing!
@@dme1016 you have no idea what you're talking about. Look at the history of each player, then look at the history of the teams they were on at that time. Then, you'll have a better understanding. I'll say it again, best running back ever!
@@michaelperkins3003 2nd best, behind Barry. And I'm Barry's age, so I saw things in real time. Barry sometimes looked bored on the sidelines. Walter inspired. And you can say it all you want.... I know better, mufukah.
@@dme1016 his performance on the field proved otherwise just because he's not a big cheerleader on the side doesn't mean he's not dedicated and involved. Probably trying to figure out how the hell are we going to win this game!
When I was growing up, you were a fan of the hometown team. There just wasn't any two ways around it. So being from Detroit, well, the Lions were my team, and as anybody from Detroit can tell you, there isn't a fan base more abused and taken for granted than Lion's fans. Watching the Lions, rooting and cheering for the Lions, was an exercise in frustration if not self-flagellation. In all those years, and I'm talking 40 plus years, there was only one redeeming fact about the Detroit Lions, and that was Barry Sanders. He was the greatest that ever carried a football, he made you forget about the score of the game or the won-loss record, none of that mattered when Barry went off on one of those crazy runs. And to top it off, he was a class act, a real gentleman. You can say that the Lions didn't deserve him, but the Lions fans did, and he was greatly appreciated for bringing a little sunshine to an otherwise dark place.
Well said, but sadly, I believe this is ultimately what led to his early retirement. He stayed for the love of the fans, but the management would not pay to put a real team around him while the fans were buying tickets just to watch him.
That’s how I felt about Sosa being a die hard Cubs fan as a kid. You showed up just to watch him hit towering home runs. But I’m sure you know how that ended. At least they won a Series. But by then I would call myself a die hard but rather a casual fan at that point. Barry Sanders was the man.
The best running back to ever play the game. Imagine if he had had the Dallas offensive line during this time. He would've doubled Emmitt Smiths yards per carry.
Being born in 1980, when i was a kid one of my favorite days every year was gathering at grandma's house out in the country for a Thanksgiving feast every year and my dad, uncles, cousins and myself and 3 brothers would gather in the living room to watch the Lions and Barry Sanders put magic in our hearts every year. Not to mention John Madden and Pat Summerall calling the games. Those are some of the fondest memories I have as a youngster. Especially during these tough times we are facing in 2020 this video really did put a nostalgic smile on my face. So thank you for that! Barry will always be one of the greatest to ever play the game!
Yeah man, house smelling like Thanksgiving dinner and you were just waiting for Barry to do something incredible. I'd go out in the yard afterwards and try emulate his moves. Some of my fondest memories too. So grateful I got to watch this guy play the game.
Born same year and same thing. Not only Barry, but the powerhouse Cowboys to follow. I hated Cowboys, but still appreciate how awesome that doubleheader was. Year and year out, it will be hard to ever top again.
@Jack Trippin777 i think it was more QB play. Although, Herman Moore was a x4 pro bowl WR with 7 900+ yard seasons (4 of which were over 1000) while Barry was there, Qb play was generally not good. One could argue that Herman was a probowler becuase Teams stacked the box trying to stop Barry. Year after Barry retired, Herman had another 900 yard season, but the wheels fell off after that.
