Barry Sanders, Face of the Franchise

The 1996 season had been dreadful. It was Wayne Fontes' last, and there was one game remaining — on Monday night in San Francisco. The Lions were flying out from Detroit on Saturday. With a 5–10 record, most players were just going through the motions at practice that Friday.

After practice, Bill Keenist, who was in charge of media relations, went on a search for Barry Sanders who would be named All-Pro the next morning. A national reporter wanted a few comments from Sanders, and Keenist chased down Sanders for the interview.

By the time Keenist arrived at the locker room at the Silverdome, it was empty. But Sanders' clothes were still hanging in his stall, a sign he was somewhere in the building. Keenist looked in the obvious places and then by chance went into the weight room. Only one player was lifting, and it was Barry Sanders.

The running back said he had about 30 minutes left and then would be happy to comply with a few comments. So Keenist left, but when he went back the weight room was dark, the locker room was still empty, and Sanders' clothes still hung in his stall. On a lark, Keenist went down to the field. It was a dreary December, so it was fairly dark on the Silverdome field, but the safety lights provided a bit of illumination.

One player was on the field running sprints. Of course it was Barry Sanders. It should have been no surprise, but it was the end of the season and still Sanders was working hard. Barry Sanders was great because of his on-field, head -spinning, jaw-dropping moves. They didn't happen by accident. Greatness is often achieved in weight rooms and practice fields when no one is watching.

In that game at San Francisco — a 24–14 loss — Sanders carried the ball 28 times for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Sanders set the standard for hard work throughout his 10 seasons with the Lions, a team that had drafted him with the third overall pick at the urging of Coach Wayne Fontes who wanted Barry over another Sanders who was available, Deion.

It almost seems hard to believe now, but prior to the draft there were concerns about his size. Sanders is 5'8", but he was not a small running back. His playing weight was 203, and he carried much of his weight in his thick muscular legs, giving him a low center of gravity.

He won the 1988 Heisman Trophy after shattering records in his three seasons at Oklahoma State. In that season he averaged 7.6 yards a carry and more than 200 yards per game, including four games of more than 300 yards.

The question was: would it translate to the NFL?

Sanders had no trouble making the adjustment. He had worn No. 21 in college but was offered No. 20, the same number worn by former Lions' greats Lem Barney and Billy Sims.

It was clear starting in his rookie season that records or individual accomplishments were not Sanders' goal. In his first season he finished second in rushing yards and could have been first, but he declined to go back into the final game to pick up 10 yards.

Never flashy, when Sanders scored a touchdown — he scored 109 in his career — he would hand the ball back to the official like he'd been there before. He didn't spend money on clothes — his teammates would gently chide him for his fashion choices. One time a carload of local sportswriters were heading into the Silverdome parking lot a few hours before game time and were cut off by a guy in an old blue sedan. It was Sanders.

Sanders was worth the price of admission to every game. He could break through a defense and find space where no one else could. He was tough to tackle, and at times he could embarrass defenses.

The Lions made it to the playoffs during five of Sanders' 10 seasons. His greatest season was in 1997 when he topped the 2,000-yard mark for the first and only time. In his final season he rushed for 1,491 yards, ending his four-year streak of running for...