Barry Sanders

ClipJoint · Sep 6, 2006

Whenever football season begins, I can't help but think how great Barry Sanders was and could have been if he continued playing.

I will never forget his senior year at Oklahoma State:

344 carries
2628 yards
37 TDs
7.6 yards per carry

As a pro, he never ran for less than 1000 yards in his 10 year career.

3062 carries
15,269 yards
99 TDs
4.99 yards per carry

That is an average of 306 carries for 1527 yards a season.

He was always my favorite player to watch, but 1997 was just unreal. He ran for 2053 yards on only 335 carries when every NFL team was keying on him. That was a 6.1 yard per carry average.

He was by far the most exciting football player to watch in my opinion.

PublicsMoney · Sep 6, 2006

I Wholeheartedly agree Clip. No doubt about those statements that you made.

vermonthorseplayer · Sep 6, 2006

No one would have ever caught him in the records book if he stayed around.Gotta respect the guy though, Didn't like what he saw around him and left on his own terms. How many get to do that???

With that being said, He was fun to watch but NO ONE ran like Sweetness. That guy was pure magic

Journeyman · Sep 6, 2006

Underrated.

WorldNumberOne · Sep 6, 2006

in my mind , he is the greatest running back of all time...

sanders
payton
brown
simpson
smith

ClipJoint · Sep 6, 2006

vermonthorseplayer said:
With that being said, He was fun to watch but NO ONE ran like Sweetness. That guy was pure magic

Walter was amazing...he was also on much better teams. He was amazing, but I would still put Barry Sanders above him.

I know most won't agree, but he did what he did without an offensive line. To average 5 yards a carry in a career on bad teams is beyond comprehension.

In comparison statistically, Payton did not put up the numbers Barry did in his first 10 years:

Payton:
3047 carries
13,309 yards
89 TDs
4.38 yards per carry

Sanders:
3062 carries
15,269 yards
99 TDs
4.99 yards per carry

Still awesome numbers and a thrill to watch...but he had a lot more help and still didn't put up the same numbers.

JustMe · Sep 6, 2006

I just wander how good he could have been on a better team...

ClipJoint · Sep 6, 2006

JustMe said:
I just wander how good he could have been on a better team...

...and if he would have played with a fullback. He was in the run and shoot for most of his career. His 2000 yard season was when Ross was the coach and implemented a 2 back system.

viking611 · Sep 6, 2006

low TD numbers.

ClipJoint · Sep 6, 2006

viking611 said:
low TD numbers.

More TDs in his first 10 years that Payton.

He was in the run and shoot and they would take him out inside the 5. Amazing that he has as many TDs as he did.

Fishhead · Sep 6, 2006

Above average running back, NO QUESTIONs about it.

Fishhead · Sep 6, 2006

Beings an UNbiased PACKER fan, Barry was not nearly as good as Walter..............and we have had this discussion before, so not going to waste my time debating this when Im sweating 3 games and entering numerous contests this evening.

Journeyman · Sep 6, 2006

World Number One said:
in my mind , he is the greatest running back of all time...

sanders
payton
brown
simpson
smith

I would have to agree with that top 5 , air tight list there.

Who would be 6, Franco Harris, my man? :suomi:

passingthewind · Sep 6, 2006

I still remember after he retired for about the first 3 or 4 years I kept thinking and believing he was going to come back. Joke was on me huh.

Birdman · Sep 6, 2006

I'll take a half dozen backs ahed of Barry--oh maybe not cause at Okla St he was a beast with a good o-line. I just hated the way too many -4 on first down when he could have gotten two yards up the gut. Barry was always looking for the HR and killed 2-3 drives a game by taking big loss on first down where as Payton would never willingly get -6 as opposed to the grinding 2-3. Just my take. I saw Sanders against Bucs rip off two 80+ yard runs in same game when most backs would have gotten 5-7 and 3-4 yards on the carries. Love dickerson's straight up style and Leroy kelley's cut back on the sweep with late 60's Browns. Also, Larry Brown of Skins got most out of his raw ability than any other athlete I've ever seen--not even close.

ClipJoint · Sep 6, 2006

Birdman,

I agree about the losses hurting drives. BUT, that was a product of the system. When he was in the 2 back system with a lead blocker, it didn't happen. Hence the 2000 yard season.

The run and shoot was a joke. It was all zone blocking and he had to pick and choose a hole. There was no downhill attack with a lead blocker. He was not the only back that had the big negative plays in that offense.

In his defense, he should of had a lot more of those negative rushing plays that he turned into jaw dropping runs just to get back to the line of scrimmage.

The awesome thing about that 1997 season was everyone was doubting whether or not he could run downhill in a 2 back system. The first 2 games he got NOTHING. He had 15 carries for 33 yards in Game 1 and then 20 yards on 10 carries in Game 2. From them on, he was unstoppable.

He ran for 2000 yards in the last 14 games of the season...OJ style.

Wynn · Sep 6, 2006

Gale Sayers should be considered as well.

JohnnyDetroit+ · Sep 6, 2006

I loved Barry also. After seeing him break out of the gang tackle and run the field for a TD against Dallas in the playoffs it made me get season tickets.

On the TD issue, they never used him on the goaline.

At the same time, for everyone who throws up his stats, they always make sure to leave he is the ALL TIME NEGATIVE YARD RUSHER in NFL HISTORY.

primetime21+ · Sep 6, 2006

passingthewind said:
I still remember after he retired for about the first 3 or 4 years I kept thinking and believing he was going to come back. Joke was on me huh.

I was the exact same way.

The only negative to his game was his immense amount of rushes for loss that really can hurt a team. He would frequently put his team in a 2 and 14 situaton. That is why many people during that time through emmitt was better because you always got 4 yards out of emmett even on his worst rushes.

ClipJoint · Sep 6, 2006

I would have loved to have seen how many negative rushes Emitt Smith would of had in the run and shoot without Moose Johnson leading the way.

In the run and shoot, if their is a blitz, that player is unaccounted for in the running game if they start from outside the box. I have played and coached in the system and you will get several negative rushing plays regardless of who your back is. You don't have a fullback lead blocking for you and accounting for the extra man. That defender is suppose to be picked up by a wide receiver. Major flaws in the scheme of the run and shoot running game which really made me even more impressed with what Barry use to do.