Summary
- Barry Sanders, widely regarded as one of the best running backs in NFL history, retired at a young age in 1999.
- Despite his retirement, Sanders's impact on the NFL and the Detroit Lions franchise remains strong, as he has been inducted into the Hall of Fame and serves as a team ambassador.
- Sanders's retirement was controversial due to his age and the abruptness of his decision, leaving the Lions and their fanbase unhappy and puzzled by his departure.
Bye Bye Barry delves into the legacy of Barry Sanders, widely considered among the best running backs ever to play in the NFL, who suddenly retired from professional football at a young age in 1999. Despite only being in the NFL for a decade, solely with the Detroit Lions, Sanders is one of the most accomplished running backs to have ever played the game. Sanders co-won the NFL MVP award in 1997 and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 1994 and 1997. He made the All-Pro team in all 10 seasons he played in the NFL, which included six First-Team All-Pro selections and four Second-Team All-Pro selections.
Sadly though, despite Sanders's generational talent, the Lions didn't achieve much as a team from 1989 to 1998. They made the playoffs five times in his 10 years playing, but the furthest they went with Sanders was their lone NFC Championship Game appearance in 1991, where they lost to the Washington Redskins. Besides that, the Lions lost in the NFL Wild Card game in their four other playoff appearances with Sanders. Because of that, Sanders is considered among the greatest NFL players to never make it to the Super Bowl. Perhaps that wouldn't have been the case had he played longer, but Sanders felt he retired at the right time.
Barry Sanders Was Inducted Into The Hall Of Fame In 2004
Barry Sanders Was A First-Ballot Hall-of-Famer
The Pro Football Hall of Fame requires players to be retired for five years at minimum to be eligible for induction. After retiring in 1999, Barry Sanders was inducted in 2004. Having been one of the most decorated running backs to ever play in the NFL, Sanders being inducted into the Hall of Fame as quickly as he did was no surprise. Sanders is one of 23 players in Lions franchise history to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and was the 17th Lions player to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
What Barry Sanders Has Done Since His NFL Career Ended
Barry Sanders Has Not Been In The Public Eye Much Since Retiring
Despite being one of the flashiest players in the NFL during his heyday, Barry Sanders did not appear in the public eye much. That was even more the case once he retired. Sanders was married to Lauren Campbell from 2000 to 2012. They had three sons during their marriage: Nick, Nigel, and Noah. After he retired, Sanders co-wrote an autobiography titled Barry Sanders: Now You See Him: His Story In His Own Words with Mark McCormick, where he talked about his playing days and retirement.
Despite Sanders ending his NFL career so abruptly, his impact both on the NFL and the Lions franchise has remained strong over two decades. Sanders was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Team Team. Sanders has also made up with the Lions, as he became the team ambassador in 2017. Sanders is also the only player in NFL history to have been on the cover of a Madden video game twice. The first time was shortly after his retirement, with the release of Madden 2000. He was featured again on the cover of Madden NFL 25 in 2014.
Why Barry Sanders' Retirement Was So Controversial
Retiring At His Young Age Was Very Baffling
Barry Sanders was only 31 and in his prime when he announced his retirement, which made it baffling when he suddenly hung up his cleats as the season was about to start in 1999. He hadn't shown any clear signs of slowing down since he had been only two years removed from his co-MVP season in 1997. He abruptly retired just before training camp, and since he was the Lions' best player, they had to change their entire game plan. Neither the Lions nor its fanbase were happy to see him retire so suddenly. However, there was more to it than Sanders simply calling it quits.
By retiring, Sanders left a lot of money on the table from his NFL contract and endorsements, but that didn't matter to him. He also got into a contract dispute with the Lions about how much money he had to give back. Most puzzling of all is that Sanders didn't thoroughly explain his decision. In his retirement fax (via The Oklahoman), Sanders wrote, "The reason I am retiring is simple: My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it. I have searched my heart through and through and feel comfortable with this decision." Sanders reiterates the same sentiment in Bye Bye Barry.
Bye Bye Barry is streaming on Prime Video.
