Barry Sanders Reveals the Story Behind His Shocking Retirement in ‘Bye Bye Barry’

Barry Sanders is arguably the greatest running back to ever play in the NFL.

He’s one of eight players to have rushed for at least 2,000 yards in a season. He’s one of 10 players to have won the Heisman Trophy in college at Oklahoma State and have a bronze bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He’s third on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 15,269 yards.

Sanders was the perfect blend of quickness, speed, power and elusiveness. He left trails of would-be tacklers lying stunned on the turf. On a famous Nike TV commercial featuring Dennis Hopper, he was described as a “cannonball loose inside a pinball machine.”