Ranking the top 25 running backs in NFL history…
3. Barry Sanders
Drafted third overall by the Detroit Lions in 1989 out of Oklahoma State, where he won the Heisman Trophy with 2,628 yards in 1988, Sanders dazzled as an elusive phenom on often mediocre teams throughout his NFL career.
Over 10 seasons with the Lions, Sanders led the league in rushing four times: 1990 (1,304 yards), 1994 (1,883), 1996 (1,553) and 1997 (2,053, joining the 2,000-yard club and earning co-MVP with Brett Favre).
His 1997 season included 14 straight 100-yard games, a record, and Offensive Player of the Year honors. As a rookie, he rushed for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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Sanders powered the Lions to a 12-4 record and NFC Championship appearance in 1991 (1,548 yards, 16 touchdowns). He retired abruptly in 1998 at age 30.
Sanders’s career totals include 15,269 rushing yards (fourth all-time), 99 rushing touchdowns, 352 receptions for 2,921 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. He holds records for most 1,500-yard seasons (five), consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (10) and 100-yard games (76), with a 5.0 yards-per-carry average. He ranks high in yards from scrimmage (18,190) and all-purpose yards.
Sanders’s standout attributes were his extraordinary agility, quickness, and lateral explosiveness at 5-foot-8 and 203 pounds, allowing him to change direction instantaneously and evade tacklers. His playing style was electric and improvisational: a juke-master who thrived on big plays, often reversing field for explosive gains while also being a capable receiver and pass protector.
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His early retirement shocked fans, leaving potentially thousands of yards on the table.
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, he remains the gold standard for running back elusiveness.
But who ranks ahead of Sanders at No. 2 all-time?
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