Barry Sanders looking forward to going back to college in the fall

Former Lions great Barry Sanders won the Heisman Trophy in 1988 at Oklahoma State before playing 10 Hall of Fame seasons in the NFL with the Lions.

Sanders is heading back to college this fall, but this time it’s as a spectator and fan, watching his son Barry Sanders Jr. as a running back at Stanford.

Sanders Jr. was the top high school recruit in the state of Oklahoma this past year after rushing for 3,825 career yards and 55 touchdowns, including two seasons with more than 1,200 yards and 1,136 in an injury-shortened junior season.

“He’s bigger, faster, stronger and younger than I was,” Sanders told Detroitlions.com Tuesday. “He’s just a phenomenal high school running back. What I see in him is great vision and speed and he cuts very well.”

Who does that sound like?

“But there is a lot of growing for him to do after high school,” Sanders said of his son. “I’m speaking from my own experience but I wasn’t anywhere near where I was going to be as a freshman. There is a lot of maturing and growing to do after high school and he has a lot of room to grow. He has a frame that he can put on a lot of weight and be a phenomenal runner in college.”

Sanders Jr. is 5-11, 190 pounds and chose Stanford over dad’s Alma mater Oklahoma State and Alabama.

“They like running the ball up there, it’s a priority, so I think that was definitely a draw for him,” Sanders said of his son’s choice of school.

“I think my job is to just be there and be supportive and let him know that there are going to be ups and downs and it’s a great next step in life and you have to go there and start over and work your way up.

“You have to go earn your keep. They brought him there because they think he has potential and now he has to prove he’s worthy of being there.”

Stafford has a little fun at the Celebrity Beach Bowl

A few hours before he finds out if he’ll be the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had a little fun coaching the Palladia team at the DirectTV Celebrity Beach Bowl in Indianapolis.

With quarterback Warren Moon and star receiver Snoop Dog (game MVP), Stafford guided team Palladia to victory over the Cam Newton-coached Spike team.

Stafford yucked it up with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning for a time and seemed in his element among the star-studded rosters.

Former Lions running back Barry Sanders caught a touchdown pass from Joe Montana for the Spike team.

Barry Sanders on the Lions and going to a fan’s house for charity

Lions Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders was a guest on “Moving the Chains” with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan on Sirius NFL Radio to talk about the Lions’ success, going to a fan’s house for charity and plenty more.

Said Sanders on the Lions, “We’re excited. We’ve come a long ways, obviously, and had some real difficult times with so many things going wrong. Now, getting back on track, seeing the team pull out some victories (is great). Of course this is football country out here. They love the football, love the Lions and we’ve been waiting for this for a while. It’s nice to see.”

As far as what Sanders is doing for charity, he will participate in a “homegate”. Fans can bid through ebay to benefit the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF), a non-profit organization providing financial grants and medical assistance to retired football players in dire need.

“I’ll come to your home, I’ll bring all the food and drinks (for) the game coming up this week against the Raiders for a great cause, of course, the Gridiron Greats Fund,” said Sanders. “You can find out more about it at ebay.com/millerlite. It should be a lot of fun.”

Listen to Sanders’ full interview on Detroitlions.com!

Barry Sanders Intro to MNF

From espnfrontrow.com:

The Detroit Lions made a triumphant return to Monday Night Football last night after a 10-year absence, defeating the Bears 24-13 and improving their record to 5-0 for the first time since 1956.

The ESPN telecast kicked off with a powerful opening video voiced by Lions Hall of Famer Barry Sanders and featuring a local gospel choir, Selected of God. The video, voiced by Sanders, highlighted the resurgence of the Lions and the entire city of Detroit. Some fans asked if they could see the video again, so Front Row is happy to oblige here. We hope you like.

Where were you when Barry Sanders rushed for 2,000 yards?

Detroit Lions against the New York Jets at the Pontiac Silverdome, December 21, 1997. Barry Sanders needed 131 yards to reach 2,000.

It is one of the most memorable Detroit Lions’ games in recent history according to fans.

Where were you? What moment do you remember most?

Help Vote Barry Sanders to the Most Valuable Draft Pick of All Time!

Lions’ Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders has been announced as one of the top-20 vote-getters in the NFL’s 75 Most Valuable Draft Picks of All Time.

The vote is in celebration of the 75th NFL Draft, which kicks off in primetime for the first time in exactly two weeks: Thursday, April 22.

Lions’ fans can help Sanders get to the top of the list by voting, which ends April 18!
 
Following the conclusion of the fan vote, picks 75 – 11 will be announced from April 19 – April 21 on NFL.com and NFL Network.  The top 10 greatest Draft picks then will be revealed during the 2010 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 PM ET.  

The 10 Most Valuable Draft Picks will be announced during Round 1, when many of the Top 10 will be in attendance at Radio City Music Hall, the home of the 2010 NFL Draft.

The order of the Top 10 will be revealed following the conclusion of the Second Round of the Draft on Friday night. Many of these players will be on hand for the announcement.

MOST VALUABLE DRAFT PICK TOP 20 VOTE-GETTERS THROUGH APRIL 7 (in alphabetical order)

Name
Team
Year; Round, Pick

Troy Aikman
 Dallas Cowboys
 1989; 1, 1

Terry Bradshaw
 Pittsburgh Steelers
 1970; 1, 1

Tom Brady
 New England Patriots
 2000; 6, 199

Jim Brown
 Cleveland Browns
 1957; 1, 6
 
Dick Butkus
 Chicago Bears
 1965; 1, 3
 
Brett Favre
 Atlanta Falcons
 1991; 2, 33
 
Ray Lewis
 Baltimore Ravens
 1996; 1; 26

Ronnie Lott
 San Francisco 49ers
 1981; 1, 8

Peyton Manning
 Indianapolis Colts
 1998; 1, 1
 
Dan Marino
 Miami Dolphins
 1983; 1, 27
 
Joe Montana
 San Francisco 49ers
 1979; 3, 82
 
Randy Moss
 Minnesota Vikings
 1998; 1, 21
 
Walter Payton
 Chicago Bears
 1975; 1, 4
 
Jerry Rice
 San Francisco 49ers
 1985; 1, 16
 
Barry Sanders
 Detroit Lions
 1989; 1, 3
 
Deion Sanders
 Atlanta Falcons
 1989; 1, 5

Mike Singletary
 Chicago Bears
 1981; 2, 38
 
Emmitt Smith
 Dallas Cowboys
 1990; 1, 17
 
Lawrence Taylor
 New York Giants
 1981; 1, 2
 
Rod Woodson
 Pittsburgh Steelers
 1987; 1, 10