Barry Sanders makes list of all-time greats with perfect

If not for retiring a little earlier than expected, Barry Sanders might be the NFL’s all-time leading rusher right now. But he didn’t hang on like Emmitt Smith did, as a shell of what he had been. As it Sanders is fourth on the all-time rushing list, less than 3,000 yards behind Smith despite playing five fewer seasons.

College or pro, Barry Sanders stands as one of the best running backs ever seen. He made the Pro Bowl every season of his NFL career, and his 2,628 yards at Oklahoma State in 1988 stands as the NCAA record for a season. He also topped 2,000 rushing yards in 1997, and won NFL MVP in what turned out to be his second-to-last season.

Where you place Sanders among all-time great NFL running backs is somewhat subjective and maybe dependent on your fandom, but it’s hard to put him above Jim Brown and Walter Payton. I think we can all agree Sanders was undeniably more talented than Smith, who unfortunately may stand as the league’s all-time leading rusher longer than anyone else has.

A perfect encapsulation of what made Barry Sanders uniquely great

Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports recently offered up his ranking for the 25 best players in NFL history. Sanders comes in at No. 9, the third running back behind Brown (No. 3) and Payton (No. 4). Sanders’ place in the ranking is fine, but DeArdo perfectly outlined what made the Lions’ Hall of Famer unique.