Barry Sanders reveals the surprising reason that led him to retire in his prime
Barry Sanders retired at the age of 31 after the Detroit Lions sought to rebuild the team.
Follow Us
Barry Sanders (Image via Imago)
In the 100+ year history of the NFL, there are a handful of players who became synonymous with their position. Similar to how the NBA’s logo reminds one of Jerry West, each position in football has a player who sticks out in the minds of fans as soon as they hear it. For the running back position, that person is Barry Sanders.
There can be no conversation about great running backs without mentioning Sanders. He played just 10 seasons in the NFL, but the impact he had on the game was inspiring.
The least that Barry Sanders ever rushed for in his career in one season was 1,115 yards. His impact helped the Detroit Lions progress to the NFC Championship in 1991 for the first time in franchise history.
Barry Sanders had a lot of football left in him, but he shocked the world with his decision to abruptly walk away from the game at the age of 31. It was an unexpected ending to a career that featured 15,269 rushing yards and 109 touchdowns.
Barry Sanders retired to avoid going through a rebuild in Detroit
His announcement was as simple as one could have expected. He wrote a letter and published it in The Wichita Eagle.
The decision resulted in fans reaching out to him in hopes of convincing him to stay on to break Walter Payton’s all-time rushing record for which Sanders needed just 1,457 yards. Sanders finally revealed the reason that made him retire in his prime.
It was tough, man. It was a tough decision. Probably at the beginning of year 10, maybe even before that, I started thinking, ‘I don’t know if I’m too sure about this anymore. ‘You know, this kind of rebuilding-it’s just not that for me.
Barry Sanders revealed on Chris Long’s podcast
Sanders noticed that he no longer had that hunger to keep coming back for more. His love for competing at the highest level began to diminish and that was when he understood it was time to hang his cleats up and prioritize his greater wellbeing.
That drive, that passion to keep competing, it wasn’t the same. And also, maybe some of it was just asking myself, ‘Is it even worth it?’ Not physically, but just looking at the bigger picture-the construction of the team.
Barry Sanders added
The concept of rebuilding is never easy. For a veteran player like him, Sanders had to decide between staying on with no return or walking away from the game on his terms.
The Lions went 8-8 in their first season without Sanders and lost in the Wild Card Round. The team has never rebuilt successfully until recent years.
Barry Sanders had two more good years at the least left in him, but without the passion to match his physical abilities, playing would have felt like a chore. Especially when he knew that the Lions were unlikely to reach the Super Bowl anytime around. His assumption went on to be right.
Related: Anti-MAGA rant costs former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe his High School coaching job
Stay Updated!
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)