Barry Sanders once again makes Lions history despite being retired for 25 years
Legendary Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders has been a source of pride for Detroit Lions fans since the start of his NFL career in 1989. The renowned running back will continue to be celebrated for generations to come with a bronze statue commemorating his legacy.
On Saturday, a statue of Sanders from one of his 1995 games was unveiled outside of the west corner of Ford Field, one day before the Lions' home opener against the Seattle Seahawks. The 8-foot tall structure atop a 5-foot tall blue granite base depicts Sanders, mid-jump and with a football in one hand with the other hand outstretched, his eyes wide to scope for any oncoming tacklers.
Sanders is the first Lions player to be immortalized with a statue at their home field.
The statue was completed by studio artists Omni Amrany and Lou Cella of Fine Art Studio Rotblatt Amrany, both whom have worked on several other well-known commissioned sports statues. They started working on the Sanders statue last December after months of research and planning.
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"Technically we had something that looked like him, but then we had to feel for the personality," said Cella. "Whether it’s the face, the arms or the whole contortion of the body, we made sure to capture the personality."
Sanders is known for his 10 record-breaking seasons, from 1989-98, during which he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each season. Throughout his career, he continuously broke records and is considered among the elite players to ever carry an NFL ball.
In 1989, his first season with the Lions, Sanders broke their rushing yardage record with 1,470 yards – only 10 yards behind the NFL’s best that year, winning Sanders the NFL’s Rookie of the Year award.
His most remarkable accomplishment came in the 1997 season when he rushed for 2,053 yards, achieving best in the league and earning him the title of the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.
At the time of his unexpected 1999 retirement, Sanders had accumulated 15,269 rushing yards, likely only one season short of breaking the then-all-time rushing record held by Walter Payton. Following the 1998 season, Sanders held NFL records for the most consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards rushing, most games with at least 100 yards rushing in a season, most consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing in a season and tied for most 1,000-yard seasons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
"You’d walk across that Silverdome parking lot in cold and wintery weather but everybody always had a smile … That day they’d see Barry Sanders do something that they’d never seen before," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan at the unveiling. "Barry Sanders, on and off the field, always made Detroit proud."
Despite his early retirement, Sanders has never failed to show his unending support for the Lions. To this day, Sanders is considered by many to be the greatest Lion ever.
"If I could, I would go out to each and every Lions fan, give you a hug and tell you how much I appreciate you," Sanders said to the crowd gathered at the unveiling. "It’s been such a wonderful journey for me, just being lifted up and cheered on by all the Lions fans out there. It’s hard to express how much you really mean to me, so thank you so much to all of you Lions fans. We’ve had some great times together."