Sanders makes it into the Hall of Fame

This was a no-brainer. Certainly, the question of who the number one team in college football this year was very debatable. But, if you were voting on whether Barry Sanders should be in the Hall of Fame, there could be no argument. From the minute he retired, football fans everywhere, especially Detroit Lion fans, knew he was headed straight for the Hall as soon as he was eligible.

Sanders' statistics are unbelievable for an NFL player who retired shortly after his 31st birthday. Barry was a great running back immediately after being drafted by the Lions. The Heisman Trophy, which Sanders won at Oklahoma State, was no jinx for Sanders like it was for many other winners. He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his 10 years in Detroit. Sanders led the league in rushing four times and was the first player to have rushed for 1,500 yards five times and was the only back to do it four straight years.

At the time Sanders retired, he was second on the all-time rushing yards list with 15,269 yards which put him behind Walter Payton who had 16,726 yards. Since then though, Emmitt Smith overtook both of these great runners and now has 17,418 yards. Sanders would have surely taken the lead in the NFL and would be the leading rusher of all time had he continued playing. After all, he is only 2,149 yards out of the lead. Barring injuries which Barry never really had, if he kept his 1,000 yard average per year, he would be well ahead of Emmitt Smith right now.

Sanders was always a very humble person. He never spiked the ball in the end zone and handed to ball directly to the referee after a run. Barry was never into having the best statistics or leading the league in anything. It was a shame that the Lions only won one playoff game in Sanders' tenure. What a waste of a talent. A player like Barry only comes around once in a lifetime, and the Lion's top brass could not put a good enough team around him to go to a Super Bowl. Ultimately, this is probably the reason Sanders did not want to continue his playing career.

The sad part of the Barry Sanders' story is the way he retired. Instead of informing the coaching staff or even answering the calls of his head coach, he let it be known that he was retiring through a statement in his hometown newspaper right before training camp. A real believable explanation was never given. Being tired or sick of playing is not a good excuse. If that were true, why did Sanders get tired right before the season was ready to get going. He let his coaches, teammates, and Lion fans down with the way he handled the whole thing.

Lions fans everywhere are still hoping for a miracle when they will see Barry Sanders put the Honolulu Blue and Silver jersey on again. After all, he is only 35 years old and looks in pretty good shape. Matt Millen is probably still trying to get him back on the field, and it's obvious the Lions need a running back. I don't think it is going to happen, but wishing to see Barry play in Detroit again gives Lion fans hope for a Super Bowl.

In other Detroit Lions news, Larry Brooks was hired to coach the defensive line. Last year, Brooks was on Dick Jauron's staff in Chicago. He has 18 years of coaching experience. Before working for Jauron, Brooks coached in Seattle and Green Bay under Mike Holmgren. Steve Mariucci, Dick Jauron, and Brooks were all in Green Bay together with Holmgren, so they are familiar with each other and, I assume, are all on the same page. Kurt Schottenheimer, after a demotion in Detroit, found a new job in Green Bay where he will be the defensive backs coach.

With most of the coaches hired and in place, it will now be time to look toward the draft and free agency. It is time to let go of some players who are getting old and some who are not producing. If you look at the Super Bowl this year, it is quite obvious that defense wins. Neither Carolina nor New England have great quarterbacks or great offenses, but they are efficient enough to let the defense control and win the game. Hopefully, Mariucci realizes this and makes the right call on draft picks and free agents. We will see in the months ahead which way the Lions are going.