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Barry Sanders

Barry SandersProfessional Football Player. Born: July 16, 1968, Wichita, Kansas.

Barry Sanders of Wichita was said to defy gravity when running with the football. Born in 1968 in Wichita, Sanders attended Wichita North High School where he began his career as a running back during the fourth game of his senior year. He attended Oklahoma State University where he played from 1986 to 1988. At OSU, he won the Heisman Trophy in 1988. Sanders entered the NFL draft after his junior year and was selected by the Detroit Lions. There he won the Rookie of the Year Award and became known as one of the most prolific running backs. At the end of the 1997 season, he shared the Associated Press' NFL Most Valuable Player Award with Green Bay Quarterback Brett Favre. As a running back for the Detroit Lions, Sanders continued the tradition of talented athletes. He retired from pro football in 1999 and is now listed number two on ESPN's list of 25 greatest college football players.

Entry: Sanders, Barry

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: May 2009

Date Modified: July 2016

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.