Barry Sanders arrived in the National Football League (NFL) with high expectations. After a college football season in which he broke 13 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) records and won the Heisman Trophy (as the best player in college football), Sanders won the NFL's Rookie of the Year award. He won the NFL's rushing title four times (1990,1994, 1996, and 1997) and has been named to the NFL All-Pro (all-star) team in every one of his professional seasons. Sanders had the best season of his career in 1997, rushing for 2053 yards (second all-time) and earning a share of the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.

During his career Sanders has made the exciting play his trademark. "I remember bracing myself to hit him," said Chicago Bears defensive end Trace Armstrong in the Sporting News. "He just stopped and turned, and he was gone. He's like a sports car. He can stop on a dime...