Former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders is one of the greatest players in the long history of the National Football League. With the ability to elude any defender and escape multiple tacklers, the former Oklahoma State University standout captivated NFL fans for 10 seasons from 1989 through 1998. Finishing his career with 15,269 rushing yards, 2,921 receiving yards and 109 total touchdowns, No. 20 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, solidifying his mark as one of the most prolific players ever.
Now that his career marks of 10 Pro Bowls, 10 All-Pro selections, four rushing titles and an NFL MVP award are in the rear view mirror, the 48-year-old is completely happy watching his son grace the gridiron like he did in his younger days. Currently a sophomore on the University of Stanford football team, Barry Sanders Jr. is quickly growing into a hot commodity around the wide landscape of collegiate football. While he doesn't have every one of his dad's abilities just yet, the Cardinal back still has plenty of time to make his own mark in the game of football and if this past weekend is any indication of how good Junior can be, the college football world may be looking at its next star.
During a recent 55-17 drubbing of Washington State, No. 5 Stanford looked like a team capable of staying in the National Championship hunt for the duration of the 2013-2014 season. Led by quarterback Kevin Hogan, a strong offensive line and shutdown defense, head coach David Shaw's Cardinal appear to be the complete package. With the ability to run and throw, Shaw was confident his team would be able to score against a Washington State team that didn't match up well with the Cardinal weapons.
"We knew they wanted to be aggressive with the safeties," he said. "But if those safeties come down we believe we can get past those corners. ''We had some opportunities tonight. We didn't hit all of them, but we hit a good portion of them.''
One of the plays the offense hit in style was a basic passing play designed for Barry Sanders Jr. With the Cardinal up 17-3 last in the first half, Sanders took a screen pass from Kevin Hogan and turned it into a dad-like moment.
Working his way downfield, Sanders Jr. juked WSU defender Cyrus Coen with such speed and force that the junior linebacker fell to the side while the sophomore running back advanced for a 17-yard gain.
While it wasn't the most outrageous of plays, the fact that Sanders Jr. turned a basic screen play into a highlight reel moment reminded fans of what his father used to do on both the collegiate and professional levels.
WATCH BARRY SANDERS JR. JUKE OUT WSU DEFENDER
WATCH THE BEST OF BARRY SANDERS SR.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
