How good was Barry Sanders, where do you put him all time? Sick moves here

[allabout the $$$]

barry top 3 definitely! if he had that dallas line + a real head coach he would have won many super bowls

im surprised so many people in here said bo. if bo played full time and didnt get injured he would have been the best hands down. guy would play 8 games and rush for over 1000 yards could only imagine what he would have done.

[Bcatswin]

Wow Gore number 4 all time didn't realize he was that high up.

[BigJay]

Everyone says he retired way too early? Probably so.... only athlete to ever leave in HIS PRIME.

Jim Brown also retired in his prime after only 9 seasons.

Final season stats:

1965 - 1,544 yards. 17 TDs (in only 14 game season). NFL MVP.

Wanted to report to camp a few days late because of the movie “The Dirty Dozen” he was shooting. Art Modell said no way and began fining him $100 a day. Brown decided to retire instead and never played another down.

Only player in any sport I can remember retiring after MVP year.

[Bcatswin]

Jim Brown also retired in his prime after only 9 seasons.

Final season stats:

1965 - 1,544 yards. 17 TDs (in only 14 game season). NFL MVP.

Wanted to report to camp a few days late because of the movie “The Dirty Dozen” he was shooting. Art Modell said no way and began fining him $100 a day. Brown decided to retire instead and never played another down.

Only player in any sport can remember retiring after MVP year.

Nice intel, never heard this before.

[PAULYPOKER]

I put Sanders easily at #1 all time...........

Emit Smity played deep into his geriatrics..
until NFL said that's it Emit Otter, your fukkin career is over!

Sanders quit in his prime, making him most intelligent RB ever.........
He won't have to worry about serious pain or brain damage until
20 years after his peers........
He would of crushed every rushing record category in the NFL....

You could never get a square hit on Barry as well,NEVER........

His unreal rabbit/cheetah like cuts and ludicrous 0 to warp speed in less
than a second,made defensive players look soooo stupid, both on film
and field grabbing air or runnin into one another causing embarrassing
collateral damage after Barry was long gone.......

Defensive players actually refused to watch themselves on film..
Said humiliation on film was equivalent to moms walkin in on their
teenage sons across the US while Beating the bishop or Conning
the pawn or Choking Kojak or Abusin the wicked stick..

Catch my drift? ....

[TommieGunshot]

Back when Barry played there wasnt even a thought this was really damaging to your health.

NFL players knew what they were going through. Players in the 90s saw their predecessors and contemporaries struggling with health problems. The brain stuff may not have been as well known, but the joint problems were definitely a major issue. Earl Campbell was in his 40s and already struggling a lot when Barry retired. He may not have retired had he been on a winning team. But if he was the best third baseman or power forward in history on shitty teams, it's almost certain he would have kept playing

From just a couple years after he retired:

https://www.si.com/vault/2001/05/07/303033/the-wrecking-yard-as-they-limp-into-the-sunset-retired-nfl-players-struggle-with-the-games-grim-legacy-a-lifetime-of-disability-and-pain

[SomeDayinBuffalo]

The time he played the best. Would like to see him I the faster league now. Even ten years ago.