The Lions’ Barry Sanders, one of the greatest running backs of all time, was also among the most unique and electrifying players in NFL history. Despite playing just 10 seasons in the NFL, Sanders ranked second on the all-time rushing list, with 15,269 yards when he retired. Tiny at just 5-foot-8, Sanders’ speed and Houdini-like ability to escape from trouble made him an unmatched on-field entertainer; his highlight reels were filled with impossible-to-believe feats. Between 1989 and 1998, he never once rushed for fewer than 1,100 yards in a season, and four times he led the NFL in rushing yards, including over 2,000 in 1997. Sanders, the third overall pick in the 1989 Draft from Oklahoma State, made the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 seasons and offered hope to a Lions franchise that hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1950s. He controversially retired after a 1,491-yard season in 1998, at age 31 for the simple reason that his desire was gone, devastating the city of Detroit and leaving fans everywhere confused and disappointed.