A generation ago, Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders was within striking distance of passing then all-time rushing leader in Walter Payton.
Sanders was 1,458 yards away from being the record, and he averaged 1,527 rushing yards per season through his first 10 seasons.
Then in the most anticlimactic fashion, Sanders retired via a fax to his hometown newspaper –
Former Penn State RB Saquon Barkley, whom many feel is this generation’s version of Sanders, is contemplating a similar style of retirement.
“One of my favorite players of all time, probably my favorite player of all time, is Barry Sanders, so probably similar to that,” the Eagles star said in an interview with Chris Long on The Green Light podcast on how he’ll go out. “Maybe one day it will be out of nowhere. I’ll probably be ballin’ and just be like, ‘Yeah’ and call it quits.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“I’ll probably be one of those guys that it’ll be out of nowhere. I’ll probably just wake up one day, whether it’s next year or two years or four years, and just be like, ‘Yeah it’s over,'” Barkley continued. “I don’t think I will ever lose that passion. I’m just a competitor. … The competitive nature is always going to be there.”
Barkley played at Penn State from 2015 to 2017 setting a program record with 5,538 all purpose yards (3,843 rush, 1,195 receiving, 500 return).
Last season, Barkley set a NFL record for total scrimmage yards in a single season (regular season & post-season) with 2,857.
Barkley enters his age 28 season this year and has an opportunity to eclipse 10,000 yards from scrimmage (currently at 9,594). If Barkley would like to fashion his career like his idol Sanders, he would have (including this season) three more seasons in Philadelphia before retiring at the age of 30.
