Age: 29
9th
season in pro football & with Lions
College: Oklahoma State
Height: 5’8” Weight: 203
Prelude:
Following a
Heisman-winning season as a junior, Sanders chose to forego his last year of
eligibility and turn pro. Taken by the Lions in the first round of the 1989 NFL
draft (third overall), he had an immediate impact, rushing for 1470 yards and
14 touchdowns. He was not just Rookie of the Year but went to the Pro Bowl and
was a consensus first team All-Pro. Sanders followed up with a league-leading
1304 yards in 1990, his first of four NFL rushing titles, and through 1996 had
received MVP recognition once, consensus All-NFL honors five times, and was
chosen to the Pro Bowl in all eight years. Sanders never failed to gain a
thousand yards – his lowest total was 1115 in 1993, when he missed five games
due to injury, his only extended loss of playing time. He made up for lack of
size with outstanding elusiveness and running instincts.
1997 Season Summary
Appeared and
started in all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 335 [4]
Most
attempts, game - 30 (for 137 yds.) at Miami 12/7
Yards – 2053 [1]
Most yards,
game – 216 yards (on 24 carries) vs. Indianapolis 11/23
Average gain
– 6.1 [2]
TDs – 11 [3,
tied with Kordell Stewart & Marcus Allen, 1st in NFC]
200-yard
rushing games – 2
100-yard
rushing games – 14
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 33
Most
receptions, game – 8 (for 102 yds.) vs. Tampa Bay 9/7
Yards – 305
Most yards,
game - 102 (on 8 catches) vs. Tampa Bay 9/7
Average gain
– 9.2
TDs – 3
100-yard
receiving games – 1
All-purpose
yards – 2358 [1]
Scoring
TDs – 14 [3, 1st in NFC]
Points – 84
Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at Tampa
Bay)
Rushing
attempts – 18
Rushing yards
– 65
Average gain
rushing – 3.6
Rushing TDs –
0
Pass
receptions – 5
Pass
receiving yards - 43
Average yards
per reception – 8.6
Pass
Receiving TDs - 0
Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP,
PFWA, NEA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News
NFL Offensive
Player of the Year: AP
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st
team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Lions went 9-7
to finish third in the NFC Central and qualify for the postseason as a Wild
Card while leading the conference in rushing yards (2464). Lost NFC Wild Card
playoff to Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20-10).
Aftermath:
Sanders
rushed for 1491 yards in 1998, his last season before abruptly retiring. He was
selected for the Pro Bowl following all ten seasons, was a consensus first-team
All-Pro six times, and with his exciting, often-improvisational running style
was a highlight film regular. Sanders retired with 15,269 rushing yards and
scored a total of 109 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of
Fame, Class of 2004.
--
MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or
Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or
USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football
Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press
International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league
itself).
[Updated 2/4/14]
[Updated 11/29/14]
[Updated 2/4/14]
[Updated 11/29/14]
