Who was Barry Sanders' father, William Sanders? All about ex-Lions RB's dad

Barry Sanders played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1998. The running back earned Pro Bowl honors in each season that he played in the league.

However, Sanders announced his retirement rather abruptly during the Lions' training camp in the summer of 1999, while still in the prime of his career. He later revealed that the decision affected his loved ones, especially his father William Sanders.

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All we know about William Sanders

Barry Sanders (L) with his father William Sanders

William was born on March 5, 1937, in Wichita, Kansas. As per reports, he worked as a roofer and carpenter.

William had 11 children with his wife Shirley. He later included Barry and two more of his children into his roofing line of work as assistants.

However, after spotting Barry's potential in football in school, William supported his son's journey to make it pro.

He was extremely proud of Barry after his son was picked by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft. However, William was far from pleased when his son decided to retire in 1999, while he was dominating the league.

When Barry was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, William snubbed his son to claim that Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown was the greatest running back in the NFL. However, Barry still credited his father for helping him on his journey to the big league.

William passed away on June 1, 2011, aged 74. It was reported that his cause of death was due to complications of lymphoma.

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A look at Barry Sanders' NFL stats and career honors

Former Detroit Lions RB Barry Sanders

The Detroit Lions selected Barry Sanders as the third overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft. He racked up a whopping 15,269 rushing yards and 99 touchdowns on the ground on 3,062 carries. He also added 2,921 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns through the air across 153 games.

Sanders earned 10 Pro Bowl honors, six First-Team All-Pro honors and four Second-Team All-Pro honors across 10 years in the league. He won the MVP award in 1997 and led the NFL in rushing yards in four seasons.