TelronX | Money Archive

Sports legends, their contracts and their families. Told in their own words.

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Barry Sanders had to apologize for his own father’s Hall of Fame speech.

He ran for 15,269 yards in the NFL. And he picked his dad to present him.

His dad had written 15 pages about him. He didn’t use them.

In the video below, he was supposed to get 30 seconds at the podium. Watch Barry’s face at 0:23.

August 8, 2004. Canton. Barry was 36.

He told the crowd to buy Barry’s book.
He said hello to Jim Brown first. "The greatest running back that ever lived."
He said his family brought tears to his eyes. "Not Barry."
John Elway went in the same day. He called Barry the best he ever played with. "Even though his dad wouldn’t agree."
Keep this part.

This is the same man who told Barry he’d lost his mind for wanting to stay in college. And kept him out of camp until Detroit paid $9.5 million.

His career was shaped by that father and by contracts. So were Jordan’s, Beckham’s and Tyson’s. They’re all below.

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https://t.co/QAFCRLWtsn

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@Nate_400 True, Jim Brown was always his guy.

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Barry Sanders had to apologize for his own father’s Hall of Fame speech.

He ran for 15,269 yards in the NFL. And he picked his dad to present him.

His dad had written 15 pages about him. He didn’t use them.

In the video below, he was supposed to get 30 seconds at the podium. Watch Barry’s face at 0:23.

August 8, 2004. Canton. Barry was 36.

He told the crowd to buy Barry’s book.
He said hello to Jim Brown first. "The greatest running back that ever lived."
He said his family brought tears to his eyes. "Not Barry."
John Elway went in the same day. He called Barry the best he ever played with. "Even though his dad wouldn’t agree."
Keep this part.

This is the same man who told Barry he’d lost his mind for wanting to stay in college. And kept him out of camp until Detroit paid $9.5 million.

His career was shaped by that father and by contracts. So were Jordan’s, Beckham’s and Tyson’s. They’re all below.

[TelronX | Money Archive @Telronx]

https://t.co/QAFCRLWtsn

[TelronX | Money Archive @Telronx]

@Asgardianhero Old school

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@GirthyWiFi @BarrySanders Thanks for telling this. A lot of people grew up with that kind of dad. Respect for playing through it.

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@BlueyAnon He said it himself in that speech. His dad told him he was too much like his mom.

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@glezschezalex Same. And he still hugged him after.

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@RyanLSack no, Tyson's money story. It's in the article.

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@Jinkybaby100 The hug says 💯

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@enndee1 Barry still picked him to present.

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@concentriclaugh Tough guy for sure. Barry still turned out great.

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@JK_Tandy Elway read the room.

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@BrinkleyDJustin Plenty of people would pick Barry over Brown.

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@ColdDudeKTA barry said it in this same speech. his dad kept rooting for the sooners even when he played for osu.

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@jameslee898 100%

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@highrisk2291 most dads would.

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@highrisk2291 barry picked him anyway. says a lot about barry.

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@Sofiaabaee yeah, and barry just smiled through it...

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Five years before this ceremony, Barry quit the NFL by fax at 31. His dad was furious. So were the Lions. https://t.co/7OtzmYXpWn

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Barry Sanders retired with one fax, 1,457 yards short of the all-time rushing record.

Two years earlier, the Detroit Lions had made him the highest-paid player in the NFL. About $35 million over six years, with an $11 million signing bonus.

Then the Lions came after $7.37 million of that bonus.

In the video below, Sanders explains why he walked away. And why the record didn't matter.

July 1999. He was 31. The year before, he ran for over 2,000 yards.

No press conference. A statement to his hometown paper in Wichita, a call to the team the day before training camp, and a flight to London.

Detroit was furious.

Miami reportedly wanted to trade for him. The Lions' answer, as former teammate Lomas Brown tells it: either you play for us, or you don't play for anybody.

So he didn't.

The Lions filed a grievance for $7.37 million. An arbitrator gave them $5.5 million - paid in pieces, and only for as long as he stayed retired.

He stayed retired.

Keep this part.

A contract you can't walk out of isn't security. It's a cage with a salary.

The Lions owned six years of his career on paper. They couldn't own his will to play them.

Sanders gave back millions to leave on his own terms. Three years later, Emmitt Smith broke the record.

Sanders never played another snap.

Would you give back $5.5 million to walk away on your terms - or play out the contract?

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@RealMetellus tldr: dad stole the show, 0:23 says it better

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@theAndrewHersh fair. short version: dad got 30 sec, told everyone to buy barry's book, barry apologized. 0:23.

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@6Hogg6 lol no, tyson's money story. it's in the article