Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410280082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Clearly, Barry Sanders is most uncomfortable when the topic is Barry Sanders. Ask him about his sport, his teammates or most other topics and he is friendly, engaging, accommodating.
But when questions involve Sanders' place among today's great running backs, his life away from the Detroit Lions or his status as a role model, he dances with the same dexterity that helps him exasperate defenses.
``I'm sure some kids see me as a role model, but it's kind of a touchy subject with me,'' Sanders said Wednesday. ``I was fortunate enough to have a very, very good father [William] who was my role model. I didn't need to look outside my home for guidance.
``It's hard for me to see kids look outside for guidance from a person who isn't sitting at their dinner table every night. There is a certain responsibility that I know I have because I'm an athlete, but it's hard to put a finger on it.''
It also is hard to get the 5-foot-8, 200-pound back to open up about his personal life. He prefers to keep private the details of his life as the seventh of 10 children (he has seven sisters and two brothers) growing up in Wichita, Kan.
Sanders is uneasy discussing his religious beliefs, or his admission that he has a 5-month-old son out of wedlock despite having been an active member of Athletes for Abstinence, or the spoils of his $17.2 million contract, highest among running backs.
Few people know Sanders enjoys bowling, or that he vacationed in Africa during the summer, or that he listens to music by Johnny Gill and Patti LaBelle, or that he sleeps in the minutes leading up to kickoff, or that he is one of the Lions' leading locker-room pranksters.
``He's polite, he's quiet, he's always on time in meetings and appointments and he always has time for everyone,'' said Wayne Fontes,
Detroit's coach. ``He's better than I ever imagined, not only as a running back, but as a person. He's great in the locker room. He never has any conflicts or controversies.''
``Barry is blessed with a special ability, but you'd never know it if you sat down and talked with the guy,'' said Lions quarterback Scott Mitchell. ``He treats everyone the same, and he's very personable, unlike a lot of people in his status.''
On the field, Sanders simply is the NFL's best running back. That includes three-time rushing champion Emmitt Smith, all-purpose star Thurman Thomas, young power-runner Jerome Bettis or anyone else.
Despite an erratic offensive line, a sputtering Detroit passing game and defenses that stack the deck against him every week, Sanders leads the NFL with 889 yards rushing.
He is on pace to top 2,000 yards, a feat accomplished only by O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson. And, barring injury, Sanders will join Dickerson, Franco Harris and Walter Payton as the only players to gain more than 1,000 yards in six consecutive seasons. Only Dickerson and Sanders will have accomplished that in their first six years.
``We hold our breath and cross our fingers every time he touches the ball,'' said Tony Dungy, the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator. ``Emmitt doesn't scare you that way. If [Sanders'] team won two Super Bowls, everyone would say Barry Sanders is the best running back in the league.''
Sanders, 26, also is the NFL's kinder, gentler Sanders. He never would consider attracting attention to himself with gaudy jewelry, on-field fights, tacky touchdown dances or trash-talking.
Nor would he spike the football. He hasn't done it after any of his 60 touchdowns.
``Why should I?'' Sanders said. ``It's really not a big issue. A lot of times, [spiking the ball] doesn't even enter my mind. Usually, I'm just tired and I want to get to the sideline and get some rest.''
That is a sentiment shared by many defensive foes after facing Sanders. It is a sentiment the New York Giants surely will feel Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
``We'll have our hands full,'' said Giants linebacker Carlton Bailey. ``He's probably the best back in the NFL. He has great vision, great cutback ability, great instincts and a low center of gravity. He has everything.''
Including modesty.
``It's an honor to hear people say the things they say about me,'' Sanders said. ``But those are things I don't get wrapped up with too much. I just go out and do my job. I've always played this game for the same reasons: I enjoy it, and I get a thrill from the competition.
``I don't spend a lot of time watching other players. I couldn't tell you [where I rank]. I don't go out every Sunday and say, `I'm the top running back in the NFL. Let's see how many yards I can get.' I leave that talk up to the public and the fans.''
by CNB