25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career

25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career: 1. Barry Sanders – Detroit Lions

And then there was one. Barry Sanders is one of the best players to ever grace field turf. His athleticism mixed with his instincts for the running back position are a combination we haven’t seen since and likely won’t ever see again. He came out of college with all of the hype after dominating at Oklahoma State. The hype didn’t even come close to predicting what Sanders would do in the NFL.

Sanders broke 1,000 yards in every one of his 10 NFL seasons. He finished his career with an average of 1,527 yards per season. His career yards are still fourth on the list of best of all time despite leaving the game early. The Lions never gave him top talents around him, but that didn’t matter to Sanders. He would dominate with a pee-wee team around him.

Sanders’ rookie season saw him go through 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns. Detroit knew they had greatness on their hands right away. He ran for more than 100 yards seven times in his rookie year.

There is no denying Sanders’ greatness. He had an amazing rookie year for a bad Lions team, and he continued to dominate the league in the Motor City. That is until he wanted to leave and they wouldn’t let him. Sanders instead just left. It’s a wonder the heights Sanders might have his if he stuck around, but his legacy was already written. He was one of the best of all time, and he was the best to ever win the rookie of the year.