Oklahoma State All-American
looked at his big brother Byron, who looked up at the stadium stairs at Wichita State. “Let’s do it!” they shouted. They hopped up and up. Their legs pumping and straining, they bounded like kangarvos to the top. Exhausted, they smiled.
Mr. Sanders looked at Barry and said, “Son, I’ve seen thousands of running backs and, Barry, [| know you can play!”
Barry Sanders stood an even five feet tall and weighed only 105 pounds. He was a ninth grader. “There’s been only one person that’s had confidence in me—my father,” explained Barry. “He’s always been straight forward with me. He tells me like it is, whether it’s good or bad. I believed him when he told me that I could play. He’s always felt that [ had the ability to play high school or major college football.” With that encouragement, Barry ran and lifted weights with serious effort. “Since | was so much shorter than the others, 1 wanted to lift to make up for it,” remembered Barry. Progress came slowly. He was 5-3 and weighed only 125 pounds as a sophomore.
His Bench max rose slowly from his 95-pound ninth grade max. However, Barry persisted and by his Junior year he was 5-6 and 160 pounds, with a 270-pound Bench. His speed was blazing, with a 4.45 forty. Barry’s explosiveness was already being measured as he soared 34 inches on a Vertical Jump test. He started on defense but played only sparingly on offense. Barry didn’t know it but he was doing some advanced plyometrics, which was adding spring and muscleligament-tendon strength to his legs. “I played a lot of basketball. That’s my first love. I know that helped, but hopping up those stadium stairs at Wichita State with my brother was the key,” said Barry.
Playing for Wichita North High School as a Senior under first-year coach Dale Burkholder is when Barry really began to shine. He started at Tailback and led the Barry Sanders has a 40-inch Vertical Jump, measured by the Vertec without a step. “I know I got my leaping ability from my first love—basketball—but mostly from hopping up those stadium stairs at Wichita State.”
Red-and-White Redskins to the Kansas State Playoffs. It was the first time the team had made the playoffs in many years.
Barry could now dunk the basketball. His vertical jump was 36 inches and he grew taller and huskier (5-8 Barry’s brother Byron showed flashes of greatness. Byron plays at Northwestern but had some and 175 pounds) . He Benched 300 pounds and was named as an All-State Running Back. injury problems last season. However, when Byron I asked Barry about his grades and he replied, “My was healthy, he was also awesome. He rushed for grade point average for all four years was 2.4, but I didn’t 295 yards against Minnesota. Now Mr. Sanders has concentrate like I should have during my freshman and two sons that will star as Running Backs at major sophomore years. I really improved in my last two years.”
colleges. Ah, those stadium stairs!
“Why did you change?” I asked. Barry explained:
Sanders leads the nation in \, nearly every category possible for a Running Back.
THE SPORTING NEWS FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA SPECIAL TEAMS 1987 AP SECOND PRE-SEASON FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA RETURN MAN “Well, Coach, I started to pay attention to spiritual values something special inside his son and with believing faith said, and how God would want me to live. So, I hit the books.
“Son, you can play.” Five years later, his son was not only Now, the spiritual things are the most important part of my playing but he was an All-America selection. life. I’m heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Barry has gained confidence and his 5-8, 198-pound Athletes [FCA]. | owe a lot to my mother. She brought up my frame is ready to be the big gun in Oklahoma State’s potent eight sisters and two brothers with good moral values. We offense. “Our line is going to be great,” afÏrmed Barry. “I’ve really have a strong feeling of family togetherness.” Barry was not heavily recruited because of his lack of height and weight. “Oklahoma State University was my best offer,”
stated Barry. “OSU took a gamble.” never been a star, so I don’t care about individual honors this year. I’m concentrating on our team’s success.” Barry's strength is a great example for any lineman.
Benches 360, Parallel Squats 556, and Power Cleans 365 Barry got baptized in the football fire quickly. All the pounds. “I’ve been lifting a long time. I try to work out as veteran Running Backs got hurt and Barry was needed right hard as I can. I wouldn’t be where I am now without away. Barry did not redshirt. Even though he did not start, he weights. They’ve made me fast and quick, with a bigger got some varsity playing time. This paved the way for a body weight. Also, I’ve never been hurt. Flexibility is a big sensational sophomore year. part of my training. Some people neglect stretching, but it’s The big-gun running back at OSU was Thurman important. I do it for running style.
I see some backs tighten Thomas, but Barry carried the ball well enough to be a up when they break open, and they get caught. The greater second-team All-Big Eight running back. However, where your flexibility, the more relaxed you can be when you race Barry really sparkled last season was returning punts and for the goal.” kick-offs.
He led the nation in Kickoff Return TDs (2) and I asked Barry about the drug and alcohol problems that average Kickoff Return Yardage (31.57). Barry was second many people battle. He afÏrmed, “Coach, I will promise on nationally in Punt-Return Yardage (16.27), and raced for my life that I’ve never touched a drop. As a Christian, | feel another two touchdowns. Although only a 19-year-old it’s just not right. And drugs? Never! If somebody didn’t like Sophomore, Barry was an All-America Return Specialist and me because | didn’t drink, well it’s never bothered me, an important part of a tremendous 10-2 Oklahoma State probably because of my strong family. Sometimes I've been season.
called ‘square,’ but I figure five years down the road, who To me, it’s amazing. Others saw Barry weighing only 105 will remember? I have to be myself.” pounds and standing only five feet tall. Mr. Sanders saw .
. " ao: with Barry.” never been hurt!”
Barry can Squat nearly triple his body weight—556 pounds!
Barry is majoring in Business Management and has got four super kids and live in a beautiful home. But | already completed 62 hours of classwork toward his enjoy something more than a steady job. I enjoy the degree. Barry has taken on a heavy academic load for a football player, and he’s on track to graduate in four years. meeting the many great people, like yourself, involved in I told Barry that was really great because he’d need a athletics. Barry, you have made my day.” degree to get a job right away. Obviously, pro football was I hope every coach will make copies of Barry’s story out because he was too small. Barry immediately laughed.
and see that all athletes get a chance to gain from Barry’s It was a confident laugh, but Barry is also aware of the faith and belief in himself. My thanks to Mickey Weber, the odds. He answered my challenge, “I’ve been told all my assistant strength coach at Oklahoma State University, for life that I’m too small to play at any level. I don’t listen too making this article possible. hard. What's important is that I give my best effort at all times. If the pros think I’m too small, I’ll use my degree to get a job. | want to play pro football. It'd be nice. I try not to think about it. I’ll just do my best and see what happens.”
My final question to Barry, “Where do you see yourself twenty years from now?”
“Barry is kind of quiet but he leads by example. He always checks with his coaches. Barry is just a very responsible person and is a great worker in the weight room. He follows the program to a tee. Barry could Barry quickly responded: “I see myself happily slack off but he doesn’t. He’s always working hard and married and being a strong Christian. I see having four to making progress. Barry lifts four times per week in the five kids and living in a middle-class neighborhood, with a off-season and follows our computer set-rep system steady job.” perfectly, which varies his lifts from workout to I marveled at Barry’s maturity. Many men in this world never gain this type of insight.
| also felt very _workout. Barry also works on sprint training and plyometrics twice per week.” humble as I responded to Barry’s vision, “You know, Barry, —Jerry Schmidt: Strength Coach, .
I’m happily married and feel I’m a strong Christian. I’ve Oklahoma State University.
From BFS Magazine — November/December 1988. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
