Detroit — On the eve of one of the most anticipated home openers in years, with fans excited about the Detroit Lions’ future, the team paid homage Saturday to its past by unveiling a bronze statue of Hall-of-Fame running back Barry Sanders.
During a ceremony outside Ford Field that included Sanders’ family, former teammates and a few dozen season ticketholders, Sanders — with his hands stuffed in his pockets and displaying his trademark humility — said he owed the honor to the people who helped him along the way.
“This is a little bit overwhelming,” he told the crowd that gathered outside Gate B near the corner of Montcalm and Brush streets. “You see this great statue … it’s a tribute to so many who are connected to me.”
The 8-foot statue by by Fine Art Studio artists Omri Amrany and Lou Cella captured Sanders in one of his iconic stances: Clutching the football in his right hand, his left hand held aloft as though he was fending off a tackler, with his torso twisted, as if he’d just “juked” another defender.
“You really made me look good,” Sanders said to the artists.
During his speech, Sanders thanked his mother Shirley Ann Sanders, who was part of a large contingent of relatives at Saturday’s ceremony. Sanders also made a joking reference to his father William Sanders, who before his 2011 death often said he thought legendary Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown was better than his son.
“I want to pay tribute to him — but if he was here he’d tell you all how great Jim Brown was,” Sanders said, prompting laughter from the crowd.
Sanders also thanked his former teammates, who he called “guys who wanted me to succeed and vice versa. It was mutual respect.”
Clad in a Honolulu blue blazer, Sanders added: “If I could, I would go up to each and every Lions fan, give you a hug and tell you how much I appreciate you.”
For fan Vic Gomenello of Warren, the feeling was mutual.
“The statue is beautiful,” said Gomenello, 73. “He deserves every bit of this. I met him with my son once; he was just wonderful.”
Megan Stafanski, 42, said she was stunned by the statue’s detail.
“My gosh, it’s amazing — it looks just like him,” said Stafanski, a season-ticket holder who said she makes the 720-mile, ten-hour round trip trek from her home in Goetzville Township in the Upper Peninsula to Ford Field for each home game. “I was a kid when I watched him play. He was something to watch.”
Sanders, who played his entire 10-year career with the Lions, was selected No. 3 overall in the 1989 draft out of Oklahoma State. During his pro career, he gained 15,269 rushing yards and scored 109 touchdowns. When he retired, he ranked second in NFL history behind Walter Payton in rushing yardage. Sanders has since been passed by Emmitt Smith and Frank Gore.
Sanders was selected to the Pro Bowl each of his 10 seasons and was named a first-team All-Pro six times. In 1997, he earned the NFL MVP after becoming the third player in league history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Following his career, he became a first ballot selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Saturday’s ceremony opened with a video presentation that showed career highlights and messages from well-wishers including former Pistons guard Joe Dumars, ex-NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, former Lions running back Billy Sims and former Lions coach Wayne Fontes, who also attended the ceremony.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was among the speakers Saturday. He said he often watched Sanders play at the Pontiac Silverdome, which was imploded in 2017.
“When Barry would score a touchdown, he didn’t do a dance in the end zone,” Duggan said. “We all know what he’d do — he flipped the ball to the referee. When asked why he did this, Barry would say ‘I like to act like I’ve been there before.’ It was a lesson to everybody, which is why Barry Sanders on and off the field always made Detroit proud.”
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