In 1988, Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders embarked on what would become the greatest season of any running back in college football history, putting together a year that might never be duplicated in a college backfield.
Sanders was virtually a unanimous selection for the best college football player in the country. He made a clean sweep of the Heisman Memorial Trophy, Walter Camp Award and Robert W. Maxwell Award as the nation's best player. Barry set a remarkable 34 NCAA records, including the single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards, in 1988. Sanders also led the nation in all-purpose yards (3,250) and scoring (234 points) that year.
20 years later, OKState.com has compiled the reflections of 12 members of the media and OSU athletics that witnessed the most prolific tailback to ever play the game.
| | | |
Sept 10, 1988 - Written by Tom Dirato | | Chuck Konrad knew better. In fact, special teams coaches stayed after him all week during kicking periods.The message was clear...be smart.Don't get caught up in the challenge and lose focus. Maybe Konrad didn't truly believe what he had seen on film.Or, perhaps he was still excited over his 49-yard field goal that put Miami of Ohio on top after the opening drive of the game.Or, maybe he underestimated the strength of his leg on this hot, humid September night in Stillwater.Whatever the reason, the rout was on 14 seconds later. | |
| | | |
Sept 24, 1988 - Written by John Klein | | Texas A&M coach Jackie Sherrill fielded questions comparing Texas' Eric Metcalf to Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders all week leading up to the game with the Cowboys. “I really didn't know much about Barry Sanders,” said Sherrill during a recent interview. “But I knew more than I wanted to know by the end of that game." Oklahoma State's 52-15 victory over Texas A&M in the second game of the 1988 season was considered by many to be the “coming out party” for Sanders, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy and set the all-time single-season rushing record. | |
| | | |
Oct 1, 1988 - Written by Randy Krehbiel | | With Barry Sanders, you were never disappointed. No matter how many rabbits he'd pulled out of a hat the week before he always topped it. He knew more tricks than Harry Houdini. He could get around, through, over and under people more ways than Inspector Gadget. He always sent the fans home believing they'd seen something no one else ever had. | |
| | | |
Oct 8, 1988 - Written by Ron Holt | | Game-changing performances were commonplace during the Heisman Trophy campaign of Oklahoma State tailback Barry Sanders in the 1988 season. Colorado's Buffaloes were one of the victims when Sanders and the Cowboys visited CU's Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., Oct. 8, 1988. In a battle between two unbeaten teams, the Cowboys overcame an early 7-0 deficit as Sanders rushed for 174 yards and scored four touchdowns in leading O-State to a 41-21 victory. | |
| | | |
Oct 15, 1988 - Written by Robert Allen | | I spent 1988 covering the greatest running back in the history of the game of football -- viewing all of Barry Sanders' acrobatic gridiron exploits through a small viewfinder on a Ikegami video camera. That was fine with me because Sanders was so good that shooting highlights of his runs made me think I was ready for NFL Films. | |
