What year was Barry Sanders' rookie season?

Barry Sanders' rookie season was 1989. The Detroit Lions selected the Oklahoma State running back with the third overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, and he immediately became one of the league's most exciting young players.

Sanders rushed for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns as a rookie. He finished second in the NFL in rushing, only 10 yards behind Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye, and won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

The year can sometimes be confused with 1988, when Sanders won the Heisman Trophy during a spectacular junior season at Oklahoma State. That was his final college season, not his professional rookie year. He entered the NFL after leaving college early and spent his entire 10-season career with Detroit, from 1989 through 1998.

Sanders never missed the Pro Bowl during his career and later won the 1997 NFL MVP award. His rookie campaign set the tone for a career that ended with 15,269 rushing yards and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.