The Detroit Lions had a heck of a season last year and ended their 3-decade long playoff win drought. That day, Jared Goff, Amon-Ra. St. made history for the Detroit Lions. But the saga of Detroit Lions’ legends goes way back in time before Barry Sanders used to terrorize defenses with his agility and nimbleness.

NFL Throwback dove deeper to flip through the pages of history and find out the ones that belong on the Mt. Rushmore of each team in the league. In this case, the clock winds back to 1950, when football was in its nascent stages. Let’s hop in the DeLorean and take a trip back in time.

From Bobby Layne to Calvin Johnson aka Megatron, to Joe Schmidt to Barry Sanders and more, the list has it all. “When God created Barry Sanders, even he didn’t know what he made,” said a commentator of the RB. The younger generation might know him from the cover of Madden, but getting to that point took a lot of work from Sanders.

Dubbed as “Detroit’s most gifted runner of all time”, Sanders played from 1989 to 1998 and was a four-time rushing leader. It makes complete sense because Sanders never failed to have a season where he rushed for less than 1,100 yards. Imagine the consistency Sanders possessed! He even had a 2,053-yard rushing season which ranks fourth in the league behind Eric Dickerson, Adrian Peterson, and Jamal Lewis.

But there are a few more accolades that Barry Sanders reminds us of. “Barry embarrassed defenders on his way to winning four rushing titles. The 1997 NFL Co-MVP retired number two on the all-time rushing list,” recalled the video.

But speaking of trailblazers, there’s one name in hindsight that we can’t forget and that’s the LB Joe Schmidt. Schmidt played from 1953 to 1965 and was a true Detroit Lion through and through. Inducted in the HOF class of 1973, this linebacker has a long history of terrorizing quarterbacks in his time. He finished his career with 24 interceptions. The ‘defensive quarterback’ became a 10x Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro in his career.

“Linebacker Joe Schmidt helped the Detroit Lions win the NFL title in his very first season,” recalled the video and added, “Schmidt was named First Team All-Pro eight times and is right up there with Bill George and Sam Huff amongst the greatest linebackers of the ‘50s.”

But what’s the Mt. Rushmore without a quarterback and a receiver?

Next up is the NFL’s own Decepticon: Megatron, the unstoppable human specimen. “There have been three players to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame at age 35 or younger, Gale Sayers, Jim Brown, and Calvin Johnson. Megatron’s 9-year career in Motown was full of mesmerizing highlights. A physical force, Johnson towered over defenders and ran right past them. His 2012 campaign was one for the ages as he set the single-season receiving record with nearly 2,000 yards.”

Falling next on the list is Bobby Layne, “the most successful QB in team history.” As iterated by the video, “Bobby Layne guided the Lions to back-to-back NFL Championships in 1952 and 1953. He led the league in passing in each of his first two seasons in Detroit. His 26 touchdown passes in 1951 were a club record for 44 years. From 1950-1957 Layne led all NFL passers in yards and touchdowns.”

That’s the end of the list, but, understandably, some players you might like didn’t end up being on the list. Back then, football used to focus on versatility and one name comes to mind and the team wasn’t even from Detroit. Dutch Clark of the Portsmouth Spartans was a QB, a runner and a kicker, all included in the same package. “He was named All-Pro in six of his seven seasons,” noted the video.

Another name, Lem Barney, stole the highlights of Detroit Lions, with 56 career picks in his Hall of Fame career. Also, the RB Doak Walker was responsible for getting two NFL titles and made five Pro Bowls in just 6 seasons. Finally, we shouldn’t forget about Matthew Stafford, the team’s all-time passing leader, who had 7 straight seasons with more than 4,000 yards.

You wouldn’t believe that Joe Schmidt is alive and kicking at the age of 92! But the same can’t be said about Bobby Layne, who sadly passed away at the age of 59. At this stage in their lives, it’s natural for players to get a minor health scare or two, and that’s what happened to Barry Sanders recently.

The offensive pioneers of the Detroit Lions

Sanders is 55 now and his body is catching up to him slowly but surely. He had a health scare recently and had to pay the doctor a visit. Fortunately, he was cleared to resume his day-to-day activities. But, this experience has opened his eyes so much so that he urges people to prioritize their health.

In a recent post on X, Sanders wrote, “1st, I can’t thank family, friends, & fans enough. The outpouring of love & support over the past month has been incredibly humbling. I have been cleared to return to my normal activities & my next stop is Cleveland on 7/27 at the @nsccshow. Let’s all use this scare to prioritize our health. @SchwartzSports1 @Lions @NFL @NFLPA.” What a legend indeed!

“Over Father’s Day weekend, I experienced a health scare related to my heart. It was unexpected and served as a reminder of the importance of staying vigilant about our physical well-being, even when we are feeling fine,” said Sanders’ post on X.

As per the post, the former Detroit Lions RB has issues related to his cardiac health and his heart might be causing problems, giving him a health scare. But even at this point, Sanders didn’t fail to express his gratitude for his doctors and the hospital staff who do their jobs diligently.

He further wrote, “I am grateful for the amazing doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals for providing me with needed care. My family and I are thankful for your prayers and support during this time.” However, he did mention in the caption that he’s been cleared to do resume his day-to-day life without any interruptions. However, he’s choosing to be extra careful about his health due to sudden scares.

“Per my doctors’ recommendation, I am taking this opportunity to prioritize my health and well-being. I appreciate your understanding and continued support,” added Sanders later.

We hope that Barry gets better soon, and stays associated with football in any capacity he pleases.

What do you think of the Lion’s Mount Rushmore? Do you think they missed out on any player? Let us know in the comments below!