LITTLE ROCK — Of the approximately 400 players in last week’s Shootout of the South 7-on-7 passing tournament in Little Rock, one stood out simply because of his name.
It was Barry Sanders Jr.
A junior running back/cornerback at Heritage Hall, a private school in Oklahoma City, the 5-9, 180-pound Sanders is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.
Barry Sanders Jr. is already building a reputation, too.
Sanders Jr. was a freshman at Heritage Hall when he scored three touchdowns in a 37-7 victory over Chandler in the Class 2A state championship game.
Sanders Jr. had become an Internet sensation a few days earlier when his 64-yard touchdown run in the semifinals against Tulsa Lincoln Christian was posted on You-Tube, the video-sharing website.
The video reportedly received more than a million views within a week after it was posted.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Sanders Jr. said between games last Saturday. “It was really unexpected. I know I woke up that morning and was getting texts and was like, ‘What does this mean?’ It wasn’t until I got to school and people were talking about it, and they actually showed it at lunch.”
The touchdown run, which made ESPN Sports Center’s Top 10 plays of the day, was reminiscent of his father’s Heisman Trophy-winning days at Oklahoma State in the late 1980s or his 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions, where he was on pace to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher before abruptly retiring in 1999.
Sanders Jr. authored another chapter in the family legacy when he lined up in the slot against Lincoln Christian and broke through the defense on a reverse around left end.
Sanders Jr. eluded the contain end in the backfield, a cornerback near the line of scrimmage with a sharp cut, shook a diving linebacker at the Heritage Hall 44, hurdled a sprawling blocker at the Lincoln Christian 45 while somehow staying in bounds and outran another linebacker to the end zone.
An animated Sanders Jr. pumped both arms in celebration, a sharp contrast to his father, noted for his stoic end-zone behavior. (Sanders simply handed the football to an official after scoring a touchdown.)
Still, the physical similarities between father and son are striking.
It’s about speed, acceleration, vision, instinct and eye catching change of direction.
“We do resemble each other an awful lot in our genetics,” Sanders Jr. said.
Sanders Jr. said his father, who lives in the Detroit area, hasn’t bombarded him with advice on becoming a better football player.
“Football, the most he’s given me is to go out and run a little bit - run a mile, do sprints,” Sanders Jr. said. “He’ll take me to the track every once in a while, but other than that, no, he doesn’t say anything about football.”
Because of his small size, Sanders - 5-8, 200 pounds in the NFL - was considered a diamond in the rough coming out of Wichita (Kan.) North High School.
But Sanders Jr. reportedly already has scholarship offers from Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Arizona, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Tulsa.
At the moment, Sanders Jr. said he probably will sign with a school in the Big 12, Pacific-10 or SEC.
“It’s a real good thing being the son of Barry Sanders,” he said. “He takes care of me. He makes it down here every chance he gets. He has business in Oklahoma, so I see him frequently.”
Wes Welker, an All-Pro wide receiver with the New England Patriots, also attended Heritage Hall.
At a glance BARRY SANDERS JR.
CLASS Junior SCHOOL Oklahoma City Heritage Hall HT 5-9 WT 185 POSITION RB/DB SCHOOLS HE IS CONSIDERING Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Arizona, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Tulsa NOTABLE As a freshman, scored three touchdowns in a 37-7 victory over Chandler in the Class 2A Oklahoma state championship game.
Sports, Pages 35 on 06/27/2010