Jul 23, 2021

Barry Sanders to go into OSU Ring of Honor

Posted Jul 23, 2021 10:23 AM

STILLWATER, OK – Wichita native Barry Sanders will have his name and jersey number added to the Ring of Honor inside Boone Pickens Stadium as part of the Cowboys' game against TCU on November 13. Additionally, a sculptor is at work on a statue that would permanently honor Sanders outside the stadium.

Sanders becomes the second member of the Cowboy Football Ring of Honor, following his teammate and fellow hall-of-famer Thurman Thomas, who was inducted in 2020. Once it is ready, Sanders will be the first OSU player honored with a statue outside the stadium. The sculptor working on the piece, Harold Holden, also made the statue of Boone Pickens that was unveiled in 2020.

Sanders' domination of college football in 1988 was historic and earned him the Heisman Trophy and unanimous first-team All-America honors. He helped make the Oklahoma State offense one of the most productive in college football history.

Among his most outrageous statistics in 1988:

* 237.5 rushing yards per game

* 7.6 yards per carry

* 44 touchdowns scored (3.7 per game)

* Four games with at least 300 yards rushing

* 937 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in one three-game span against Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech.

Sanders was a first-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions in 1989. The No. 21 jersey Sanders wore as a Cowboy is one of just four numbers not in use at Oklahoma State.