Reps. Richardville, Koetje, Hardman, Howell, Pappageorge, Shulman, Brandenburg, Caswell, Palmer, Nitz, Garfield, Milosch, Hummel, Acciavatti, Bradstreet, Waters, Farrah, Sak, Smith, Accavitti, Hunter, Plakas, LaJoy, Julian, Rick Johnson, Ehardt, Taub, Shaffer, Meyer, Clack, Vagnozzi, Tobocman, Condino, Phillips, Hopgood, Gleason, Woodward, Cheeks, Zelenko, Kooiman, Gillard, Drolet, Bisbee, Huizenga, O'Neil, Byrum, Voorhees, Pastor, Vander Veen, Stewart, Caul, Robertson, Spade, Reeves, DeRoche, Murphy, McConico, Wojno, Gieleghem, Meisner, Bieda, Adamini, Farhat, Moolenaar, Anderson, Hoogendyk, Ward, Stakoe, Brown, Dillon, Jamnick and Daniels offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 371.

A resolution honoring former Detroit Football player Barry Sanders.

Whereas, It is with heartfelt appreciation that we honor a player who demonstrated athletic excellence on the field of play befitting the legendary status ascribed to Detroit Lions uniform No. 20.  Barry David Sanders was one of the all time greatest running backs ever to put on an NFL uniform.  Winner of the Heisman Trophy his junior season at Oklahoma State University, Sanders fell just ten yards short of capturing the league rushing title his inaugural season and was named Rookie of the Year; and

Whereas, In a career spanning ten seasons, Sanders rushed for 15,269 yards averaging an impressive 5.0 yards per carry.  He caught 352 passes for another 2,921 yards and accumulated 109 touchdowns.  Sanders was named to ten Pro Bowls and was the NFL MVP in 1997.  His most impressive mark was his consistency, gaining over 1,000 yards in each of his ten seasons and defining Lions’ football for an entire generation of enthusiastic appreciators.  Sanders is one of only five men to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.  He has set a mark of greatness for the Detroit Lions franchise that may never be touched; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body honor Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions.  Mr. Sanders will forever be measured up to when assessing the legendary quality of an athlete’s career.