Barry Sanders Says Calvin Johnson Retiring Would Be 'Devastating'
By: Evan Jankens
@kingofthekc
If one person who played in the NFL knows a thing or two about leaving the game early and on his own terms it would be former Lions RB Barry Sanders.
Sanders was just 1,457 yards shy of Walter Payton's record for career rushing yards in the NFL when he stunned fans by walking away.
Over this weekend while at the Super Bowl, Sanders was asked about Calvin Johnson's reported retirement.
According to ESPN:
"It would certainly be difficult," Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders told the Detroit News. "[Johnson has] given a lot to our organization and our team and he's such a great player and one of those guys you just love having in your organization. Hey, it would be devastating, no question about it."
The most shocking part about Barry's quotes is he thinks the Lions and the fans should give him until June. "I feel like around June, we'll give him until June or so, and then we should start knocking on his door."
It would make sense for Sanders to say this since he sent a fax about his retirement on July 27, 1999, to the Wichita Eagle.
If Barry Sanders does really think losing Johnson would be "devastating" I wonder what he thought his retirement meant to the Lions organization?
