Like many other Lions fans, my love for the Detroit Lions organization began with the greatness of Barry Sanders. Coming out of Oklahoma State, Sanders had a plethora of accolades and his college career was capped with the Heisman Trophy. When the Lions drafted him third overall in the 1989 NFL draft, they reeled me in hook, line, and sinker.
While Sanders was the catalyst for my fandom, it was Rodney Peete, another Lions rookie from that draft class, who started me on the path towards my writing career. The runner up to Sanders for the Heisman Trophy, Peete ended up being a sixth-round draft pick, and my curiosity was peaked: Why did the second-best player in college football get drafted 138 picks after Sanders?