More than three decades after Barry Sanders' legendary 1988 Heisman campaign, Oklahoma State announced Thursday it plans to immortalize its first and only Heisman winner in program history by erecting a statue of him outside the stadium. The program will also induct him into their Cowboy Football Ring of Honor on Nov. 13 when the football team faces TCU.
Sanders will be the second individual to have his own statue outside the stadium at OSU joining T. Boone Pickens, the late oil tycoon and mega-booster whose contributions led OSU to changing the football stadium to "Boone Pickens Stadium." He will be the second former player inducted into the football program's Ring of Honor after former teammate and fellow Hall of Fame running back, Thurman Thomas, was inducted last year.
We honor the 🐐
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) July 22, 2021
📝https://t.co/jVX3SnmDcv @BarrySanders #LetsRide | #GoPokes🏈 pic.twitter.com/vUTHzZ79U3
Sanders' 1988 season at Oklahoma State remains as one of the most impressive Heisman campaigns in the history of college football. He rushed for 237.5 yards per game for the Cowboys, scored 44 touchdowns and still to this day holds a number of records, including average rushing yards per game and most rushing yards in a season at the FBS level. He went on to become a first-round draft pick by the Lions in 1989, where he was a Pro-Bowler in all 10 of his seasons with Detroit and an MVP winner before retiring in 1999. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
