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Which Heisman Trophy Winner Had The Best NFL Career? Easy.

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CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 21:  Former NFL player Barry Sanders at the EA SPORTS Madden NFL 13 Pigskin Pro-Am Eve on June 21 2012  in Chicago, Illinois.  (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images for EA Sports)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 21: Former NFL player Barry Sanders at the EA SPORTS Madden NFL 13 Pigskin Pro-Am Eve on June 21 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images for EA Sports)
Getty Images for EA Sports

Eight former Heisman Trophy winners have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the one that stands out the most as having the best NFL career of any Heisman Trophy winner has to be former Oklahoma St. Cowboys running back Barry Sanders.

Though Sanders played on some pretty bad teams with the Detroit Lions, he was a man amongst boys in the backfield. A simple YouTube search for Barry Sanders highlights will show you things that'll make your head spin. Despite not having a solid offensive line to protect him, Sanders led the league in rushing four times and eclipsed the 2000 yard barrier in his second-to-last season, rushing for 2053 in 1997.

In total, Sanders rushed for 15,269 yards, good for third all time, while averaging an astonishing five yards per carry over his career, a mark only surpassed by Jim Brown among the top 25 rushing leaders in NFL history. He also slides into the ninth spot with 99 career rushing touchdowns and 15th all-time with a total of 109 scores.

But besides the numbers, the former Big 8 running back was just fantastic to watch. With his diminutive 5-8 frame, Sanders would often be engulfed by a gigantic defensive lineman, only to escape -- seconds after you thought the play was dead -- sprinting down the sidelines.

Now people may argue that Paul Hornung, Roger Stabauch or OJ Simpson belong in the discussion of the Heisman Trophy winner with the best NFL career, but ask any Big 8 fan around when Barry was tearing up the conference, and they'll tell you undoubtedly Barry was the best

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