Legendary running back Barry Sanders has resigned with the Detroit Lions.
Sanders resigned Thursday night to be a brand ambassador for the team, which has struggled finding success in recent seasons.
Lions Rod Wood told The Detroit News, “We’ve thankfully, the last couple years, had an unofficial relationship with him. This year, we formalized it. You described it well, it’s kind of a brand ambassador. He’ll be going on road trips, showing up for suite visits, he’ll be at the Taste of the Lions event, and just interacting with our fans on behalf of the team. It’s a formal agreement. I worked with Barry and his agent to put something together that works for both of us. It’s not a football role. It’s more of a marketing, business role.”
Sanders was a standout running back for the Lions from 1989 until 1998. He rushed for more than 15,000 yards and he added 99 rushing touchdowns. He was very close to the all-time rushing record when he abruptly retired from the NFL following the 1998 NFL season.
Perhaps this is a sign the Lions are serious about finally getting some winning done.