Barry Sanders, a Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy recipient, has now shared that he experienced a heart attack last year.
The 56-year-old Sanders had previously mentioned a health incident in June, but it wasn’t until a recent CBS Sports interview that he confirmed it was a heart attack.
In his conversation with CBS Sports, Sanders explained that the ordeal has motivated him to focus more on his health.
“It’s definitely made me feel better and live healthier,” Sanders told CBS. “Back when I played, I’d see people walking and think, ‘How is that a workout?’”
“But heart-friendly workouts are real—just moving enough to elevate your heart rate for a while—and it turns out, that’s really helpful for your heart.”
Initially, Sanders mistook the symptoms for heartburn, until the discomfort lasted unusually long.
He had been visiting a college with his son when he began to feel a burning sensation in his chest. After leaving the event suddenly, he drove to the hospital, where tests showed heightened enzyme levels.
Doctors then performed a heart catheterization, which confirmed he had, in fact, suffered a heart attack.
“Oddly enough, that idea never crossed my mind,” Sanders said. “I’m realizing now that warning signs don’t always show up—unless you get proactive, visit a doctor, and check your LDLC or bad cholesterol.”
“That’s the only reliable way to know if it’s high. You won’t feel it, and it doesn’t depend on your body type.”
Many fans would be surprised to hear Sanders—an elite athlete who could dunk despite being just 5-foot-8—had heart issues. But he’s learned there are multiple risk factors for heart disease.
“Sometimes it’s genetics, not anything you’re doing wrong,” Sanders said. “There are countless stories like mine, which is why regular conversations with your doctor are so important.”
Sanders, widely regarded as one of football’s all-time greats, played his entire 10-year career with the Lions from 1989 to 1998.
He was named All-Pro six times and won the 1997 MVP award, surpassing 1,300 rushing yards in all but one season.
His 15,269 rushing yards rank fourth in NFL history, trailing Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Frank Gore.
Yet Sanders stunned fans when he retired at age 31, right after a stellar season with 1,491 rushing yards.
In the Amazon film Bye Bye Barry, released last year, he said he’d lost the desire to keep playing.
“There really wasn’t anything left to chase,” he said to CBS Sports. “I didn’t believe we could win a Super Bowl… To me, the decision was clear. I just felt like I was done.”
