Barry Sanders wore number 20 in Detroit for ten seasons, and a Barry Sanders jersey is the rare retired-player purchase where the design is as important as the name on the back. We stock six Sanders jerseys: four Detroit Lions number 20 builds at $69.95 — royal blue team colour, royal blue alternate, white, and a blue 2017 Throwback Retired Player Limited jersey — plus two Oklahoma State Cowboys number 21 throwbacks at $70.00 in orange and white. Every one of them is stitched, and every one is photographed on its own product page. This guide covers the career, the difference between the Lions and Oklahoma State versions, and how to size and care for a stitched throwback.
Barry Sanders' career with the Detroit Lions
Sanders is the Detroit Lions' greatest running back and one of the most watchable players in NFL history. He wore 20 in Detroit from 1989 to 1998, and he wore 21 at Oklahoma State, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1988 before the Lions took him with the third overall pick of the 1989 draft. He was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year that season and a Pro Bowl selection in all ten of his professional seasons.
His 1997 season is the one every Lions conversation comes back to: 2,053 rushing yards, making him the third player in league history to pass 2,000 in a season, and a share of the NFL Most Valuable Player award alongside Brett Favre. He retired after the 1998 season with 15,269 rushing yards and 99 rushing touchdowns, which left him second on the all-time rushing list behind Walter Payton, and he led the league in rushing four times in 1990, 1991, 1994 and 1997.
A player who never changed teams and never changed numbers makes for a simple jersey archive, which is why our Detroit listings are all number 20 and the college throwbacks are all 21. There is no season in the range that contradicts another; the only real decision is whether you want the professional chapter or the college one.
Should you buy a Barry Sanders jersey?
Yes, a Barry Sanders jersey is worth buying because number 20 in Detroit is settled history rather than a bet on a current roster. Sanders played ten seasons for the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1998, wore 20 for all of them, rushed for 15,269 career yards and 99 touchdowns, and won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma State in 1988 wearing 21. Vikings Warehouse lists six Sanders jerseys: the four Detroit Lions number 20 builds at $69.95 — royal blue team colour, royal blue alternate, white and a blue 2017 Throwback Retired Player Limited jersey — plus two Oklahoma State Cowboys number 21 throwbacks at $70.00 in orange and white. Every listing carries men's sizes from S to 4XL, women's from XS to 2XL and youth from S to XL. Buy 20 for the Lions years, or 21 for the college story.
For a retired player, the throwback design carries more weight than the model year, because the jersey you are buying is a recreation of what was actually worn on the field.
Every Barry Sanders jersey we sell
The range splits cleanly into two stories. The four Detroit Lions jerseys are all $69.95: the royal blue team colour and royal blue alternate builds cover the home and alternate looks, the white jersey is the cleanest of the group, and the blue 2017 Throwback Retired Player Limited jersey is the closest to what Sanders actually wore in Detroit. The two Oklahoma State Cowboys throwbacks are $70.00 in orange and white, and they are the ones to buy if the Heisman season is the part of his career you remember best. All six are stitched, so the numbers and nameplate are sewn rather than printed. Other Detroit Lions players and the rest of our throwbacks sit in the Detroit Lions jersey collection.
Men's Detroit Lions #20 Barry Sanders Royal Blue Team Color 2017 Vapor Untouchable Stitched NFL Nike Limited Jersey
$69.95
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Men's Detroit Lions #20 Barry Sanders Royal Blue Alternate 2017 Vapor Untouchable Stitched NFL Nike Limited Jersey
$69.95
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Men's Detroit Lions #20 Barry Sanders White 2017 Vapor Untouchable Stitched NFL Nike Limited Jersey
$69.95
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Men's Detroit Lions #20 Barry Sanders Nike Blue 2017 Throwback Retired Player Limited Jersey
$69.95
Shop Now →If you want one jersey that reads as a piece of NFL history rather than a current-season purchase, the throwback Retired Player build in Detroit blue is the one to start with.
Size, fit and care for a stitched 20 jersey
Every Sanders listing runs men's S to 4XL, women's XS to 2XL and youth S to XL, and the price is the same $69.95 for the Lions builds and $70.00 for the Oklahoma State throwbacks regardless of size. The men's cut is a standard jersey shape with room through the chest and shoulders, so your usual t-shirt size fits normally over a tee and one size up leaves space for a hoodie underneath. The women's and youth cuts follow their own size charts, so measure across the chest and compare before ordering.
Wash any stitched jersey inside out in cold water on a gentle cycle, then hang it to dry on a wide hanger so the shoulders do not stretch. Avoid bleach and fabric softener, which dull the stitched numbers and nameplate. To smooth creases, iron on low heat with a cloth between the iron and the stitching instead of pressing directly on the number or the nameplate.
Styling a Barry Sanders jersey
Honolulu blue is one of the easier team colours to wear because it is dark enough to pass as a normal shirt, so the royal blue and blue throwback jerseys work with black jeans, dark denim, chinos or gray joggers. The white jersey is the one for summer, and the two Oklahoma State throwbacks in orange and white are loud enough to carry a plain outfit on their own, so keep the rest of what you wear neutral and let the jersey do the work.
If you are comparing legendary running backs, the Walter Payton jersey guide covers the man Sanders was chasing on the all-time rushing list, and the NFL jersey guides hub collects every breakdown we publish. The full Detroit range is in the Detroit Lions jersey collection.
What number did Barry Sanders wear?
He wore number 20 for the Detroit Lions across his entire ten-season NFL career, and number 21 at Oklahoma State during his Heisman Trophy season in 1988.
When did the Lions draft Barry Sanders?
Detroit selected him with the third overall pick of the 1989 NFL Draft, and he was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season.
How much does a Barry Sanders jersey cost?
The four Detroit Lions number 20 jerseys are $69.95 each, and the two Oklahoma State Cowboys number 21 throwbacks are $70.00 each, in every available size.
Do the jerseys come in women's and youth sizes?
Yes. Each listing carries men's sizes from S to 4XL, women's from XS to 2XL and youth from S to XL, at the same price as the men's cut.
