Barry Sanders quotes:

Happiness does not come from football awards. It's terrible to correlate happiness with football. Happiness comes from a good job, being able to feed your wife and kids. I don't dream football, I dream the American dream - two cars in a garage, be a happy father.

If I could start with anybody, I would initially draft Tom Brady. Then I would go get Ray Lewis, and then maybe an offensive lineman, or somebody like Adrian Peterson.

It was a wonderful experience to play in the NFL, and I have no regrets. I truly will miss playing for the Lions. I consider the Lions' players, coaches, staff, management and fans my family. I leave on good terms with everyone in the organization.

My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it. I have searched my heart through and through and feel comfortable with this decision.

I don't know the right way to retire.

It's probably similar to being in New York City and having a cab driver behind you and you're driving too slow. It's not the most pleasant thing.

Individual goals never meant that much to me. The Heisman is no exception.

It's hard to win in the NFL. You have to maintain a very delicate balance putting together the right team to be able to win and have any amount of success.

I wish my teammates, coaches and the entire Lions organization all the best.

I quit because I didn't feel like the Detroit Lions had a chance to win. It just killed my enjoyment of the game.

Let's just win it and go home.

You can look at everything from pre-Heisman to post-Heisman, and I think that's why it ranks up at the top, because before then, I didn't even think I was good enough to be a professional ballplayer.

I'm from Kansas, so there were a lot of vacant lots and open fields to tackle each other in so we could avoid tackling each other on the street. But running on the street and trying not to get taken down on the concrete, that will make you fast, that's for sure.

I sat behind Thurman Thomas for my first couple of years, then my first year starting I won the Heisman. After I won the Heisman, that's when things changed as far as going to the NFL.

In all the time that people have known me, has anyone ever heard me talk about the importance of rushing records or finishing with the most touchdowns? So if that's never been important to me, then why would that be a motivation to keep playing?

I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do in school, but I definitely didn't have adequate time to reach my full potential as a student.

Shortly after the end of last season, I felt that I probably would not return for the 1999-2000 season. I also felt that I should take as much time as possible to sort through my feelings and make sure that my feelings were backed with conviction.

I don't want to get too detailed into it, but when you're a good high school running back, you can almost be whatever type of runner you want to be. If you're a good size and a good athlete, you can be whatever type of runner you want.

Anyone who has played the game professionally, you're always taught that the ball is the most important, most precious thing, so when the ball hits the ground, it's always a mad scramble. It's amazing how many times there is a fumble, and the person who recovers it initially doesn't walk away with the ball.

I don't dream football. I dream the American Dream - two cars in a garage, be a happy father.

I really love peace and quiet.

You know, I'm fairly intelligent, but I don't think my grades reflected that.

My mother was a huge influence on me. She was a living example of what a Christian should be. Her conviction, her discipline. She would rather see other people happy than herself.

As a kid, I played my share of football in the street or in a vacant lot. When we were playing in the street, it was more touch football, so we didn't hit each other into cars.

The game is the ultimate significance to me because it is so important to a lot of people. It has left a mark on our culture to be voted as one of the best to ever play.

Christianity affects your whole life. I feel I'm more competitive, a better player, but off the field is where there is always a battle.

The reason of football is not to be the best but to be the best team

As a kid, I played my share of football in the street or in a vacant lot.

I want to thank all of the fans and media who made playing in the NFL such a wonderful experience. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of them.

I'm not better than anyone else. I'm not supposed to be on a pedestal. I've always stayed away from that.

Nothing ever turns out the way people expect it to.

Too often we are scared. Scared of what we might not be able to do. Scared of what people might think if we tried. We let fears stand in the way of our hopes. We say no when we want to say yes. We sit quietly when we want to scream. And we shout with the others, When we should keep our mouths shut. Why? After all, we do only go around once. There's really no time to be afraid. JUST DO IT.

See God gave us the talent, but the devil make us famous.

Maybe a good rule in life is never become too important to do your own laundry.

One of the flabby lines you hear sometimes is, 'Speak truth to power'. Power knows the truth. It's speaking the truth to yourself that's the challenge.

I quit because I didnt feel like the Detroit Lions had a chance to win. It just killed my enjoyment of the game.

Life doesn't stop with football,

I'm a Jewish boy from Jersey. I was born with a strong sense of right and wrong, and a strong sense that the world can be a ludicrous, unfair, inhumane place.

To me, he has his own style. He doesnt remind me any more of myself than I did (other tailbacks). I did things to remind people of Tony Dorsett, but it was a different style. Hes a guy who can catch balls like Marshall Faulk or somebody like that.

I just felt like I had run out of steam. I just felt like it was my time.

According to the United Nations' latest count, of the approximately 3,000 languages spoken in the world today, only some 78 have a literature. Of those 78, a scant five or six enjoy a truly international audience.

Running back was always my favorite position.

The Heisman is the biggest award I've ever won.

A lot of times I did lose yards on a run, but it wasn't for lack of trying.