Former Detroit Lions Head coach Bobby Ross says Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders avoided being the the leader of the team while he coached there. Speaking at a recent awards dinner, Ross says he didn’t know if Sanders “really loved the game,” but he “worked hard at.”
He says he always wanted Sanders to step and be a leader, but the elusive running back shunned the role. Ross also said that Sanders was the only player he ever coached that whenever he touched the ball, he thought he would run for a touchdown. Ross coached the team from 1997, until the middle of the 2000 season when he abruptly resigned because of health issues.