Here’s everything to know about Barry J., Nigel, Nicholas, and Noah Sanders.
Back in the ‘90s, Barry Sanders was a huge name in football. The Detroit Lions running back led the NFL in rushing yards four times and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. But Barry left professional football behind during what many say was the height of his career, for mysterious reasons.
Now, Barry is retracing his meteoric rise to NFL superstardom and explaining why he stepped away from the spotlight in the new Amazon Prime Video documentary Bye Bye Barry. The doc explores not just Barry’s career as a professional athlete, but also his personal life, which, naturally, raises questions about Barry’s family. So, does Barry have kids, and have any of them followed in their dad’s steps onto the football field? Here’s what you need to know.
Barry was married to his wife Lauren Campbell Sanders for 12 years.
The pro athlete married TV anchor Lauren Campbell back in 2000, but the couple divorced in 2012, according to TMZ. Apparently, the divorce was tricky—the two tried mediation and had trouble agreeing on a slew of different things, including custody, parenting time, spousal support, child support, and property. At the time, Lauren was a weekend anchor in WDIV-TV in Detroit, per NFL.com.
Barry and Lauren Campbell have four children.
And they’re all sons. Barry is dad to Barry J. Sanders, Nick Sanders, Nigel Sanders, and Noah Sanders.
Do Barry’s sons play football?
Some of Barry’s sons have followed in their dad’s cleat-clad footsteps, and they’re getting plenty of buzz. Here’s the deal on each son’s athletic career and other personal pursuits:
Barry J. Sanders, 29
Barry J. played football at Stanford and Oklahoma State. Like his dad, Barry J. was a running back. During his senior year in 2015, he earned 315 yards rushing on 51 carries, according to his Stanford bio. These days, he doesn’t play football professionally, but he seems like a big fan of the Detroit Lions:
He also recently attended the premiere of Bye Bye Barry with his dad:
