When the Lions used the 12th overall pick on Jahmyr Gibbs, he became Detroit’s highest-drafted running back since Barry Sanders went third overall in 1989. And when Gibbs arrived at the Lions’ facility, Sanders was there to welcome him.
The Lions got two of their all-time greats, Sanders and Calvin Johnson, to greet their incoming rookies, and Gibbs called that a thrill.
“He’s my favorite player, like ever, so I’ve been watching him for a while,” Gibbs said, via MLive.com. “Yeah, just meeting him was crazy, a historical moment for me. I’m always going to remember that. I’m just going to bring a lot, running the ball and returning kicks, catching the ball just feel like whatever spot they want me at, I think I’ll excel, and just add more to the team to help us win more.”
Gibbs has to have an appreciation for football history to pick Sanders as his favorite player, considering Sanders’ last season was 1998 and Gibbs was born in 2002.