Notes: Barry Sanders tells all about 2024 heart attack

Lions legend Barry Sanders revealed that he had a heart attack in 2024, and now he’s on a mission to inform the public about preventative health.

Last year, Detroit Lions legendary running back Barry Sanders revealed that he suffered a “health scare related to my heart.” At the time, he left it at that, while promoting the importance of being preventative with your health.

This past week, Sanders revealed a lot more. He told The Athletic that the health scare was actually a heart attack. Lions beat writer Colton Pouncy described the situation after speaking with Sanders recently.

Shortly thereafter, he experienced a burning sensation — one that felt like regular heartburn to him. He didn’t pay much attention to it, but the feeling persisted. Sanders, about an hour away from home at the time, left the campus hoping it would eventually go away with rest.

But it didn’t. Sanders, still experiencing the burning sensation, would later drive himself to the emergency room, beginning to realize the severity.

After a variety of tests, doctors informed Sanders he had indeed suffered a heart attack.

Now, Sanders is on a mission to continue promoting heart health, regular check-ups, and overall education. This past weekend, Sanders appeared in the A&E documentary “The Making of a Heart Attack.”

“I was more than happy to be a part of it,” Sanders told Pouncy. “And in doing so, we really just learned a lot about heart disease and stroke. It happens far too often, and a lot of it is very preventable.”

You can read Pouncy’s entire article here . And if you missed the A&E documentary, you can watch it here with a TV provider login .

• It appears the Detroit Lions have their own official German mascot. Does that mean an international game is coming soon?

• Neat idea from Justin Rogers: A 53-man roster from the last 25 years of Detroit Lions football .

• Jason Hanson—who just barely missed out on Justin’s list—is celebrating his 55th birthday on Tuesday!

• ESPN did an NFC North roundtable discussion on quarterbacks with the most to prove, top rookies in the division, and rising coaches.

• Shoutout to former Lions safety DeShon Elliott for another big payday. Maybe I’m biased, but it really feels like Elliott broke out for the Lions in 2022, and his career has taken off since then:

• Some fun offseason content: DetroitLions.com has a questionnaire series running for the rookies. First up: Tyleik Williams reveals his nickname, pizza order, entrance music, and hidden talent .