Below is the transcript of an approximately two-minute portion of the
interview Fred Heuman conducted with William Sanders, the father of former
Detroit Lion Barry Sanders, on Heuman’s radio show, "The Heuman Touch," which
airs from 10 am to Noon weekdays on WQTX 92.7 FM and WTXQ 92.1 FM in Lansing,
Michigan.
The interview was just over 17 minutes in length, with most of the
conversation centering on Barry and his upbringing, as well as general football
talk. However, just over 13 minutes into the interview, the conversation turned
to the topic of why William Sanders personally, had a problem with Bobby
Ross.
Heuman: "What about him (Bobby Ross) didn’t you care for?
Sanders: "I
didn’t like his attitude."
Heuman: "Bobby Ross’s?"
Sanders:
"Yeah."
Heuman: "In what way, William?"
Sanders: "When Detroit signed
Barry, one of the first things coach told Barry was that he wanted to meet his
father."
Heuman: "Wayne Fontes?" (Wayne Fontes was Barry’s original Lions
coach)
Sanders: "Yeah. Not to kiss my butt. (Pause) But to have a courtesy,
out of respect."
Heuman: "And Bobby Ross never did that?"
Sanders: (In
agreement) "And Bobby Ross never did that."
Heuman: "Why do you suppose he
didn’t want to meet you? I’d a bought you dinner and buttered you up and bought
you a condo to keep that guy (Barry) in the game."
Sanders: "Because Bobby
Ross came out of Georgia and I think Bobby Ross got a mindset about black people
and their place."
Heuman: "You think it was a racist thing?"
Sanders: (In
agreement) "I think it was a racist thing. He never spoke to me. He never wanted
to meet me. If he did, he didn’t."
Heuman: "Wait a minute now. You think
Bobby Ross, with his southern background, his aversion to you and possibly Barry
was based on race?"
Sanders: "I think so. (Pause) And I’ll debate
him."
Heuman: (Pausing in contemplation) "Hmm."
Sanders:
"Yeah."
Heuman: "Have you ever said that? I haven’t heard that."
Sanders:
"Well, nobody’s really ever asked me."
Heuman: "Well I am now, and you’re
saying that you think he was a racist?"
Sanders: "Yeah, I do. (Pause)Yeah.
(Long pause) Because he never (Pause) Why would he not want to meet Barry’s
father?"
Heuman: "I can’t answer that, but in fairness William Sanders, most
of the players on Bobby Ross’s team were black."
Sanders: "That might be true
too."
Heuman: "So how could you be a football coach in the NFL and be a
racist? (William Laughs)You’d be out of work."
Sanders: "He’s out of work too
isn’t he?"
Heuman: "Well, he’s got a job now. He’s coaching
Army."
Sanders: "Yeah, well that’s probably the best place for
him."
Heuman: (Laughs) "I see you don’t feel strongly about Bobby
Ross?"
Sanders: "No I don’t because . . ."
Heuman: (Interrupting Sanders)
"You never had a conversation with him?"
Sanders: "I walked the sideline many
a day, and the man never said anything to me and I never said anything to
him."
Heuman: "Did you ever think of walking up and saying ‘Hi, I’m Barry’s
dad’?"
Sanders: "I thought about it, but then I did not want to intrude on
his space. ‘Cause if he wanted to meet me (Pause) he was the head of the team.
He could’ve did that easily."
Heuman: "He knew where to find
you?"
Sanders: (In Agreement) "He knew where to find me."
Heuman: "And you
insist that part of his problem with you (Pause) and maybe Barry was that he
(Barry) was black?"
Sanders: "Yes. (Pause) Yes. (Long Pause-Then Voice
Trailing Off) Yes."
Heuman: (With Emphasis and Amazement) "Wow."
Sanders:
"Yeah."
Sanders' statements come just two weeks prior to his son's induction into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame, scheduled for August 8.
Barry Sanders surprisingly retired on the eve of training camp in 1999 as the
Lions' all-time leading rusher and just shy of the NFL all-time mark set by
Walter Payton.
Although speculation on the retirement included Sanders' unhappiness with
then head coach Bobby Ross, he has maintained to this day that it wasn't due to
a personal conflict.