I think Barry Sanders is an unbelievable football player. I don’t know if any of us could say that we were better than Barry, and I don’t think any of us would want to. It’s unnecessary. But he’s also a real fine human being and a friend of mine. His father was a dear friend of mine and used to tease Barry and say, “You’re the third-best back that ever played the game.” His father said, “I’m No. 1, Jim Brown is No. 2 and you’re No. 3.” Barry had to tolerate that conversation, but he took it well. ... Just a fantastic athlete and a great person. A lot of dignity.
Jim Brown May 2012 wrote: