Barry Sanders Files for Divorce From Wife of 11 Years
Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Barry Sanders filed for divorce Friday from his wife of more than 11 years, Lauren Sanders.
The former NFL star cited a "breakdown in marital relations" as a reason for the petition submitted in Oakland Circuit County Court, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Sanders is seeking joint custody of the couple's three young boys, aged 10, eight and four. He also has another son from another relationship who is a running back recruit for Stanford University.
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Sanders, 43, married former model and WDIV-TV Channel 4 anchor Lauren Campbell, in November 2000. Their wedding was a private ceremony with only 50 guests and drew minimal media attention. Barry had a falling out with his father over his retirement, and refused to invite him wedding, according to Yahoo News.
While the filing requests his wife to pay for the health care for their boys, Sanders is prepared to pay the child support that is recommended by state guidelines.
The couple have been ordered to attend a court-run education program which teaches couples who are divorcing how their actions affect their children, and how to talk to them through the divorce proceedings.
Barry Sanders is one of the best running backs of all time. He won a Heisman trophy at Oklahoma State, and continued on to rush for 15,269 yards over 10 NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions.
In 1997 he joined O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson as the only running backs in history to surpass 2,000 yards in one season, finishing the season with 2,053 yards.
Sanders stunned many when he announced he was quitting pro football via a letter he faxed to his hometown newspaper, the Wichita Eagle, in June 1999. He retired later that year and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
