Barry Sanders already knocked off one former San Francisco 49ers star. Can he take down another?
If so, as odd as it may sound considering the franchise's hideous history, the Detroit Lions could be on the cover of the Madden video game for the second straight year.
Sanders, a Hall of Fame running back, defeated quarterback Joe Montana (three Super Bowl MVPs) to advance to the semifinals in a vote to determine the cover that will celebrate 25 years of the Madden game.
Sanders now goes up against Jerry Rice, widely considered the best receiver ever and named three years ago as the greatest player in NFL history by NFL Films.
Sanders, a 10-time All-Pro selection, was just 1,457 yards shy of the NFL career rushing record at the time he made his shocking retirement announcement at age 31 on the eve of training camp in 1999.
The other Madden semifinal pits Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson against Houston running back Arian Foster.
Lions receiver Calvin Johnson appeared on the cover last season. This year's winner will be announced April 24.
