Ohio high school 133-lb. champion at West Tech High in 1952 and repeated in 1953 at 138-lbs. At Ohio University he won Mid-American Conference and Four-I championships at 147 pounds in 1957 and was MAC runner-up in 1955.
Won national AAU half-mile championship in 1958 and repeated in 1960, setting American indoor records each time. Also won outdoor title record time. Earned All-American ranking in 1958 and 1960 and represented U.S. in dual meets with the USSR in 1959. Won several other AAU titles including the AAU Masters (indoor) in the 600 and 1000-yd. and mile races in the late 70’s.
Began his competitive career at Central Junior and Senior Highs, competing on the 1939 state high school championship team. Won Ohio AAU long jump titles 1942, 1944 and 1947, and as captain of the Ohio State University track team he won the NCAA long jump championship and placed second in the 220-yd. hurdles in 1944.
Won Junior National AAU championships in the 220-yd. freestyle and the 200-yd. breaststroke and swam on the championship medley relay team in 1940. Won Ohio championships in the 100, 220, 440 and mile freestyle swim the following year. Also won the Fairport Open Water mile that year, beating the winning men’s time by almost two minutes. Taught swimming for 40 years, 30 for Cleveland Division of Recreation.
A two-time NCAA All-American (1972 and 1973) and the Big Ten All-Around champion at the University of Michigan after winning numerous AAU Junior Olympic and senior AAU championships at West Tech High. Won the national YMCA’s Elite division all-around championship in 1976.
Captained the 1924 St. Ignatius High School football team which defeated Cathedral Latin for the City Championship, winning All-Scholastic honors as a fullback and linebacker. Went to college at John Carroll University where he played four seasons as a fullback on offense and linebacker on defense, twice winning All-Ohio fullback laurels. Inducted into the JCU Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
An All-Scholastic and All-Senate back who captained the 1923 West Tech High team to an undefeated and unscored upon season and its first Senate championship, Barclay Sanders went on to Ashland College where he started as a freshman in 1926 and was elected president of the Varsity Club. Later played for Baldwin-Wallace College, earning All Big-4 and All-Ohio honors in 1932 and again in 1933, although an injury ended the latter season for him after four games. Elected to the B-W Hall of Fame in 1978.
Ohio State champion in the flying rings in 1935, 1936 and 1937 and in the horizontal bars in 1936 and 1937 while attending East Tech High. Went on to win the AAU national championship in the flying rings in 1942, also winning the AAU district championship that year. The previous year he won the AAU district title and the Big Ten Conference championship in the flying rings.
Goalie for the Cleveland all-star team which won the National AAU Championship at New Haven, Connecticut in 1939. Starred in amateur circles from 1929 to 1940, competing for strong Blepp-Coombs, Pepsi-Cola and Fisher Foods teams, once putting together a string of eight consecutive shutouts.
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1983 following a brilliant career as a wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns from 1964-69 and again in 1976-77 and an interim stint with the two-time Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins. Compiled career totals of 427 receptions, 85 touchdowns and 8,565 yards gained. His career average of 20.1 yards gained per catch set an NFL record as did his feat of averaging over 20 yards per catch for seven consecutive seasons.