Barry Sanders congratulates Jaret Patterson on signing with WFT originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Anytime you get a shoutout from Barry Sanders, you're doing something right.
On Tuesday, the Detroit legend and Hall of Famer tweeted at new Washington Football Team running back Jaret Patterson, congratulating him on making it to the NFL.
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"Congrats to @__JP26 - Wishing you and your family the best of luck in DC - Us little guys have to have each other's backs," Sanders tweeted.
This isn't the first time that Sanders has praised Patterson, either. In November, after the former University of Buffalo star ran for 409 yards and eight touchdowns (!!) in one game, the Lions legend gave Patterson a shout-out then, too.
"Don't sleep on @__JP26 - he looks really good," Sanders wrote.
Sanders has become a fan of Patterson's not only because of his excellent play on the field, but also because of his size. Standing at 5-foot-9 and 195 lbs., Patterson has a similar frame to what Sanders was during his prime (5-foot-8, 203 lbs).
The shoutout from Sanders comes in what's been a hectic few days for Patterson. After not hearing his name called during the 2021 NFL Draft, the running back tweeted quickly after Day 3 of the draft ended on Saturday that he would be signing with Washington, his hometown team.
One day later, Patterson revealed that Washington star Chase Young helped convince Washington head coach Ron Rivera to sign him. Young and Patterson have known each other since middle school and spent one season as high school teammates at St. Vincent Pallotti.
On Monday, Young called Patterson "a dude," a phrase that the Washington pass rusher reserves for only the few he thinks highly of. Former Washington quarterback Alex Smith was one Young often referred to as "a dude" during the 2020 season.
In Young and Sanders, Patterson has two great players that are fans of his. If all goes well in Washington, that list will only grow larger.
