Some players, even all-time great players, are polarizing — beloved by fans of their teams, but hated by fans of rivals. Tom Brady won’t get cheered by Jets fans, nor Emmitt Smith by Eagles fans.

But it’s rare to find a fan of any team with a bad word to say about former Lions running back Barry Sanders. And Sanders felt that love this week in Arizona for the Super Bowl.

Sanders posted on Twitter a video of himself on the red carpet before NFL Honors, and fans in the crowd wearing jerseys of many different teams could be seen cheering him, with not a boo to be heard. Sanders said getting that kind of respect from the entire NFL world means a lot to him.

“To see fans from all the NFL teams chanting “BARRY” last night was an incredible feeling. The love and respect I get to share with all fans is by far my greatest accomplishment,” Sanders wrote.

Sanders earned that respect not only by being a great player, but by the way he conducted himself on and off the field. Sanders didn’t taunt or talk trash, he didn’t get in legal trouble or live a life that led to tabloid headlines, and when he scored touchdowns he didn’t do anything other than hand the ball to the official. That and a highlight reel as thrilling as any player in NFL history earns universal respect from football fans.