Washington Football Team: Jaret Patterson gets a shout-out from Hall of Fame RB after making roster

It didn’t take long for Jaret Patterson to become a favorite amongst fans of the Washington Football Team.

While the buzz during rookie minicamp, OTAs, and training camp was palpable, fans wanted to see him show it in a game atmosphere, and understandably so.

It appears Patterson knows people were doubting him, because he was arguably the best player on the field in Washington’s Week 1 preseason game against the Patriots when he led the team in rushing yards, receiving yards and catches.

The rest, as we know, is history, as Patterson was named to the 53-man roster on Tuesday. It was an incredible achievement for an undrafted running back, whom the Football Team signed all the way back on May 1.

It’s amazing to think about the sheer odds Patterson has overcome to get to this point, and the 21-year-old experienced another pinch-yourself moment after Washington’s official roster was released.

After catching wind of Patterson’s underdog story, Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders took time to shout him out on Twitter.

Barry Sanders showed Jaret Patterson some love on Twitter.

Could you imagine what was running through Patterson’s mind when he realized that Barry freaking Sanders recognized his story? We’re talking about arguably the greatest running back in the history of the NFL shouting out a player who most fans likely didn’t even know existed just a few months ago.

Though 30 years old might seem for old for a running back, Sanders was still in his prime when he retired following the 1998 season. For context, Sanders compiled 1,491 rushing yards that year and was two years removed from totaling 2,053 rushing yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry.

Sanders walked away ranked second all-time with 15,629 rushing yards. There’s no reason to think he wouldn’t have retired on top had he played another season or two. The Hall of Famer now ranks fourth all-time, having since been passed by Emmitt Smith (first) and Frank Gore (third).

As expected, Patterson was humbled by Sanders wishing him luck and he gave a perfect response to reporters when he was asked about it.

"“Barry has been a fan of mine since college,” Patterson said. “That’s always been my guy. It just means a lot, one of the GOATs in my position recognizing me since college to now, it just gives you more confidence that you belong and this is where I’m supposed to be.”"

It goes without saying that Patterson belongs in the NFL, and you know what? If he becomes an impact player for the Football Team this season- whether it be in the backfield or on special teams — he’ll have more all-time great running backs lining up ready to shower him with praise.