Barry Sanders reveals he suffered a heart attack last year

Barry Sanders is imploring folks to undergo a complete medical checkup, nearly one year after the Hall of Fame running back suffered what he initially labeled as a heart-related health scare.

During an exclusive interview with CBS Sports, Sanders disclosed that the "health scare" indeed was a heart attack.

"Of all things, I don't know why, that just never entered my mind," Sanders said of his heart attack. "I'm learning through this process that there aren't necessarily any warning signs, unless you do what we're encouraging people to do, which is to go the doctor, get tested for LDLC levels, or bad cholesterol. That's the only way to find out if you have high cholesterol. It's not something you're going to be able to feel. You don't have to fit a certain physical profile."

Sanders, 56, shared his experience in "The Making of a Heart Attack," which will air on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on A&E.

He said he woke up with a burning sensation in his chest while attending a recruiting visit for his son.

"I couldn't believe it, honestly. I thought it was like heartburn, but it just kind of persisted," Sanders said.

He said he drove himself to the emergency room later that afternoon, with tests revealing that his enzyme levels were "really high and getting higher."

Sanders was a first-ballot selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Lions made Sanders, a Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma State, the third overall pick of the 1989 NFL Draft. He spent his entire 10-year career with Detroit (1989-98), running for 15,269 yards -- now the fourth-most rushing yards in NFL history -- and 99 touchdowns while catching 352 passes for 2,921 yards and 10 TDs.

Sanders rushed for 2,053 yards in 1997 when he shared Most Valuable Player honors with Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre. Sanders was selected to 10 Pro Bowls in 10 seasons, named first-team All-Pro six times, voted the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1989 and selected to the NFL 100 All-Time Team.

--Field Level Media