The father of Heisman Trophy winner Barry...

The father of Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders said he has met with NFL officials to discuss the player’s rights if he skips his final season at Oklahoma State and turns professional.

Williams Sanders of Wichita, Kan., told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he believed his son knew he made the trip, but “we haven’t talked about it.”

Sanders said he planned to go to Stillwater, Okla., to talk with his son and tell him what he learned from the visit with NFL officials.

“They said they’ve never had a case like Barry’s before, and that they would like him to submit a letter explaining his circumstances,” Sanders told the Atlanta Constitution.

“The NFL people didn’t give me any indication whether Barry would be allowed into the league. They wanted to raise the possibility that Barry may not get in.”

NFL spokesman Joe Browne confirmed that William Sanders met last Wednesday with Jay Moyer, the league’s executive vice president.

“It was strictly an informational meeting about our eligibility rules,” Browne said.

Should Sanders, a running back, go to the NFL next fall, he would be the first routine college junior to make such a jump. Sanders has until April 10 to apply in writing for eligibility for the draft later that month.