|
So when Sanders walked away from the field, he couldn't just ditch Detroit.
On Thursday, the man who spent 43 years in the Lions' organization as a player,Cheap NFL Jerseys, broadcaster and scout died in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak after battling cancer. He was 68. Lions spokesman Matt Barnhart said the team confirmed Sanders' death through family members.
Sanders is survived by his ex-wife, Georgianna, and their 10 children.
"Today we lost one of the greatest Detroit Lions of all time," team president Tom Lewand said in a statement. "He was a perfect ambassador for our organization and, more important, was a true friend, colleague and mentor to so many of us."
But it was off the field where Sanders may have made his greatest contributions.
Sanders landed in Detroit as a third-round draft pick in 1968 and basically never left.
"The world lost a great man today,Cheap NFL Jerseys, but Heaven gained another Angel!" Moore wrote on Twitter. "The very best to the entire Sanders Family."
In 2005, he even co-authored a book, "Tales from the Detroit Lions." Longtime owner William Clay Ford was the only person in franchise history to spend more time with the Lions.
DETROIT (AP) — Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders epitomized Detroit's blue-collar roots,Wholesale NFL Jerseys.
He returned to work on the Lions' radio broadcast team from 1983-88. From 1989-96, he was an assistant coach and helped mentor Herman Moore, who eventually broke Sanders' career receptions record.
Sanders went back to the radio booth for one more year, in 1997, before moving into Detroit's front office as a scout where he continued to work until his death.
He spent the next 10 seasons catching passes from guys like Greg Landry and Bill Munson,Cheap Jerseys China, clearing holes for Steve Owens and Dexter Bussey and working in tandem with players like Mel Farr and Ray Jessie. Sanders went to seven Pro Bowls and finished his playing career in 1977 with a franchise-record 336 receptions,NFL Jerseys Cheap, 4,137 yards and 31 touchdowns -- good enough numbers to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
Sanders did much more, though. He became one of the first pro football players with a basketball background to excel in the NFL and emerged as the heart and soul of Motown's pro football team.
Last year, Sanders was honored by the St. Jude ALSAC Children's Research Hospital for his community work.
"Charlie was a special person to the entire Lions family for nearly a half-century," Lewand said. "While never forgetting his North Carolina roots,Cheap NFL Jerseys, 'Satch' became the consummate Detroit Lion on and off the field."
And those who played with him or worked with him will never forget the impact the North Carolina native made on the sport -- or in his adopted hometown.
He worked in the team's community relations department and was a spokesman for The March of Dimes and the United Way. He launched The Charlie Sanders Foundation in 2007, which funded at least two scholarships each year for students in Oakland County. He started the Have A Heart Save A Life program after learning about the death of prep player Wes Leonard, a Michigan native who collapsed and died just minutes after making the game-winning shot to give his team a 20-0 record.
Fans adored his gritty work ethic. Teammates embraced his leadership. Coaches found him to be a prized pupil and a talented teacher. And when Detroit's booming economy became the American standard, Sanders was rewriting football history with a trend-setting career. |
|