Sanders is survived by his ex-wife, Georgianna, and 10 children.
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Sanders did much more, though. He played 10 seasons for the Lions (1968-77), finished his career with 336 catches for 4,817 yards, and retired as the team’s all-team leader in receptions.
He is considered the “finest Tight End in Detroit Lions history”, and he proved to be a “secret weapon” in the passing game during a period where the tight end was primarily a blocker, CBS Detroit reported.
Sanders made his mark on the organization right away with a 40-catch, 533-yard rookie season.
After leaving the sideline in 1996, he returned to the radio booth for one more season, then was a Lions scout from 1998 until his death.
In Detroit, Sanders made an immediate impact and became a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.
Sanders was a third-round pick in the 1968 National Football League Draft out of the University of Minnesota. From 1989-96, he was an assistant coach and helped mentor Herman Moore, who eventually broke Sanders’ career receptions record.
Sanders, who also played basketball in college, was an All-Big Ten tight end for Minnesota and helped lead the Gophers to a 1967 Big Ten championship.
Sanders was one of the Lions’ all-time greats.
“The ultimate Lion”, said Sanders’ good friend, former Pistons star and ex-Detroit mayor Dave Bing.
That season he caught 21 passes for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Sanders was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection during his 10-year career. Recently, he also contributed to the both the Lions preseason TV game broadcasts and team’s weekly television show.
“There are a lot of players that played for the Lions that maybe even never met him, and Charlie had, for whatever reason they clicked, and Charlie had this personal relationship with him”.
He worked in the team’s community relations department and was a spokesman for The March of Dimes and the United Way.
Along with his contributions to Detroit Lions Charities, Sanders launched his own foundation in 2007. The annual event raises money for Have a Heart Save a Life healthy heart checks for teens and is part of the Charlie Sanders Foundation. Ever since that experience, I have thought of Charlie Sanders as a great person and a great role model. 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. After some research, Sanders discovered that this was happening far too often throughout the country.
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Fans adored his gritty work ethic.
