Charlie Sanders

Charles Alvin Sanders (August 25, 1946 – July 2, 2015) was an American professional football player who played tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1968 to 1977. Born in Richlands, North Carolina, he attended James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He went on to the University of Minnesota, playing for the Golden Gophers and earning All-Big Ten Conference honors in his senior year, when he recorded 21 receptions for 276 yards and two touchdowns as Minnesota tied for the Big Ten championship with an 8–2 record.

The Lions selected Sanders in the third round of the 1968 NFL draft, 74th overall, and he became their starting tight end for the next ten seasons. Over his career he recorded 336 receptions for 4,817 yards and 31 touchdowns, and was also recognized as a superior blocker. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl seven times, in 1968 through 1971 and 1974 through 1976. Sanders was named to the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.