Sports
Charlie Sanders
1946–2015 · American football tight end, broadcaster, scout
Hall of Fame tight end who played his whole career with the Lions (1968–1977) and served the franchise for decades afterward as broadcaster, coach and scout.
- Born
Richlands, North Carolina- Died
Royal Oak, Michigan
aged 68- Birth name
- Charles Alvin Sanders
- Detroit years
- 1968–2015
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
The Lions picked Sanders out of the University of Minnesota in the third round in 1968, and he quickly became the model of the modern tight end: a strong blocker with the hands and speed of a wide receiver. He made seven Pro Bowls, was named to the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team and caught passes at Tiger Stadium and, from 1975, at the new Pontiac Silverdome. After a knee injury ended his career in 1977, he never really left the Lions or Detroit. He worked as a radio analyst on Lions broadcasts, served as an assistant coach and later as a scout and front-office staff member, and in 2005 he co-wrote Charlie Sanders' Tales from the Detroit Lions. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007. After his death from cancer in 2015, his foundation's heart-screening program for young athletes continued in his name.
Highlights
- Played his entire career with the Lions, 1968–1977
- Seven Pro Bowls; NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2007
- Longtime Lions radio analyst, assistant coach and scout
- Co-author of Charlie Sanders' Tales from the Detroit Lions (2005)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1968–1974
Tiger Stadium
Demolished · 1912–1999
The Lions' home in his first seven seasons; demolished in 2008–2009.
Played here · 1975–1977
Pontiac Silverdome
Demolished · 1975–2013
The Lions' domed stadium from 1975; closed in 2013 and demolished in 2017–2018.