Charlie Sanders enters the Big Sleep

Dan Miller ‏@DanMillerFox2
Former Lion Executive larry Lee posted on fb and we can confirm: Lions great Charlie Sanders has died after a battle with cancer at 68.


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Great Lions TE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Sanders

Charlie Sanders, the Detroit Lions’ Hall of Fame tight end, died on Thursday. He had been battling cancer for several months.

Sanders, 68, had knee replacement surgery in February and that’s when the cancer was discovered.

Sanders had never cut ties with the Lions — most recently working as assistant director of pro personnel — and was a fixture around the practice facility until recent months. Through the years he had worked at a variety of positions including broadcaster, wide receivers coach and the last 16 in the personnel department.

The seven-time Pro Bowler  is credited with reinventing the position of tight end which he played from the Lions from 1968 to 1977. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Feb. 3, 2007.

He was a resident of Rochester Hills. He and his wife Georgianna had nine children.
Daughter Nathalie Marile Donyale Sanders, 36, died on June 2.

On June 1, the Charile Sanders golf outing went on without his presence. There was an abundance of love for Sanders that day.

“When I came into the league, Charlie was my (receivers) coach,’’ said Herman Moore that day.. “When I came in I looked at him as a father figure, even to this day still do. He’s treated me as a son, it’s been special for me to have that association with him at any level, at any capacity with his family. I’m blessed to be here and for him to always be considerate of me.’’

Because the Detroit area had been home for Sanders since he was drafted by the Lions in 1968, he had friends all around the city.

Charlie Sanders

RIP to a Great Lion