Chris Sanders (wide receiver)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Dwayne Sanders (born May 8, 1972 in Denver, Colorado
) is a former American football
wide receiver
who was a multi-sport athlete at the Ohio State University
before playing seven seasons in the National Football League
. He attended Montbello
High School in Denver, Colorado.
team from 1992 to 1994. On February 15, 1992 he set the school record in the indoor long jump
(26'9.75"). That record still stands. He was also a member of two relay
teams (4x100 and 4x200) that also set Ohio State records.
On the Ohio State football team Sanders was a three-year starter at the flanker position. He had 71 career receptions for 1,120 total yards, and was such a strong team contributor that for two years he kept future Biletnikoff
-winner Terry Glenn
on the second team.
Sanders was named the Ohio State Athlete of the Year, across all sports, in 1994.
. He stayed with that organization for seven years, completing 177 career receptions for 3,285 total yards. He also holds record for fewest rushing yards in combined career games played after the AFL/NFL merger with -36. This also represents the fewest in the Oilers/Titans franchise history.
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who was a multi-sport athlete at the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
before playing seven seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He attended Montbello
Montbello
Montbello is a neighborhood in the northeastern section City and County of Denver, Colorado, USA. Montbello is one of Denver's largest neighborhoods, with over 9,000 housing units, and over 30,000 residents.- Neighborhood facts :...
High School in Denver, Colorado.
Ohio State
Sanders was a member of the Ohio State track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team from 1992 to 1994. On February 15, 1992 he set the school record in the indoor long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
(26'9.75"). That record still stands. He was also a member of two relay
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
teams (4x100 and 4x200) that also set Ohio State records.
On the Ohio State football team Sanders was a three-year starter at the flanker position. He had 71 career receptions for 1,120 total yards, and was such a strong team contributor that for two years he kept future Biletnikoff
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
-winner Terry Glenn
Terry Glenn
Terry Tyree Glenn is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New England Patriots seventh overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
on the second team.
Sanders was named the Ohio State Athlete of the Year, across all sports, in 1994.
Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans
Sanders was selected by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
. He stayed with that organization for seven years, completing 177 career receptions for 3,285 total yards. He also holds record for fewest rushing yards in combined career games played after the AFL/NFL merger with -36. This also represents the fewest in the Oilers/Titans franchise history.
Coaching career
In 2005, Sanders began coaching at Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA), a private K-12 school located in Nashville, TN. While at CPA he worked as an assistant coach in both football and track. During the summer of 2008, he left CPA and began coaching the wide receivers position and the swim team at Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA), an all-male private school also located in Nashville.Personal
- Sanders was known by the nickname "Tippy Toes" as a college player for his graceful gait.
- Sanders' son C.J. is a child actor best known for his role as the young Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
in the movie RayRay (film)Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...
.