Bob Sanders
Encyclopedia
Demond "Bob" Sanders (born February 24, 1981 in Erie, Pennsylvania
) is a professional American football
safety who is currently on the San Diego Chargers
in the National Football League
. Sanders was drafted in the second round (44th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
by the Indianapolis Colts
. He played college football
at the University of Iowa
.
Sanders was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and is known for being the integral part of the Colts' postseason defense that led the team to a victory in Super Bowl XLI
. He was nicknamed "The Hitman" because of his hard hits and tackles, and was also called by former Colts' coach Tony Dungy
"The Eraser" because he tends to erase the mistakes of his teammates. However, he has also become known for his frequent injuries, having played over 6 games in a season only twice, in 2005 and 2007.
Sanders attended Erie Central High School as a freshman before transferring to Cathedral Preparatory School
in Erie, Pennsylvania
and was a student and a letterman in football as a running back
and as a safety. In football, he was a four-year letterman, a two-time All-Conference selection. As a junior, he was a third-team All-State selection. As a senior, he was a team captain, and a first team All-State selection and finished his senior season with 900 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns while leading his team to a 13-1 record and a trip to the state championship game.
Sanders graduated from Cathedral Preparatory School in 2000. He also had 7 sacks in a high school state championship. He also kick boxed during his childhood.
for week 8.
In the 2006 regular season, Sanders played only four games in the regular season due to a knee injury he suffered early. In those four games, he racked up 27 tackles. He was soon dubbed "The Eraser
", due to his reckless and punishing hits on opposing players which prevented many of the big plays that the opposing teams might have otherwise made happen. The Colts had the worst rushing defense in the NFL statistically, allowing at least 100 yards rushing in every game. During the playoffs, however, Sanders continued his comeback from injury, and breathed new life into the defense. With Sanders, the 2006 Colts had the second best run defense in the playoffs with only 73.3 rushing yards allowed per game. Sanders went on to help the Colts, on the road, to their victory in Super Bowl XLI
. Sanders made a pivotal play in the AFC title game against the Patriots. With the Patriots looking to clinch the game with a first down with under three minutes to play and holding a 34-31 lead, Sanders dove in front of Troy Brown and deflected the pass, forcing the Patriots to punt and giving Peyton Manning the chance to drive for the game winning touchdown. Sanders made a couple of key plays in the game against the Chicago Bears
, forcing a fumble from running back Cedric Benson
early in the game and intercepting quarterback Rex Grossman
early in the 4th quarter after cornerback Kelvin Hayden
intercepted Grossman on the previous drive with both picks helping seal the 29-17 win.
For the 2007 NFL season Sanders was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 2. This was in part due to the 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks he recorded against division rival Tennessee Titans at Tennessee. He was largely responsible for shutting down Vince Young
at the end of the game, clinching the victory for the Indianapolis Colts 22-20. Sanders ended the year with 96 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and 6 pass deflections. With him in the lineup, the Colts again fielded one of the best pass defenses in the league while also leading a successful run stopping defense. Sanders was noted by coach Tony Dungy as a prototypical safety for his Tampa 2
defense and became known for his coming down into the box on run support as a big factor in the Colts' run defense.
On December 28, 2007, Sanders was signed to a 5 year, $37.5 million contract with $20 million guaranteed. The contract makes him the highest paid safety in the history of the NFL.
On January 7, 2008, Sanders was named AP Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007 NFL season, the first Colt to earn the award and only the fourth safety in NFL history to win it. He earned 31 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. With Sanders in the lineup, the Colts became stingier and more physical as Sanders played closer to the line of scrimmage. Sanders received much of the credit for the turnaround in Indy's soft defense, which saw its yards per carry average cut from 5.3 in 2006 to 3.8 in 2007.
Sanders was expected to start the 2008 training camp on the PUP
list, but general manager Bill Polian
had stated that Sanders would come back in the middle of training camp. On August 24, Sanders made his 2008 debut, along with fellow injured teammate Dwight Freeney
in the week 3 preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills
.
On September 17, 2008, the Colts announced Bob Sanders will be out for the next 4–6 weeks because of a high ankle sprain. The injury occurred in the Colts' second game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings
. Sanders would be replaced by second-year safety Melvin Bullitt
.
Sanders made his return from the injury list, along with teammate Joseph Addai
, for the week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots
. After a five-game absence, Sanders had a solid performance and helped hold the Patriots off in the last seconds with the game-sealing interception with 4 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, his first interception of the season. During the postgame press conference, Tony Dungy stated that Sanders was "physically, very [very] close to 100%" coming off of the ankle injury.
Sanders again missed time for the season, sitting out of the week 11 game versus the Houston Texans
, due to a knee injury apparently sustained the previous week against the Pittsburgh Steelers
. The knee injury would cause him to again miss time for the second consecutive week. Sander's knee injuries have come about by the cause of swelling, a condition that he has experienced since a serious injury to his knee sidelined him during his rookie season.
After missing the last two games of the regular season, Sanders total game appearances amounted to 6. In those 6 games, he collected 39 total tackles and one interception. Sanders played in the postseason but the Colts' season was cut short by the San Diego Chargers
in their wild card playoff matchup, losing 23–17.
In 2009, Sanders started two games before being placed on injured reserve on November 6 with an arm injury. He recorded six tackles and one interception in his two games.
In 2010, Sanders exited the first game of the season with an injury. On September 14, 2010, it was reported that Sanders could possibly miss the entire season with a torn biceps tendon. On December 8, he was put on injured reserve, which ended his season.
On February 18, 2011, Sanders was released from the Colts after only playing nine games in the previous three seasons. In a team statement he said, "I always will consider myself a Colt. I want to thank the fans also for their great support. They played a big part in making my seven years with the team very rewarding."
.
On September 28, 2011 Sanders was placed on the Injured Reserved (IR) list due to swelling in his knee following a game against the Patriots a couple of weeks prior, ending his season.This is the 4th season in a row he has been placed on season ending (IR)
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
) is a professional 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...
safety who is currently on the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
. Sanders was drafted in the second round (44th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
Sanders was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and is known for being the integral part of the Colts' postseason defense that led the team to a victory in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
. He was nicknamed "The Hitman" because of his hard hits and tackles, and was also called by former Colts' coach Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
"The Eraser" because he tends to erase the mistakes of his teammates. However, he has also become known for his frequent injuries, having played over 6 games in a season only twice, in 2005 and 2007.
Early years
Having been given a name that was difficult for many to pronounce correctly (Demond), Sanders asked his mother if his name could be changed. His mother suggested "Bob" as a nickname, and the name stuck. His parents are Jean and Marion Sanders.Sanders attended Erie Central High School as a freshman before transferring to Cathedral Preparatory School
Cathedral Preparatory School
Cathedral Preparatory School is an all-male college prep school in Erie, Pennsylvania run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie and was established in 1921 by Archbishop John Mark Gannon. The school boasts a 97%-100% college acceptance rate among graduating classes...
in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
and was a student and a letterman in football as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and as a safety. In football, he was a four-year letterman, a two-time All-Conference selection. As a junior, he was a third-team All-State selection. As a senior, he was a team captain, and a first team All-State selection and finished his senior season with 900 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns while leading his team to a 13-1 record and a trip to the state championship game.
Sanders graduated from Cathedral Preparatory School in 2000. He also had 7 sacks in a high school state championship. He also kick boxed during his childhood.
Indianapolis Colts
As a rookie, Sanders played primarily as a backup safety and a special teams player. Though his season would be shortened by both foot and knee injuries, he had some good performances during the regular season; on November 14, he made 13 total tackles while returning a fumble recovery 37 yards for his first NFL touchdown against the Houston Texans during their week 10 matchup. He managed 9 tackles and a fumble recovery against the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
for week 8.
In the 2006 regular season, Sanders played only four games in the regular season due to a knee injury he suffered early. In those four games, he racked up 27 tackles. He was soon dubbed "The Eraser
The Eraser
The Eraser is the debut solo album by Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006. The album debuted at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and at #2 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. Critical reception to the album was generally positive...
", due to his reckless and punishing hits on opposing players which prevented many of the big plays that the opposing teams might have otherwise made happen. The Colts had the worst rushing defense in the NFL statistically, allowing at least 100 yards rushing in every game. During the playoffs, however, Sanders continued his comeback from injury, and breathed new life into the defense. With Sanders, the 2006 Colts had the second best run defense in the playoffs with only 73.3 rushing yards allowed per game. Sanders went on to help the Colts, on the road, to their victory in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
. Sanders made a pivotal play in the AFC title game against the Patriots. With the Patriots looking to clinch the game with a first down with under three minutes to play and holding a 34-31 lead, Sanders dove in front of Troy Brown and deflected the pass, forcing the Patriots to punt and giving Peyton Manning the chance to drive for the game winning touchdown. Sanders made a couple of key plays in the game against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, forcing a fumble from running back Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
early in the game and intercepting quarterback Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
early in the 4th quarter after cornerback Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Darnell Hayden, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. He returned a Rex Grossman interception 56 yards for a...
intercepted Grossman on the previous drive with both picks helping seal the 29-17 win.
For the 2007 NFL season Sanders was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 2. This was in part due to the 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks he recorded against division rival Tennessee Titans at Tennessee. He was largely responsible for shutting down Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
at the end of the game, clinching the victory for the Indianapolis Colts 22-20. Sanders ended the year with 96 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and 6 pass deflections. With him in the lineup, the Colts again fielded one of the best pass defenses in the league while also leading a successful run stopping defense. Sanders was noted by coach Tony Dungy as a prototypical safety for his Tampa 2
Tampa 2
The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team in the mid 1990s-early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4-3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and...
defense and became known for his coming down into the box on run support as a big factor in the Colts' run defense.
On December 28, 2007, Sanders was signed to a 5 year, $37.5 million contract with $20 million guaranteed. The contract makes him the highest paid safety in the history of the NFL.
On January 7, 2008, Sanders was named AP Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007 NFL season, the first Colt to earn the award and only the fourth safety in NFL history to win it. He earned 31 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. With Sanders in the lineup, the Colts became stingier and more physical as Sanders played closer to the line of scrimmage. Sanders received much of the credit for the turnaround in Indy's soft defense, which saw its yards per carry average cut from 5.3 in 2006 to 3.8 in 2007.
Sanders was expected to start the 2008 training camp on the PUP
Physically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
list, but general manager Bill Polian
Bill Polian
Bill Polian is the Vice Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team. He rose to league prominence as the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls, losing each time...
had stated that Sanders would come back in the middle of training camp. On August 24, Sanders made his 2008 debut, along with fellow injured teammate Dwight Freeney
Dwight Freeney
Dwight Jason Freeney is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University.-Early years:Freeney attended Bloomfield High School...
in the week 3 preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On September 17, 2008, the Colts announced Bob Sanders will be out for the next 4–6 weeks because of a high ankle sprain. The injury occurred in the Colts' second game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. Sanders would be replaced by second-year safety Melvin Bullitt
Melvin Bullitt
Melvin Terry Bullitt is an American football defensive back for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.-Early years:...
.
Sanders made his return from the injury list, along with teammate Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
, for the week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. After a five-game absence, Sanders had a solid performance and helped hold the Patriots off in the last seconds with the game-sealing interception with 4 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, his first interception of the season. During the postgame press conference, Tony Dungy stated that Sanders was "physically, very [very] close to 100%" coming off of the ankle injury.
Sanders again missed time for the season, sitting out of the week 11 game versus the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, due to a knee injury apparently sustained the previous week against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. The knee injury would cause him to again miss time for the second consecutive week. Sander's knee injuries have come about by the cause of swelling, a condition that he has experienced since a serious injury to his knee sidelined him during his rookie season.
After missing the last two games of the regular season, Sanders total game appearances amounted to 6. In those 6 games, he collected 39 total tackles and one interception. Sanders played in the postseason but the Colts' season was cut short by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in their wild card playoff matchup, losing 23–17.
In 2009, Sanders started two games before being placed on injured reserve on November 6 with an arm injury. He recorded six tackles and one interception in his two games.
In 2010, Sanders exited the first game of the season with an injury. On September 14, 2010, it was reported that Sanders could possibly miss the entire season with a torn biceps tendon. On December 8, he was put on injured reserve, which ended his season.
On February 18, 2011, Sanders was released from the Colts after only playing nine games in the previous three seasons. In a team statement he said, "I always will consider myself a Colt. I want to thank the fans also for their great support. They played a big part in making my seven years with the team very rewarding."
San Diego Chargers
On July 29, 2011, Sanders signed a one-year deal with the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On September 28, 2011 Sanders was placed on the Injured Reserved (IR) list due to swelling in his knee following a game against the Patriots a couple of weeks prior, ending his season.This is the 4th season in a row he has been placed on season ending (IR)
Professional statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Tackles | Sacks | Ints |
| 2004 | IND | 6 | 4 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | IND | 14 | 14 | 91 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | IND | 4 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 | IND | 15 | 15 | 96 | 3.5 | 2 |
| 2008 | IND | 6 | 6 | 39 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 | IND | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | IND | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | SD | 2 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | N/A | 48 | 46 | 302 | 3.5 | 6 |