Remembering NFL Great Charlie Sanders

Sadly, Charlie Sanders, the great tight end for the Detroit Lions, died this week at age 68. I have many nice memories of watching him play.

The Lions made the playoffs as the first NFC wild card team in 1970, thanks in large part to Sander’s excellence.

Sanders had great games all year, two on national television.

On the Lions’ traditional Thanksgiving home game, that year vs the high powered Oakland Raiders, Sanders made two Touchdown receptions.

Later that season on a  Monday night game–the first season of that TV series–at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum vs the L.A. Rams, Sanders also played great. The Lions’ won that night and it helped them make the playoffs and also was a crucial loss for the Rams who would subsequently fail to make the playoffs.

The Lions would eventually lose the first NFC Divisional round game by the odd score of (5-0) to the Dallas Cowboys. But they wouldn’t have gotten there if not for the great play of Charlie Sanders.