Chris Sanders (wide receiver)

Christopher Dwayne Sanders (born May 8, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans. He attended Montbello High School in Denver, Colorado and was a multi-sport athlete at Ohio State University. Sanders, however, holds the dubious NFL record for the fewest career rushing yards. He rushed 4 times in his career - all for negative yards.^[1]

Chris Sanders

No. 81
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1972-05-08) May 8, 1972 (age 53) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:	Denver (CO) Montbello
College:	Ohio State
NFL draft:	1995: 3rd round, 67th pick
Career history
Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1995–2002) Cleveland Browns (2002)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
PFWA All-Rookie Team (1995)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 177 Receiving yards: 3,285 Receiving touchdowns: 17 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Ohio State

Sanders was a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes track and field 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.

Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans

Sanders was selected by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1995 NFL draft.^[2] He stayed with the team for seven years, recording 177 career receptions for 3,285 total yards. He also holds the record for fewest career rushing yards since the AFL/NFL merger with -36. In 1999, the Titans made it to Super Bowl XXXIV in which Sanders appeared as a substitute,^[3] however they lost to the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Receiving
		GP	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1995	HOU	16	11	87	35	823	23.5	76	9
1996	HOU	16	15	105	48	882	18.4	83	4
1997	TEN	15	14	64	31	498	16.1	55	3
1998	TEN	14	1	20	5	136	27.2	46	0
1999	TEN	16	0	48	20	336	16.8	48	1
2000	TEN	16	14	61	33	536	16.2	54	0
2001	TEN	4	0	18	5	74	14.8	22	0
		97	55	403	177	3,285	18.6	83	17

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Receiving
		GP	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1999	TEN	4	0	7	3	49	16.3	26	0
2000	TEN	1	1	3	0	0	0.0	0	0
		5	1	10	3	49	16.3	26	0

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 track team at Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA), an all-male private school also located in Nashville.^[4]

Personal

• Sanders was known by the nickname "Tippy Toes" as a college player for his graceful gait.
• The elder of Sanders' 2 sons, C.J., is a child actor best known for his role as the young Ray Charles in the movie Ray.^[5] In 2014, C.J. committed to play football at the University of Notre Dame as a wide receiver.^[6]