C. J. Sanders

Last updated
C. J. Sanders
No. 1
Position Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1996-09-18) September 18, 1996 (age 27)
Granada Hills, California, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career history
College
Bowl games
High school Notre Dame
(Sherman Oaks, California)
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-AAC (2019)

C. J. Sanders (born September 18, 1996) is an American football wide receiver, and a former child actor. Sanders has had acting roles in several Hollywood movies and television shows. [1]

Contents

High school

Sanders attended Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee for his first three seasons. After moving to California with his family, he transferred to Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, California for his senior year. [2] [3] Sanders had 35 catches for 562 yards and eight touchdowns. He also carried the ball 41 times for 437 yards for nine touchdowns. On special teams, he added four total touchdowns, including two on kickoffs and two on punts. [4]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com , he was rated as the 37th best wide receiver prospect of his class. [5] He accepted a scholarship offer and committed to play college football at the University of Notre Dame. [6] [7]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeight40Commit date
C. J. Sanders
WR
Granada Hills, California Notre Dame High School 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)177 lb (80 kg)4.32May 6, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 4 stars.svg     Rivals: 4 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A   ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 39 (WR), 8 (CA), 9 (regional), 268 (national)   Rivals: 37 (WR)   ESPN: 42 (CA)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Notre Dame Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "Notre Dame College Football Recruiting Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.

Acting career

Sanders was an American child actor whose notable roles include the movie Ray , where he played a young Ray Charles, and the television show Six Feet Under , where he played Anthony Charles-Fisher in a number of episodes. [1] He also played in the movie First Sunday as Ice Cube's son Durell, Jr.

He was nominated for several awards for his performance in Ray , including a Black Reel Award, an NAACP Image Award, an OFTA Award, and a Young Artist Awards. [8] He also guest starred in a few television shows, such as Judging Amy , Cold Case , Grey's Anatomy and Saved . [1]

College career

Freshman

A standout in summer practices, Sanders was named the starting punt returner for Notre Dame and later took over kick return duties as well. [9]

Sanders emerged as a standout in his special teams role. Against UMass, Sanders returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown in just his fourth collegiate game. [10] Later in the season, Sanders returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown against Stanford. [11]

Personal

C.J.'s father is former NFL wide receiver Chris Sanders. [12] His step-father, Corey Harris, is former safety who played 12 seasons in the NFL. CJ Sanders mom Stacie McCall Harris was a point guard at the University of Michigan. [9]

C.J. has his own non-profit organization, CJ's Gift Foundation, whose mission is to "promote self-esteem and self-worth among disadvantaged and at risk youth and their parents" and "to purposefully seek-out and reach-out to families who have been forgotten, overlooked and left out of opportunities that produce positive change and inspire hope." [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Brown (American football)</span> American football player (born 1966)

Timothy Donell Brown is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first wide receiver to do so. He spent sixteen years with the Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders, during which he established himself as one of the NFL's greatest wide receivers of all time. Brown has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2015, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Rossum</span> American football player (born 1975)

Allen Bonshaca Lamont Rossum is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond Howard</span> American football player (born 1970)

Desmond Kevin Howard is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected fourth overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Howard spent most of his career on special teams as a return specialist and holds the NFL single season record for punt return yardage. With the Green Bay Packers, Howard was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXI after setting an NFL record for punt return yards and returning a kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown, the longest return in Super Bowl history at the time. To date, he is the only special teams player to receive the award. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnaz Battle</span> American football player (born 1980)

Arnaz Jerome Battle is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Battle also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is the son of former NFL tight end Ron Battle.

Anthony Davis, also known as "A.D.", is an American former professional football player who was a running back. He played in four professional leagues: the World Football League (WFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), National Football League (NFL), and United States Football League (USFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devin Hester</span> American football player (born 1982)

Devin Devorris Hester Sr. is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL). The only primary return specialist to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he is widely considered to be the greatest return specialist of all time. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, where he was the first player in the university's recent history to play in all three phases of American football: offense, defense and special teams. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. In addition to Chicago, Hester also played for the Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks over his 11-season NFL career. He is also the only player to return the opening kick of a Super Bowl for a touchdown. Hester was selected to the NFL All-Decade Team for both the 2000s and 2010s.

Vincent Joseph Sutherland is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. He was a standout receiver and kick returner for Purdue University from 1997-2000. He also played for the Arena Football League (AFL)'s New York Dragons. At the time of his graduation in 2001, his 13 receiving touchdowns were a school record for one season. That record was tied in 2002 by John Standeford, and broken in 2004 by Taylor Stubblefield. He also still holds school records for punt return average in a season, punt returns for touchdowns in a season/career, and the longest reception in Purdue history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Johnson (wide receiver, born 1988)</span> American football player (born 1988)

Ronald Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver. He played college football for the USC Trojans. Johnson was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Return specialist</span> American/Canadian football player who specializes in kick returns

A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position such as wide receiver, defensive back, or running back. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a kicking specialist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Tate</span> American football player (born 1987)

Brandon Tate is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Tate</span> American football player (born 1988)

Golden Herman Tate III is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2009. Tate was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He later played for the Detroit Lions, with whom he made a Pro Bowl appearance. He also played a season for the Philadelphia Eagles and two seasons for the New York Giants. After his football career, Tate played baseball as a center fielder for the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League (WCL) in 2022 after not playing the sport since 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Floyd</span> American football player (born 1989)

Michael Floyd Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2008 to 2011, finishing with 271 catches for 3,686 yards and 37 touchdowns, all school records. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, but was dismissed from the Cardinals during the 2016 season, after he was arrested on drinking and driving charges. He has also played for the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Gallon</span> American football player (born 1990)

Jeremy Jermaine Gallon is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at the University of Michigan, finishing second all-time in school history in receptions and receiving yards. He also has the all-time record for most receiving yards in a season, 1373, and the most receiving yards in a single game, 369. Gallon was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also played professionally in the X-League (Japan).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DaVaris Daniels</span> American gridiron football player (born 1992)

DaVaris Daniels is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Notre Dame. After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, Daniels signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team</span> American college football season

The 2018 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by head coach Brian Kelly, who was in his ninth season at Notre Dame, and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana. The Fighting Irish competed as an independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray-Ray McCloud</span> American football player (born 1996)

Raymond McCloud III is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson.

Maurice Lamont Ffrench is an American football wide receiver. He played college football for Pittsburgh and was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has also been a member of the Los Angeles Chargers, Edmonton Elks, and Ottawa Redblacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velus Jones Jr.</span> American football player (born 1997)

Velus Tyler Phillip Jones Jr. is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC before transferring to Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Jones (American football, born 1998)</span> American football player (born 1998)

Charlie Jones is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Buffalo, Iowa, and Purdue. In 2022, he was named as an All-American.

References