Bob Sanders: Colts legend lives quiet retirement with family
INDIANAPOLIS (BVM) – Bob Sanders holds a beloved place in the heart of Indianapolis Colts fans. Not only did Sanders help the team bring back its first Super Bowl to the city in 2007, but he also became the first, and to date only, Colts player to ever win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award. While Sanders is fondly remembered, there is also a pinch of sadness that comes with his stories as injuries derailed what seemed to be a Hall of Fame career leaving many wondering what could have been.
Bob Sanders highlights just HIT different. pic.twitter.com/dMYS531sda
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) May 11, 2022
Early life and high school football
Sanders was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania where he played high school football at Cathedral Preparatory School. Playing both running back and safety, Sanders broke out as an upperclassman earning third-team All-State honors as a junior before earning first-team All-State as a senior.
During his final season, Sanders led the Ramblers to a 13-1 record and an appearance in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state championship game. Sanders ranks No. 9 in school history in career rushing with 2,178 yards, No. 14 in career rushes with 280, No. 10 in career rushing touchdowns with 26 and No. 13 in career touchdowns with 28. His No. 20 jersey was retired by the school in 2007 while he was inducted into the Erie Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Due to his small stature, measuring in at only 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds, Sanders didn’t get many offers to play football at a high level. Thanks to one of his high school coaches’ connections with University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz, Sanders earned a scholarship with the Hawkeyes which he gladly accepted.
Over the next four seasons, Sanders played a consistent role, first as a special teams contributor in 2000 before being the team’s starting safety from 2001-03. Over the course of his career, Sanders helped raise the Hawkeyes from 1-10 before he arrived up to 10-3 by the time he left in 2003 which included winning 24 out of his final 30 games with the team.
Nicknamed the “Hawkeye Hitman”, Sanders made an immediate impact once he earned the starting role, being named first-team All-Big Ten three straight seasons, Iowa’s most valuable player twice and second-team All-American by the Associated Press as a senior. He finished his Hawkeyes career with 348 tackles, 30 pass breakups, 16 tackles for loss, and seven interceptions. He still ranks No. 11 in team history in career tackles and holds the No. 4 spot for tackles in a game when he racked up 25 against Indiana in 2001.
Bob Sanders is our Honorary Captain for this weekend’s #UIowaHomecoming game | #Hawkeyes #TheHitman pic.twitter.com/Svb4IyV18D
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 17, 2019
Indianapolis Colts
After his playing career with the Hawkeyes, Sanders was taken in the second round by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 44 overall pick. After playing sparingly as a rookie with only four starts in six appearances due to injury, Sanders burst onto the scene his second season playing in 14 games and starting each while recording 92 total tackles, four pass deflections, three tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Sanders earned Pro Bowl honors and was named first-team All-Pro for his efforts.
In 2006, injuries limited Sanders to just four regular season starts, but he returned to the Colts just in time for the postseason where he would prove why he was an All-Pro. In four postseason games, Sanders 22 total tackles, four pass deflections, two interceptions and a forced fumble. In Super Bowl XLI, Sanders registered three tackles, forced a fumble and picked off Chicago Bears’ quarterback Rex Grossman to help seal the victory.
The 2007 season was the best of Sanders’ career. The safety played and started 15 games for the Colts racking up 97 tackles, six tackles for loss, six pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. This earned Sanders Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro nods, but most importantly he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year becoming the fourth safety and first Colts player to ever win the award.
Injuries and Retirement
Following his historic Defensive Player of the Year season, Sanders only played in nine more games with the Colts over the next three seasons from 2008-2010. Over those nine games, Sanders recorded 54 tackles, three pass deflections and two interceptions.
The Colts released Sanders in the 2011 offseasons, ending his tenure after seven seasons. In those seven years, Sanders played in 48 games with 46 starts recording 295 tackles, 16 pass deflections, six interceptions, 3.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
Sanders signed with the San Diego Chargers before the 2011 season but only played two games in California, recording 12 tackles. He retired in 2012 after eight seasons with 307 career tackles.
Since his retirement, Sanders has enjoyed family life. After not having children during his playing days, Sanders and his wife have welcomed four children to the world while living out West.
“When I retired, I didn’t have any kids. Now, I have four kids. So, my wife and I, we’re very, very busy,” Sanders told the Colts’ team website in 2016. “We have two four-year-olds, a two-year-old, and a one-year-old. So, we’re busy. We’re enjoying life.”
Sanders has returned to both Indianapolis and his hometown of Erie. In 2018, Sanders went to Erie to help his brother-in-law launch his new youth football league, the Metro 21 Youth Football League. Though no longer living in Indianapolis full-time, Sanders told the Colts’ website in 2016 he still owned the house he bought as a rookie and loves the city and fanbase that welcomed him in the early 2000s.
“I love Indy. The fans, they know I love them dearly,” Sanders said. “The fans love us. We’ve always had great support. Hopefully, we can continue that and keep it going.”
Despite the limited length of his career, Sanders has been recognized as one of the best of his generation. Since 2016, Sanders has been selected as a Pro Football Hall of Fame modern-day nominee, including this past fall, though he has never made it to the semifinal round.
BREAKING: The Modern-Era nominees for the Class of 2022 have been unveiled. The list is comprised of 122 players. Among the group are 10 first-year eligible players.
📰 >> https://t.co/tx6ulgv2Cw#PFHOF22 pic.twitter.com/LcEyiX4ux5
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) September 22, 2021
Given his legendary play and his impact on the Colts franchise, it is no surprise that Sanders is held in high esteem by the team’s fanbase. Though he may live a quiet life now, fans can always reminisce about the loud hits and big plays Sanders made during his seven seasons in the Colts secondary.
