Bob Sanders

Bob Sanders was born Demond Sanders on February 24, 1981. He asked his mother when he was young he if he could change his name because it was hard for him to pronounce. It was his mother who suggested that he pick the name “Bob”. His mom suggested “Bob” as only a nickname but the name stuck with him.

Bob grew up in Erie, PA., where he played football in high school. He was a running back and a safety. On his high school team, he was a four year letterman, made the All-Conference team twice and was even selected to be a captain on the team in his senior year, when he led his team to the state championship game.

Bob didn’t get a lot of offers coming out of high school due to his size, so when the University of Iowa offered he gladly accepted. It was during his college playing days that Bob got another nickname. This time, he was called “The Hitman.” He got that nickname by leading the team in tackles and also being such a physical player during Iowa’s practices. He was such a hard hitter that the coaches had to take him out of certain drills in practice. He finally graduated from Iowa in 2003 and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the draft with the 44th overall pick. Bob has gained several awards through his pro career, including two Pro Bowl selections. He has also been named as the GMC Player of the Year, AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.