Charlie Sanders left giant, lasting imprints with every step he took in a football career that began as a youngster in North Carolina and took him to stardom as a Hall of Fame tight end with the Detroit Lions.
With every role in each step – player, assistant coach, player personnel executive, broadcaster, advisor, trusted confidante – Sanders was a resource of undiminishing value and depth.
For all that he accomplished, and all that he left behind as his personal legacy of excellence, he had one quality that put him in an elite category as a role model for others.