For the 5th year in his 7 year NFL career, Bob Sanders is going to miss at least a significant part of the season with an injury. He's only managed to stay healthy for two seasons - both times earning All-Pro honors- and in one of the two healthy seasons, he was named the NFL's defensive player of the year.
He's always getting seriously hurt because he's just 5'8" (so they claim, I doubt he's even that tall) - and he's way too strong for his size and hits way too hard for his size.
Sanders was the most devastating high school football player I've seen in Erie. It's too his credit that he had such a remarkable college career - and one great pro year - despite being no taller than your typical circus midget.
The Colts have their one Super Bowl win in '07 as much for his outstanding post season play as for Manning's unspectacular play that post season.
People forget that the Iowa Hawkeyes were dead even with that years Heisman winner Carson Palmer's USC team in the '03 Orange Bowl until Sanders got hurt and the USC offense suddenly exploded with him out of the game early on in the 3rd quarter.
Sanders also played in the most famous high school football game in PA history. He was one of eight different players on Erie Prep who were considered a major D1 recruit. Erie Prep was ranked in the top 10 nationally in all the polls. They played CB West - who had won something like 59 straight games - and were in the top 5 nationally in every poll. It was the final game for CB West's legendary coach Mike Pettine - the father of the current New York Jets defensive coordinator.
Here's a clip of the film that was made on that game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TJ5...eature=related
Sanders was an absolute force all game long - and the star running back for CB West got knocked out of the game. Erie Prep had it won - ahead 13-7 very late in the 4th quarter - when they had a punt blocked and returned for a TD to blow the game.
It's been a great career for Bob Sanders at every level ... but his body has totally fallen apart and I wouldn't be surprised if he retires. Guys with his size aren't supposed to even make it on defense at the college level - let alone dominate at the NFL level.