Demond "Bob" Sanders (born February 24, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and also played for the San Diego Chargers in his final season in 2011. Sanders was nicknamed "The Sandman" because of his hard hits and tackles, and was also called "The Eraser" by former Colts' coach Tony Dungy because of his tendency to erase the mistakes of his teammates. He spent the majority of his career battling injuries, having played more than six games in a single season only twice, in 2005 and 2007. Early years Sanders attended Central Tech High School as a freshman before transferring to Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania and was a student and a letterman in football as a running back and as a safety. In football, he was a four-year letterman, a two-time All-Conference selection. As a junior, he was a third-team All-State selection. As a senior, he was a team captain, and a first-team All-State selection and finished his senior season with 900 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns while leading his team to a 13-1 record and a trip to the state championship game. Sanders graduated from Cathedral Preparatory School in 2000. He also had seven sacks in the high school state championship game. He also kick boxed during his childhood. College career Sanders was offered an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Iowa, and play for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team based on a recommendation to head coach Kirk Ferentz from Joe Moore. Sanders played as a freshman and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten. Sanders was named to three All-Big Ten teams. He was named second-team All-American as a senior. At Iowa, Sanders improved his 40-yard run time from 4.6 to 4.3 seconds and his vertical jump from 30 to 44 inches. While at Iowa Sanders earned the nickname "Hit Man" for his physical style of play and big hits. In his last game at Kinnick Stadium, Sanders forced three fumbles including a fumble at the goal line. Professional career Indianapolis Colts 2004 As a rookie, Sanders played primarily as a backup safety and a special teams