Lions Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders dies at 68

Former Detroit Lions great Charlie Sanders died at the age of 68, the team confirmed Thursday.

The former Lions tight end died Thursday while fighting cancer. He was diagnosed with the illness in November 2014 after doctors found a tumor before he was to undergo knee surgery.

Sanders was selected to seven Pro Bowls, spanning from 1968 to 1976, and was named to the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team. In 2007, Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Thurman Thomas, and Roger Wehrli.

"All of us associated with the Hall of Fame, the Gold Jackets, Board of Trustees and staff are deeply saddened by the passing of Charlie," Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker said Thursday. "He represented the many great values the game teaches that guided him throughout his lifetime. Charlie’s legacy as a hero of the game and, more importantly, as a great man will be forever preserved in Canton."

Sanders recorded 31 touchdown receptions over his career. He was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 1968 NFL Draft and spent his entire 10-year career with the club.