I recently had the chance to interview CJ Sanders who is a top WR prospect in the 2015 class. He also just happens to be an OSU legacy as the son of former Buckeye and NFL WR Chris “Tippy Toes” Sanders. CJs story is not the usual one he grew up in the family of athletes and his father was an NFL star. Yet his first foray into public light was as a child actor. He had starring roles in the movie Ray playing a young Ray Charles and on the HBO hit show Six Feet Under. He also started his own Non-Profit Org. CJs Gift Foundation that helped disadvantaged youth and their parents. Oh and of course he became a star on the football field as well which is why we are here to begin with. His story is not even close to being fully written he has an entire life to keep building on what he has started and I look forward to seeing what the next few chapters will bring. So lets here some of what CJ had to say in his interview with me…
SYR- If you could please tell us about your home life… Parents, brothers and/or sisters, where you were born, Have you always lived in in the same place?
CJ- Dad is Chris Sanders & mother is Stacie Harris (played basketball for the team up north) lol. I was born in Houston,Texas because my dad played for the Oilers. Later moved to California to pursue acting. Now I live in Nashville, Tennessee.
SYR- Can you give us your current stats such as height, weight, 40 yard time?
CJ- I am 5’9″ and 170 lbs & I ran a 4.3 40 at Ohio state.
SYR- What kind of stats did you put up last year?
CJ- I had over 500 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns.
SYR- Tell us a little bit about your HS FB team such as record and offensive style.
CJ- I play for Brentwood Academy in Nashville, we finished 9-3 last season and lost in the semifinals. Our offensive style is the spread.
SYR- What are your goals for the upcoming season?
CJ- My goals are to win a state championship and finish out as one of the top players in the nation.
SYR- What college football team did you grow up being a fan of and why?
CJ- I grew up loving Ohio state because my dad went there. The funny thing about it was that my mom played basketball at Michigan.
SYR- You already have 4 offers from some big name schools. Do you think you are close to getting an offer from Ohio State?
CJ- I think I am pretty close.. When it happens I will be excited!
SYR- Who would you say is your personal hero and why?
CJ- My mom is my hero.. She has always been there for me & supporting me thru everything.. I do the things I do to make her happy.
SYR- If you were going to die tomorrow what would your final meal be?
CJ- Sesame Jack Chicken from Fridays!! I would also have to have cherry bite size Twizzlers because that is my favorite candy!
SYR- Who do you think you compare to most in the NFL or College right now?
CJ- Tavon Austin or DeSean Jackson
SYR- Who is your favorite College player of all time? And favorite NFL player of all time if different from College?
CJ- My favorite all time college player is Ted Gin Jr. & my all time favorite NFL players are Randy Moss & Jerry Rice.
SYR- I know the recruiting process is early for you and I am sure it is tough for you to come up with a top 5 schools list but could you maybe list the top 5 schools you would like to get an offer from and why?
CJ- no order.. But Florida, Oregon, Ohio state, Florida state, Michigan.
SYR- How hard is it to live up to your fathers legacy? Is there more pressure on you to become a Buckeye because your dad is Chris “Tippy Toes” Sanders?
CJ- I think it’s actually a blessing.. I take it as opportunity.. My dad pushes me to strive for greatness and I’m glad to be in the position I’m in.
SYR- Who is the better WR you or your dad? 🙂
CJ- haha ME!
SYR- What would you like Buckeye Nation to know about you that they most likely don’t already know?
CJ- I want them to know that I strive for greatness on & off the field! I always strive to make others better.
CJ Sanders is a 5’9″ 170 lbs 4 star WR from brentwood, Tennessee. 247sports and ESPN are the only recruiting sites so far with info out on the 2015 class and they are really high on this young recruit. 247sports ranks him as a 4 star and the 230th best prospect in the country. They have him as the 5th best prospect in Tennessee and the 28th best WR in the country. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 279th best recruit in the country. They rank him as the 11th best recruit in TN and the 38th best WR in the country.
You can follow CJ Sanders on Twitter here…
Here are his view his Sophomore Highlights…
Sounds like another great kid. Man, when I was CJ’s age I was too busy arguing with my friend which was better, the Super Nintendo or the Genesis. I didn’t have the kind of drive and dedication they do.
(Super Nintendo was the best, btw).
My Sega 32x add on to the genesis totally made it better than the Super Nintendo…
CJ is a good kid for sure has a lot going for him and will be a star at the next level.