Bentlee Sanders
{{short description|American football player (born 1998)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
|name=Bentlee Sanders
|team=Calgary Stampeders
|image=2024, 40, Bentlee Sanders.jpg
|caption=Sanders with the Calgary Stampeders in 2024
|status=Active
|import=yes
|position1=Defensive back
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1998|9|17}}
|birth_place=Tampa, Florida, U.S.
|number=40
|college=South Florida (2017–2020)
Nevada (2021–2022)
|high_school=Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Florida)
|height_ft=5
|height_in=9
|weight_lbs=182
|playing_years1={{CFL Year|2024}}–present
|playing_team1=Calgary Stampeders
|career_highlights=
- First-team All-Mountain West (2022)
|CFL=bentlee-sanders
}}
Bentlee Sanders (born September 17, 1998) is an American professional football defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at South Florida and Nevada.
Early life
Sanders attended Tampa Catholic High School in Tampa, Florida.{{cite web | url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/footballpreps/footballs-a-beacon-after-dark-days-for-tampa-catholics-bentlee-sanders/2301336/ | title=Football's a beacon after dark days for Tampa Catholic's Bentlee Sanders | publisher=tampabay.com | date=November 3, 2016 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Putnam, Bob}}{{cite web | url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/footballpreps/tampa-catholics-bentlee-sanders-brings-warrior-mentality-to-usf/2311717/ | title=Tampa Catholic's Bentlee Sanders brings 'warrior mentality' to USF | publisher=Tampa Bay Times | date=February 1, 2017 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Odom, Jeff}} He made 56 tackles and three interceptions his junior year, earning second-team All-State honors.{{cite web | url=https://nevadawolfpack.com/sports/football/roster/bentlee-sanders/8249 | title=Bentlee Sanders | publisher=nevadawolfpack.com | accessdate=17 August 2024}} He was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals.com.
College career
Sanders first played college football for the South Florida Bulls from 2017 to 2020. He appeared in one game his freshman year in 2017 and made one tackle. He played in 12 games, starting two, in 2018, recording 28 tackles and one forced fumble while also returning 17 kickoffs for 455 yards. Sanders played in 12 games, starting nine, during the 2019 season, totaling 40 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and three pass breakups while also returning 19 kicks for 425 yards. He appeared in six games, starting four, during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, accumulating 25 tackles, one interception and two pass breakups. He also missed three games that year due to "COVID-19 issues".
Sanders transferred to play for the Nevada Wolf Pack from 2021 to 2022. He played in all 13 games, recording 24 tackles and two pass breakups in 2021. He started all 12 games for the Wolfpack during his sixth season of college football in 2022, totaling 82 tackles, five interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown), and three forced fumbles, earning first-team All-Mountain West honors.{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/nevada-safety-bentlee-sanders-awaits-all-star-invite | title=Nevada Safety Bentlee Sanders Awaits All-Star Invite | publisher=si.com | date=January 5, 2023 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Marchionte}} Sanders was named an Associated Press midseason All-American and one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award after co-leading the FBS with five interceptions partway through the 2022 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.2news.com/sports/nevada-safety-bentlee-sanders-named-jim-thorpe-award-semifinalist/article_63ae1e5a-53d3-11ed-927f-e391fb1aa7df.html | title=Nevada safety Bentlee Sanders named Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist | publisher=2news.com | date=October 24, 2024 | accessdate=17 August 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.rgj.com/story/sports/2022/10/25/nevada-defensive-back-bentlee-sanders-finalist-jim-thorpe-award/10601967002/ | title=Nevada defensive back Bentlee Sanders named a finalist for Jim Thorpe Award | publisher=rgi.com | date=October 25, 2022 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Healy, Neil}}{{cite web | url=https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2022/oct/18/pack-db-bentlee-sanders-named-midseason-all-american/ | title=Pack DB Bentlee Sanders named midseason All-American | publisher=nevadaappeal.com | date=October 18, 2022 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Ritenhouse, Duke}}{{cite web | url=https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/how-nevada-footballs-bentlee-sanders-became-nations-leader-in-interceptions-in-six-college-season | title=How Nevada's Bentlee Sanders became FBS leader in interceptions in sixth college season | publisher=nevadasportsnet.com | date=October 13, 2022 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Murray, Chris}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 8 1/9
| weight = 173
| dash = 4.41
| ten split = 1.53
| twenty split = 2.58
| shuttle = 4.46
| cone drill = 7.32
| vertical = 33
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 7
| bench = 10
| arm span = 29
| hand span = 9 3/8
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1023288&DraftYear=2023 |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Bentlee Sanders College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=August 19, 2024}}
}}
After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Sanders was invited to rookie minicamp on a tryout basis with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.{{cite web | url=https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/nevadas-bentlee-sanders-gets-rookie-minicamp-invitation-from-two-nfl-teams | title=Nevada's Bentlee Sanders gets rookie minicamp invitations from two NFL teams | publisher=nevadasportsnet.com | date=May 2, 2023 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Murray, Chris}} He was selected by the DC Defenders in the 2023 XFL rookie draft im June 2023.{{cite web | url=https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/nevadas-bentlee-sanders-selected-by-dc-defenders-in-xfl-draft | title=Nevada's Bentlee Sanders selected by D.C. Defenders in XFL draft | publisher=nevadasportsnet.com | date=June 16, 2023 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Murray, Chris}}
He signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on January 18, 2024.{{cite web | url=https://www.footballdb.com/teams/cfl/calgary-stampeders/transactions/2023 | title=Calgary Stampeders Transactions | publisher=Footballdb.com | accessdate=17 August 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/nevada-football-alum-bentlee-sanders-signs-with-cfls-calgary-stampeders | title=Nevada football alum Bentlee Sanders signs with CFL's Calgary Stampeders | publisher=nevadawolfpack.com | date=January 18, 2024 | accessdate=17 August 2024 | author=Murray, Chris}}{{cite web | url=https://3downnation.com/2024/01/18/for-town-or-country-stampeders-ink-db-bentlee-sanders/ | title=For town or country: Stampeders ink DB Bentlee Sanders | publisher=3downnation.com | date=January 18, 2024 | accessdate=17 August 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.stampeders.com/players/bentlee-sanders/ Calgary Stampeders bio]
{{Calgary Stampeders roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Bentlee}}
Category:American football defensive backs
Category:Canadian football defensive backs
Category:Tampa Catholic High School alumni
Category:South Florida Bulls football players
Category:Nevada Wolf Pack football players
Category:Calgary Stampeders players