Williams Sanders, the father of former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, passed away on Wednesday. William was 74 years old and died of symptoms related to lymphoma.
The Wichita Eagle, which first reported this story, included a quote about William Sanders from Barry's 2004 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech in its article.
"He said, 'Son, you can play the game the way it's supposed to be played. Don't be scared to make mistakes,' " Barry Sanders recalled. "'In life you're going to make some mistakes. Even if you wanted to stay in bed all day and avoid the world, that's not the answer, especially in the game of football. You're going to make some mistakes. Go out and play the way you're capable of, the coach has you in there for a reason, he has confidence in you."
My thoughts go out to Barry Sanders and his family.