{{Short description|American football player and actor (born 1996)}} {{distinguish|C. J. Sanders (surveyor)|C. J. Saunders}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college football player |name= C. J. Sanders |image= |image_size= |caption= |school= |currentnumber= |currentposition= Wide receiver |class= |major= |birth_date= {{birth date and age|1996|9|18}} |birth_place= Granada Hills, California, U.S. |heightft=5 |heightin=9 |weight=180 |highlights= *Second-team All-AAC (2019) |highschool= Notre Dame<br/>(Sherman Oaks, California) |pastschools= * Notre Dame (2015–2017) * SMU (2018–2019) |cbs= |espn=3932440 |si= |yahoo= |rivals= }}
'''Christoper McCall''' "'''C. J.'''" '''Sanders''' (born September 18, 1996) is an American former college football wide receiver and child actor. Sanders has had acting roles in several Hollywood movies and television shows.<ref name="imdb"/>
==High school== Sanders attended Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee for his first three seasons. After moving to California with his family, he transferred to Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, California for his senior year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brentwoodhomepage.com/brentwood-academy-wr-c-j-sanders-to-transfer-cms-15743#.VKiEg4rF8Yc|title=Brentwood Academy WR C.J. Sanders to transfer|work=Brentwood Home Page|access-date=January 4, 2015|archive-date=January 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104031648/http://www.brentwoodhomepage.com/brentwood-academy-wr-c-j-sanders-to-transfer-cms-15743#.VKiEg4rF8Yc|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/varsity-times/la-sp-vi-cj-sanders-is-impact-transfer-for-sherman-oaks-notre-dame-20140609-premiumvideo.html|title=CJ Sanders is impact transfer for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame|author=Los Angeles Times|date=June 9, 2014|work=latimes.com}}</ref> Sanders had 35 catches for 562 yards and eight touchdowns. He also carried the ball 41 times for 437 yards and nine touchdowns. On special teams, he scored an additional four touchdowns, including two on kickoffs and two on punts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://notredame.247sports.com/Bolt/Strong-Senior-Season-Ends-For-CJ-Sanders-32832978|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150104003202/http://notredame.247sports.com/Bolt/Strong-Senior-Season-Ends-For-CJ-Sanders-32832978|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 4, 2015|title=Strong Senior Season Ends For C.J. Sanders|work=Irish247}}</ref>
Considered a four-star recruit by ''Rivals.com'', he was rated as the 37th best wide receiver prospect of his class.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-C.J.-Sanders-139830|title=CJ Sanders|work=yahoo.com}}</ref> He accepted a scholarship offer and committed to play college football at the University of Notre Dame.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/notre-dame/article/cj-sanders-picks-notre-dame-28499373/|title=C.J. Sanders Picks Notre Dame|work=Irish247}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/ray-actor-and-son-of-ex-titans-wr-signs-with-notre-dame-0ap3000000468167|title='Ray' actor and son of ex-Titans WR signs with Notre Dame|work=NFL.com}}</ref>
{{College athlete recruit start|40=yes|collapse=no|year=2015}} {{College athlete recruit entry | recruit = C. J. Sanders | position = WR | hometown = Granada Hills, California | highschool = Notre Dame High School | feet = 5 | inches = 9 | weight = 177 | 40 = 4.32 | commitdate = May 6, 2014 | scout stars = 4 | rivals stars = 4 | espn grade = 80 }} {{College athlete recruit end | year = 2015 | rivals ref title = Notre Dame Football Commitment List | scout ref title = Notre Dame College Football Recruiting Commits | espn ref title = ESPN | rivals school = notredame | scout s = 109 | espn schoolid = 78 | scout overall = 39 (WR), 8 (CA), 9 (regional), 268 (national) | rivals overall = 37 (WR) | espn overall = 42 (CA) | accessdate = December 27, 2015 | bball = }}
==Acting career== Sanders was an American child actor whose notable roles include the movie ''Ray'', where he played a young Ray Charles, and the television show ''Six Feet Under'', where he played Anthony Charles-Fisher in a number of episodes.<ref name="imdb"/> He also appeared in the movie ''First Sunday'' as Ice Cube's son Durell Jr.
He was nominated for several awards for his performance in ''Ray'', including a Black Reel Award, an NAACP Image Award, an OFTA Award, and a Young Artist Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1468486/awards|title=C.J. Sanders Awards|work=IMDb}}</ref> He also guest starred in a few television shows, such as ''Judging Amy'', ''Cold Case'', ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''Saved''.<ref name="imdb">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1468486|title=C.J. Sanders|work=IMDb}}</ref>
==College career== ===Freshman=== A standout in summer practices, Sanders was named the starting punt returner for Notre Dame and later took over kick return duties as well.<ref name="ndinsider.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.ndinsider.com/football/notebook-notre-dame-freshman-c-j-sanders-emerges-in-return/article_b3b0f62c-50eb-11e5-be7a-ff9d4b12fd42.html|title=Notebook: Notre Dame freshman C.J. Sanders emerges in return game|work=NDinsider.com}}</ref>
Sanders emerged as a standout in his special teams role. Against UMass, Sanders returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown in just his fourth collegiate game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2015-2016/umass.html|title=UMass vs. Notre Dame|work=UND.com|access-date=2015-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929030401/http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2015-2016/umass.html|archive-date=2015-09-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> Later in the season, Sanders returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown against Stanford.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2015-2016/stanford.html|title=Notre Dame vs Stanford|work=UND.com}}</ref>
==Personal== C.J.'s father is former NFL wide receiver Chris Sanders.<ref>Greenberg, Pierce (September 1, 2011) [http://www.brentwoodhomepage.com/bas-sanders-to-face-dad-in-football-matchup-cms-6297#.UqKFBieHrKQ BA's Sanders to face dad in football matchup] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325012843/http://www.brentwoodhomepage.com/bas-sanders-to-face-dad-in-football-matchup-cms-6297#.UqKFBieHrKQ |date=2016-03-25 }}. brentwoodhomepage.com</ref> His step-father, Corey Harris, is former safety who played 12 seasons in the NFL. CJ Sanders mom Stacie McCall Harris was a point guard at the University of Michigan.<ref name="ndinsider.com"/>
C.J. has his own non-profit organization, '''CJ's Gift Foundation''', whose mission is to "promote self-esteem and self-worth among disadvantaged and at risk youth and their parents" and "to purposefully seek-out and reach-out to families who have been forgotten, overlooked and left out of opportunities that produce positive change and inspire hope."<ref name="ndinsider.com"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929091431/http://www.cjsgift.org/index.html CJ’s Gift Foundation] *{{IMDb name|1468486}} *[https://smumustangs.com/sports/football/roster/cj-sanders/9760 SMU Mustangs bio]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, C. J.}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:21st-century African-American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:African-American male child actors Category:American football wide receivers Category:American male child actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Male actors from Los Angeles Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Category:Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, California) alumni Category:People from Granada Hills, Los Angeles Category:Players of American football from Los Angeles Category:SMU Mustangs football players Category:21st-century American sportsmen