Charlie Sanders passed away at age 68. (Getty Images)
Charlie Sanders passed away at age 68. (Getty Images)

Former Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Sanders passed away on Thursday at the age of 68, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced. Sanders had been battling cancer since November.

The tight end's Hall of Fame career started in 1968 when the Lions selected him in the third round of the NFL Draft out of the University of Minnesota, where Sanders played both football and basketball.

Sanders made his mark on the organization right away with a 40-catch, 533-yard rookie season. 

The tight ended up being the only rookie to earn a Pro Bowl berth in 1968. The 1968 Pro Bowl appearance was one of seven that Sanders made during his 10-year career. The Hall of Famer was also named first-team All-Pro three times. 

When Sanders retired after the 1977 season, he left the NFL with 336 career receptions, which made him the Lions all-time leading receiver. Sanders would hold that distinction for 20 years before Herman Moore passed him in 1996. 

After spending his entire 10-year career with the Lions, Sanders decided to stick around after he was done playing. In the years after his retirement, Sanders spent time as a Lions broadcaster (1983-88, 97), coach (1989-96) and personnel scout (1998-2014). 

Sanders passed away on Thursday after an eight month battle with cancer. The Lions great was first diagnosed with cancer in November after doctors found a tumor in his right knee, according to the Detroit Free Press. 

The tight end was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame  in 2007. 

Several Lions players took to Twitter on Thursday to tweet their condolences for one of the best players in team history.