TUCSON, Arizona — Former Arizona Wildcat Brandon Sanders is now in his fifth season as the program's Football Alumni and High School Relations Coordinator.
"Seeing the faces on our alum when they get together with guys they haven't seen for 15, 20, or thirty years," said Sanders. "Or seeing this campus for the first time in 20 years."
It's the faces who he'll never see again that are on his mind. Last year, former teammate Heath Bray was the most recent of former Wildcats who passed away from a heart related issue.
"Very good players here like Pulu Poumele, Troy Dickey.
There were other friends and competitors.
"I had lost them all in a two month span."
So, Sanders reached out to former teammate Tedy Bruschi, himself a stroke survivor. Bruschi's charity, "Tedy's Team, raises money for stroke survivors in part with it's Boston Marathon run.
"Tedy thought I was crazy. But, he said if I wanted to do it, I'll get you there."
Sanders began training about six months ago, and has completed half marathons.
"It was almost like a ding and a calling that I can run for an athletic event. This is something bigger."
What happened next is that the alumni coordinator started to have alumni reach out to him.
"I'm humbled by the support I've gotten."
Then, recently, as he was about to go for his longest training run, Sanders received a phone call from his mother. His aunt had just passed away, sure enough from a stroke.
"And, now, I have to go run 21 miles, and here's another person that passed away from this. So, it's like you're doing this for a cause, but you're doing this because it's real."
"Anytime I feel really tired, or I don't think this is the day to do it, I'm know I'm doing it for them."
Sanders, who is a former NFL player, says this will be the last big athletic event he does in his lifetime. Since the money he's raising goes to charity, it may also be the most meaningful.
"I'm still a little nervous. I'll be more nervous when I get out there. But, I've got a lot of people who I'm running for, and a lot of people who are supporting me, so it's huge."
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