On the day he made a catch that documented him as the most prolific pass catcher in the history of the Detroit Lions, Herman Moore paid tribute to the man who had gone beyond the bounds of the typical coach-player relationship to be a guiding force in shaping him as a player and a person.
Charlie Sanders, an assistant coach in charge of receivers from 1989-96, meant that much to Herman Moore on his record-setting day in 1996. And 19 years later, as tributes continue to flow for the Hall of Fame tight end who died of cancer last week, their player-coach friendship remains unbroken.