Broncos Receiver Emmanuel Sanders Learned To Play Golf By Watching YouTube Videos
DENVER (CBS4) – Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders celebrated his very first Father's Day as a dad on Sunday. He's got a 3-month-old at home and wants him to grow up to be a golfer.
Sanders loves golf. He taught himself how to play 4 years ago by watching YouTube videos. Now he's a full-blown addict. Football is his job, but golf is his passion.
"Most of the time I'm at the driving range or playing some golf. I even have a golf simulator in my house back home in Houston, that's how addicted I am," Sanders told CBS4's Vic Lombardi.
Sanders said he likes the game because it has also made him a better football player, and a better man."
"It makes me more patient and it teaches you just like life," Sanders said. "Don't worry about what just happened, move onto the next shot and try to hit the best shot possible … if you drop a pass, move onto the next play."
He said when he first started playing he couldn't hit his irons.
"So I hit a 3-wood everywhere. My dad was so amazed – the whole course. I played with Ben (Roethlisberger) a few times and he couldn't believe it. I would shoot like 90, 92 with a 3-wood."
Sanders said if he had the choice, he'd rather his newborn son become a professional golfer rather than a professional football player.
"(Football) is starting to get too violent … but I know he's going to want to at least try. The good thing is that now that I'm financially stable enough, hopefully he'll have golf clubs in his hands at a young age."
Sanders has 11 touchdowns in his career. The Broncos had five players with 10 touchdowns or more last season, making Sanders look forward to being on the field with Peyton Manning.
"I firmly believe God put me here for a reason. When I played in college I played in a spread offense … I went off for 1,500 yards … when I came out of college I had more touchdowns than any receiver coming out in the draft. Then I went to Pittsburgh, which is a 50/50 team."
After every practice Sanders works extra with Manning.
"Because the little things is what's going to matter on Sunday … any opportunity I get to throw with Peyton I'm going to take it, because on Sunday's we've got to have that same pace. He's got to know my body movements."
Sanders says Manning also has a great golf swing.
"He keeps inviting me out but I never have time."
