Lewis Sanders was signed by the Patriots as a veteran free agent on March 6, 2008 ... Originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round (95th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft ... Placed on the reserve/injured list (8/27/01) ... Re-signed by the Browns (3/25/03) ... Placed on the reserve/injured list (12/9/03) ... Signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent (3/9/04) ... Released by the Jaguars (8/31/04) ... Signed by the Cleveland Browns (9/1/04) ... Signed by the Houston Texans as an unrestricted free agent (3/8/05) ... Placed on the reserve/injured list (11/14/06) ... Signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an unrestricted free agent (3/7/07) ... Placed on the reserve/injured list (12/17/07) ... Released by the Falcons (2/15/08).

GP/GS (Playoffs): 97/29(1/0)

• Sanders joins the Patriots in 2008 as a veteran of eight NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns (2000-2004), Houston Texans (2005-06) and Atlanta Falcons (2007).
• Sanders enters the 2008 season having played in 87 career games with 25 starts, recording 172 career tackles (137 solo), one sack, five interceptions for 90 yards, 31 passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, while also totaling 51 special teams tackles.
• Sanders spent two seasons with Houston (2005-06), playing in a total of 21 games with 10 starts.
• In 2006, he played in nine games while starting a careerhigh seven contests and also set a career high with 37 tackles (29 solo).
• Sanders spent the first five seasons of his career with Cleveland, playing in a total of 52 games with nine starts over that period, totaling 81 tackles (62 solo), one sack and four interceptions.
• In 2004, his final season in Cleveland, Sanders played in every game with five starts and set a career high with two interceptions.

2008 (10/4/0/6):  Kansas City (9/7):  Started at cornerback ... Made four tackles (2 solo) in coverage while making his Patriots debut in a 17-10 victory over the Chiefs.  at N.Y. Jets (9/14):  Played in reserve at cornerback ... Made one solo tackle in the Patriots' 19-10 victory over the Jets.  Miami (9/21):  Played in reserve as a defensive back on substitution packages and on special teams coverage and return units.  at San Francisco (10/5):  Inactive.  at San Diego (10/12):  Returned to action, playing in reserve at cornerback and on special teams coverage units ... Made one special teams tackle.  Denver (10/20):  Started as the nickel back as the Patriots opened in a nickel defense in their 41-7 victory over the Broncos ... Picked up his second career fumble forced, stripping Broncos running back Andre Hall and allowing Le Kevin Smith to fall on the loose ball, giving the Patriots possession in the first quarter ... Made four solo tackles.  St. Louis (10/26):  Inactive.  at Indianapolis (11/2):  Inactive.  Buffalo (11/9):  Inactive.  N.Y. Jets (11/13):  Inactive.  at Miami (11/23):  Played in reserve at safety in the Patriots' 48-28 victory over the Dolphins ... Made two solo tackles in coverage along with one special teams tackle.  Pittsburgh (11/30):  Played in reserve at cornerback and on special teams coverage units against the Steelers ... Tallied five tackles, including four solo stops.  at Seattle (12/7):  Played in reserve at cornerback and on special teams coverage and return units in the Patriots' 24-21 comeback victory at the Seahawks ... Made four tackles, including three solo stops.  at Oakland (12/14):  Made the start at free safety in the Patriots' 49-26 victory over the Raiders ... Batted down a JaMarcus Russell pass intended for Chaz Schilens in the third quarter ... Credited with four solo tackles.  Arizona (12/21):  Made his second straight start at free safety in the Patriots' 47-7 victory over the Cardinals ... Credited with one solo tackle.  at Buffalo (12/28):  Inactive.

2007 (14/6 - Atlanta): Totaled 32 tackles (28 solo) and two passes defensed in 14 games with six starts ... Started at cornerback and collared four tackles and one pass defensed in the season opener at Minnesota (9/9) ... Registered a season-high seven tackles at Jacksonville (9/16) ... Tied his season-high after collecting seven tackles vs. Houston (9/30) ... Placed on injured reserve on Dec. 17.

2006 (9/7 - Houston): Played in nine games with seven starts before suffering a season-ending injury ... Tallied a career-high 37 tackles to go along with six passes defensed and six special teams tackles ... Started at right cornerback in the season opener vs. Philadelphia (9/10) and recorded three tackles and two passes defensed ... Tallied eight tackles at Indianapolis (9/17) ... Registered a season-high 10 tackles to go along with one pass defensed and one special teams tackle vs. Washington (9/24) ... Finished with five tackles and two passes defensed vs. Miami (10/1) ... Saw action as a reserve at Tennessee (10/29) and posted two tackles in addition to one special teams tackle ... Placed on injured reserve on Nov. 14 with a hand injury.

2005 (12/3 - Houston): Played in 12 games with three starts and was inactive another three contests as he tallied 22 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception ... Saw first action of the season vs. Tennessee (10/9) ... Started at nickel back and tallied three tackles, one pass defensed and one forced fumble at Indianapolis (11/13) ... Made two tackles and intercepted a Trent Green pass early in the third quarter, returning it 29 yards to set up a Texans' touchdown vs. Kansas City (11/20) ... Started at cornerback and posted a season-high five tackles in addition to posting one pass defensed and one special teams tackle at Baltimore (12/4).

2004 (16/5 - Cleveland): Saw action in all 16 games and started the final five contests of the season, finishing the year with 25 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defensed ... Recorded two special teams tackles vs. Washington (10/3) and at Baltimore (11/7) ... Made first start of the season vs. New England (12/5) as he stepped in for an injured Dalyon McCutcheon ... Recorded eight tackles, three passes defensed and picked off a Tom Brady pass (12 yards) ... Posted three tackles, three passes defensed and his second interception of the season at Buffalo (12/12) as he picked off Drew Bledsoe in the first quarter (24 yards).

2003 (9/1 - Cleveland): Appeared in nine games with one start, tallying eight tackles, two passes defensed and seven special teams tackles ... Made lone start of the season at New England (10/26) when the Browns opened in nickel coverage and posted two tackles along with one special teams tackle ... Collected two tackles and one special teams stop vs. Arizona (11/16) ... Inactive for the next three games before being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 9.

2002 (16/2, 1/0 - Cleveland): Saw action in all 16 games with two starts and amassed 27 tackles, one interception, one sack and two fumble recoveries ... Also finished second on the team with a career-high 13 special teams tackles ... Made second career start for an injured Robert Griffith in win over Houston (10/20) as he tallied seven tackles ... Started at cornerback for an injured Corey Fuller at New York Jets (10/27) and recovered a fumble ... Registered first career sack at Jacksonville (12/8), dropping Jaguars QB Mark Brunell for a five-yard loss ... Saw action at cornerback in Wild Card Game at Steelers (1/5/03), collecting four tackles and one pass defensed.

2001 (0/0 - Cleveland): Was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 27 and missed the entire 2001 season with a leg injury.

2000 (11/1 - Cleveland): Saw action in 11 games with one start and tallied 21 tackles, one interception and 10 passes defensed. Also recorded three special teams tackles ... Made his NFL debut at Cincinnati (9/10) and registered his first career interception ... Amassed six tackles and three passes defensed vs. Baltimore (10/1) ... Recorded first career start at left cornerback at Denver (10/15), replacing Fuller (shoulder), and notched three tackles and one pass defensed ... Made three tackles in season finale vs. Tennessee (12/17).

Became only the fourth player in Maryland history to register two career kickoff returns for touchdowns and ranks sixth on the Terps' career list with 956 yards on kickoff returns and seventh with 10 career interceptions ... Tallied 56 tackles, 14 passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and a conference-best six picks as a junior in 1999 as he earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference and third-team All-America honors. Was also a semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. Added 482 yards on 18 kickoff returns with one touchdown ... Started 10 games at free safety in 1997, ranking third in the conference with four interceptions in addition to tallying 74 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Added 460 yards on 19 kickoff returns with one touchdown return.

Lewis Lindell Sanders was born on June 22, 1978 in Staten Island, New York ... Earned numerous honors as a senior at St. Peter's (Staten Island, N.Y.) High School, where he rushed for 800 yards and 10 touchdowns, garnering All-American, all-star and all-east accolades ... Lewis was active in the Cleveland community by donating time to various charitable causes, including building a home for Habitat For Humanity, visiting patients at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital ... Also helped build a playground for the United Way's Hometown Huddle program ... Participated in the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance on September 14, 2001, in memory of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, as his father, Lewis, managed to safely escape his office in the World Trade Center ... Lewis is married to Allyson ... Majored in criminology and criminal justice.

• Lewis' father worked on the 70th floor of the World Trade Center's north tower, but was evacuated before the tower collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001.