Dane Sanzenbacher

Dane Sanzenbacher (born October 13, 1988) is an American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Ohio State.

High school career
Sanzenbacher played high school football at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, OH. Sanzenbacher holds the school record for multiple categories including career receiving yards with 2,808, career receptions with 151, and career all purpose yards with 4,079. He is fourth in career scoring with 167 points. He helped guide Central Catholic to the 2005 state championship with two touchdown receptions. He was a two-time City League player of the year. His junior year, Dane earned first-team all-state.

As a junior, Dane grabbed 71 receptions for 16 touchdowns and 1,424 yards. He also played defensive back and had 11 interceptions. HIs senior season, Dane had 61 receptions for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns. In seven career playoff games, he recorded 40 receptions for 842 yards and nine touchdowns in addition to 40 solo tackles and eight interceptions.

Sanzenbacher also ran track and was all-state in the 400-meter dash.

He committed to Ohio State in July 2006 and was ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in Ohio.

2007 (Freshman)
Sanzenbacher had 12 catches for 89 yards as a true freshman. He caught a touchdown on his very first college reception, a three yard reception from Todd Boeckman in the Youngstown State win. He received a letter for the year.

2008 (Sophomore)
Sanzenbacher was among OSU's top three receivers. For the year, he had 21 receptions for 272 yards and 1 touchdown. His season long reception went for 53 yards.

2009 (Junior)
Sanzenbacher was the Buckeye's second leading receiver for the year. He grabbed 36 receptions for 570 yards and 6 touchdowns. He had a career long 76 yard reception. When the Buckeyes played his hometown team, the Toledo Rockets, Dane had a career game with 5 receptions going for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns.

2010 (Senior)
Sanzenbacher finished his senior season as the Buckeyes leading receiver. He led all Buckeyes with 55 receptions, 948 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns. In week 4, Sanzenbacher had a break-out game with four receiving touchdowns against Eastern Michigan, tying the OSU record for most receiving touchdowns in a game. Sanzenbacher earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. At the team banquet, Sanzenbacher was voted as the team’s most valuable player as well as the Bo Rein Award winner as the team’s most inspirational player. Coach Jim Tressel revealed that, for the first time he could recall, one player won both of the team’s top awards and won them by a landslide.

Chicago Bears
Sanzenbacher was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft on July 26, 2011. Sanzenbacher finished his rookie season in the NFL with 27 receptions going for 276 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns, making him the first undrafted Bears rookie to score more than one touchdown since Dennis McKinnon in 1983.

Sanzenbacher's spot with the team was initially in doubt for the 2012 season after the Bears acquired Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Eric Weems, and Rashied Davis. However, Sanzenbacher would eventually make the 53-man roster as the sixth receiver.

The Bears waived Sanzenbacher on December 24, 2012.

Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals signed Sanzenbacher on December 25, 2012.