Family redemption found in Georgia’s secondary

ATHENS -- It’s the natural question: Why did Dominick Sanders want to come to Georgia? Why join the same program that kicked his older brother off the team?

The same team that, by the way, didn’t see fit to offer him a scholarship until practically the last moment.

None of it mattered. Georgia finally did offer, Sanders quickly accepted, and now he’s starting in Georgia’s secondary as a freshman.

“I didn’t really expect this,” Sanders said Saturday in Georgia’s locker room, after making three tackles and starting his third straight game. “I didn’t really expect any starting position. I told myself I would come in, work hard and do what I gotta do, and God would have a plan. And the plan has worked out.”

Chris Sanders had a plan, too.

Three years ago, he was a promising freshman safety, his playing time limited only by a shoulder injury and four future NFL picks starting in Georgia’s secondary. The following February, Sanders and two fellow freshman -- Nick Marshall and Sanford Seay -- were dismissed from the team after a teammate reported a theft from his dorm room.

Chris Sanders is now in his first season at Baylor, playing in one game thus far, after spending last season at a junior college. He did not play in 2012, after being kicked out of Georgia Military College. When Georgia dismissed him, there was some thought he had a chance to end back up at UGA, but his issues at GMC ended that.

Instead, Dominick is continuing the family line.

“I didn’t let that reflect on me,” Sanders said. “Once I got an offer, I was coming here, because this is where I want to be. I didn’t let my brother’s situation stop me from committing here.”

Like his older brother, Sanders was a three-star recruit who began ­impressing ­almost the minute he stepped on campus. When he trotted out as a starter against Clemson, it wasn’t a surprise to those who had been following it closely. But it took a change in Georgia’s defensive coaching staff for it to happen.

Georgia didn’t offer Sanders until the final week before signing day. But the Bulldogs weren’t alone. His speed made a few recruiters think twice, according to Tucker head coach Bryan Lamar. And in Tucker’s defense, the safeties don’t play as much, so Sanders’ tackle numbers weren’t that high, only about 25-30 as a senior.

But in Tucker’s final eight games, Sanders had eight interceptions. That provided the film.

“He’s one of those guys that was ridiculously under-recruited,” said Lamar, who has been Tucker’s head coach for three years and was an assistant coach there the previous six years. “We knew wherever he went, he would probably be the starter.”

Tucker has produced some very good defensive backs the past few years: Former Georgia cornerback Asher Allen (a third-round pick in 2009, now out of the NFL), former Auburn safety Nico Thorpe (now with Oakland), former UCF cornerback A.J. Bouye (now with Houston), and former Notre Dame safety Jamoris Slaughter (drafted by Cleveland last year).

Lamar thinks Sanders can be as good as any of them, perhaps better. He also thinks Sanders, who has started as Georgia’s nickel back the first three games, will end up back at safety, thanks to his ball skills.

“When the ball is up in the air, I’ve never seen a better player,” Lamar said. “Going up and getting it, he’s special.”

Sanders is still raw in some other areas, such as his open-field tackling and his man-to-man coverage. But the skills are there, as evidenced by the tackle for loss he had against Troy, and the fact Georgia has sent him on several blitzes this year.

Lamar also has a story to show character shouldn’t be a concern: During Georgia’s bye week, Lamar arrived at the restaurant where Tucker holds its pregame meal, and Sanders was there to greet him. Sanders then proceeded to talk to younger Tucker players, and went on the freshman bus to the game.

Sanders was asked what his older brother’s reaction was to his decision to attend Georgia.

“He told me to stay focused, keep my head high,” Sanders said. “He said don’t let his situation affect me, and that’s what I did.”

This story was originally published September 22, 2014 at 7:18 PM.