"He's the heart and soul of that defense," Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor "He's relentless. He runs all over the place. They know that. He roams and roams. You have to put a hat on him. You have to account for him."
On the field, Sanders plays a nasty game. He throws his body around with no regard for the consequences, which might be why he has missed 25 games in his four seasons with the Colts. Sanders missed one game last season, but missed the open of training camp and didn't return to the practice field until this week as he battled back from offseason shoulder surgery. That's two years in a row for shoulder surgery, a result of the way he plays. It takes shoulders to tackle with such force.
Can he be told to slow down? Not a chance. How could anyone even think of asking him to do that?
"What I do with my body it's hard to not get injured," Sanders said. "But who's to say if I was 6-3, 235 pounds that I wouldn't have those type of injuries. With my body, and the way I play, you have to expect some things are going to come up. You pray and hope that they won't happen, but they sometimes do. I can't change the way I play. People expect me to be Bob Sanders. I can't just slow down. The crazy thing is it is noticed when you try to change. People love you, but they know when you're trying to protect yourself. I go to Pro Bowls and become the Defensive Player of the Year because of the way I play."
Said Taylor: "He's all out. He doesn't care about his body. That's what makes him so powerful. He's a sure tackler because he's going to take your legs from you. He's not overly going for kill shots. He picks his shot. If you're up, he's going to try and go for the kill. He just doesn't care about his body at all."
The Colts do. They're a different defense with him on the field. Long runs stop. Runners get tackled just past the line of scrimmage.
In 2006, the year the Colts won the Super Bowl, Sanders missed 12 games. Teams ran wild on the Colts, averaging 173 yards per game without him. In one of those games, Taylor and the Jaguars ran for an amazing 375 yards in a 44-17 victory in early December. But Sanders returned for the playoffs and the Colts got on a roll, stopped the other teams' running attacks and ended up as Super Bowl champions.
Sanders played 15 games last season on his way to Defensive Player of the Year honors. He had 96 tackles, 3½ sacks, two interceptions and much more of an impact than those numbers would make you believe.
"You know when you play Bob it's going to be an all-day battle," Tennessee Titans tight end Bo Scaife said. "They're a different defense when he's out there. That's for sure."
During my training-camp visit with the Colts, Sanders wasn't practicing. It was killing him. He loves the game, and hates watching. But he has grown much more understanding of the rehab process as he has matured. There's no more rushing back onto the field.
"It was really frustrating in the beginning when I didn't understand that I needed to be 100 percent to be on the field," Sanders said. "Now I understand that when you're injured the most important thing is to make sure you're 100 percent and can be who you are. People expect to see Bob Sanders. They don't care what else is going on in your life."
That's why the Colts took their time with his return. The team understands what is most important is having Sanders when the games count. Playing for Colts coach Tony Dungy helps in that area. He's as accommodating as any coach in the game. Some teams might rush a player back, or pressure him back onto the field. Not the Colts.
"I'm blessed to be on a team like this," Sanders said. "It's an honor for me to be a member of this organization."
He definitely means it. He truly respects the game. And don't expect him to be involved in any off-the-field funny stuff. Sanders is what the NFL wants and needs: A good guy who is a great player.
As for being a role model, he loves it. So keep the letters coming, kids. Reading stories about how he's an inspiration to others makes Sanders feel even better than blasting a running back.
"I won a Super Bowl, I've done some great things and I want to continue that," Sanders said. "But really I want to make an impact on other people's lives with the way that I play and the way I do things. It gives kids around the world hope this game can be played at any height, any size and any speed. It can be done.
"There are kids all over the country who are small, kids who are 5-6 years old who are the smallest guys on their team and they're thinking, 'I can't play with these big guys'. At a time, I was that small. They have to realize if they believe in themselves, they can get it done. I am proof of that. Bob Sanders did it. You can, too."
Who said NFL players can't be role models?
