Chris Sanders stepped back to move forward
April 25, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Orlando Predators News Release
How often do you hear of a professional athlete willing to take a step back to move forward? Such is the case of Orlando Predators quarterback Chris Sanders, who went to the minor leagues last season in an attempt to become a better player.
Sanders saga with the Predators began in 2004. Coming off a rookie season with the Buffalo Destroyers, Sanders was one of three quarterbacks brought into camp by Head Coach Jay Gruden. While Joe Hamilton was firmly entrenched as the starter, Sanders was battling veteran Connell Maynor for the back-up job.
When it came down to decision time, Gruden elected to go with Maynor â an 11-year veteran who had tons of experience in the Predators system â over Sander who had played sparingly with Buffalo in his AFL rookie season.
Rather than try to hook on with another AFL team as a number two or three of quarterback, Sanders elected to sign with Manchester of "arenafootball2" â the Arena Football League's developmental league.
With Manchester, Sanders became just the 10th player in league history to throw for more than 4,000 yards, ranking second in the league in passing with 4,184 yards and 66 touchdowns. He also rushed for 18, while setting seven team records.
Sanders stellar season earned him another audition with the Predators, where he beat out former UCF star Ryan Schneider for the back-up job to Hamilton.
"I really figured I needed to go somewhere where I would get some experience and snaps," Sanders said. "After going through NFL training camps, spending time with Buffalo and then going to camp with the Predators, I guess I could see where some people would feel like going to AF2 would be a demotion. But to me, it was an opportunity. A chance to get some experience and get better at the indoor game."
Back with the Predators, Sanders continued to display a work ethic that impressed head coach Jay Gruden. In addition to working hard in practices and meetings, Sanders spent extra time studying game film and throwing after practices.
When Hamilton went down with a shoulder injury against New York on April 15, Gruden went to Sanders with confidence. He responded with a near perfect half against the Dragons (5 touchdown drives in 5 possessions), completing 12 of 17 passes for 130 yards â throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more in earning Offensive Player of the Game honors.
In his first start last week against the top team in the league, Sanders led the Predators to a 52-49 win over 9-3 Georgia. In that game, Sanders completed 20 of 34 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns and ran for one more. His performance earned him a Game Ball from Gruden, a rare honor for any Orlando player.
Gruden said it was Sanders work ethic, in addition to his talent, that made his success possible. "Chris Sanders worked his butt off every day of pre-season and every practice this season to prepare himself to play. Do you know how hard that is for somebody to do? The fact of the matter is that we were banking on Joe to be our starter for the whole season. If Chris had not done the things he did to get ready, we may be 7-6 right now instead of 9-4," Gruden said.
Sanders, who starred two seasons at Tennessee-Chattanooga before spending time in camp with the Tennessee Titans (2001-02) and Atlanta Falcons (2002), is not letting his success change his focus.
"Right now I am taking care of this job until Joe is ready to come back," Sanders says. "Whatever I can do to help this team win is what I am prepared to do."
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 25, 2005
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