Sanders fueled by lessons learned, advice from brother

Dominick Sanders has put in two successful seasons.

But he may not be where he is today if he wasn’t able to witness and learn from his brother’s mistakes.

Dominick’s brother, Chris Sanders, played at Georgia during the 2011 season, appearing in only three games. This was because he was dismissed from the team in the same incident that showed former Auburn star Nick Marshall the door.

Sanders, Marshall and Sanford Seay were kicked off of the team for a theft arrest. Chris now is key in being a big brother to Dominick, frequently checking on him and making sure a career-threatening mistake isn’t made again within the Sanders family.

"My brother (Chris) has been big about (staying out of trouble) to me," Sanders said. "He’ll ask me a question about what I’m doing at school and tell me to stay focused. He tells me the things to do, who to hangout with, who not to hangout with and I thank God everyday that I have a brother like him. He made a mistake and bounced back, and he’s there for me as my career keeps going."

Sanders says his off-the-field activities are very integral to his success at Georgia and that he models his on-the-field game after to his brother.

When he’s on the field each Saturday, Sanders wants to get the job done for his brother.

"I get my ball hawking skills from him," Sanders said. "When I moved from the star position to free safety, I thought about how my brother was a ball hawk, and I wanted to be like him. Everything that fell into place, like my skill of intercepting the ball, and I thank him for that."

After Chris was dismissed from Georgia, he went to Georgia Military College, which also resulted in a dismissal. After a stint at Eastern Arizona College, Chris enrolled at Baylor, where he graduated with a degree in health, human performance and recreation studies.

The lessons learned and the talent Sanders possesses makes Georgia depend on him to be a leader, be productive and promote good qualities all around. Sanders says he was depended on quickly but he has grown and shifted his leadership style to be more commanding and beneficial.

"I became a leader my freshman year, after everyone looked up to after those starts I made," Sanders said. "Even though I had a lot to prove, and still have a lot to prove, they still looked up to me. I really am a quiet guy, and I lead by example. However, I’ve learned from (Jordan Jenkins) on being a vocal leader. I’m now willing to get on to my teammates, just like I would like them to get onto me. That’s the main thing you need for a team, especially as a leader."

Sanders puts importance on helping others when they may slip up and helping them get back on track. Georgia has dealt with five different players getting handcuffed this offseason and Sanders asked how he leads in that regard.

His experiences with his brother may help his teammates avoid further trouble.

"It’s about being there for one another and being a better person," Sanders said. "We’re all brothers and (need) to be there off-the-field, and let them know they made a bad decision but just bounce back so it won’t reflect on you."

On the field, Georgia has a new mindset, and Sanders believes the goals are reachable if he and his team can stay on track throughout the season.

"It’s all about knowing what we want and what it’s going to take to get there," Sanders said. "We have to stay focused, be dedicated and know what routes to take. Everybody can’t take a different route."

The mindset is a product of what new head coach Kirby Smart brings to the table. His attitude and will to focus on the task at hand has bled through to how Georgia operates, and Sanders believes it could be a formula to success.

"(Kirby) is a very intense dude and a good coach," Sanders said. "He preaches work ethic, and if you have high work ethic, that’s what he likes to see. He’s ready to get the job done, and doesn’t have time for us to be slow-moving."

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Sanders fueled by lessons learned, advice from brother."