It’s not very often that the most important player on an NFL team’s run defense stands under six feet tall and weighs only 206 pounds. But if the difference between the 2006 regular season unit and the squad that took the field for the playoffs is any indication, that’s exactly the case for Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders.
The Colts 2004 second round pick out of Iowa, Sanders missed all but four regular season games due to injury. Opponents took advantage by pounding the ball on the ground, culminating in an embarrassing performance at Jacksonville that saw Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew combine for 297 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Experts predicted more of the same in the playoffs, but with Sanders back in the fold, the Colts managed to hold all of their conference foes to under 100 yards rushing as they advanced to Super Bowl XLI. Sanders made plays in the passing game too, defending passes in each game and picking one off against Kansas City.
Sanders’ small stature and reckless playing style make him a constant injury risk, and he’s yet to make it through a full NFL campaign unscathed. His coaches and teammates swear by him though, and he’s as safe a bet as anyone to make a big play in Miami. If he does, he just may join Ed Reed and Roy Williams as one of the few truly collectible safeties.
Like most defensive players picked after the first round, Sanders only has a handful of rookie cards. All but two are numbered, and his Bowman’s Best # 185 is his only autographed rookie.
Bob Sanders 2004 Rookie Cards
- Bowman's Best # 185 - autographed
- Donruss Classics # 200 - #'d to 1250
- Donruss Elite # 109 - #'d to 500
- Playoff Honors # 196 - #'d to 425
- Playoff Prestige # 185
- Reflections # 180 - #'d to 750
- SkyBox LE # 157 - #'d to 99
- SP Authentic # 146 - #'d to 1199
- SP Game Used # 111 - #'d to 425
- SPx # 135 - #'d to 1650
- Sweet Spot # 175 - #'d to 1299
- Upper Deck Finite HG # 170 - #'d to 275
- Upper Deck Foundations # 109 - #'d to 350