Alan Williams has coached a long time in the NFL as both a position coach (defensive back) and defensive coordinator. In that time, he’s developed a pretty strong sense of what solid NFL players look like. There is no question his defense has struggled the past couple of weeks as key members were traded away. Even so, that can’t stop him from trying to find and develop strong contributors for his unit. Sometimes a thorough search may unearth a surprise.
The Chicago Bears defensive coordinator was asked who, if anybody, has stood out as taking a big step forward. Williams didn’t need long to think of his answer. He singled out linebacker Jack Sanborn. The undrafted rookie got his first start on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, making seven solo tackles. Williams says he didn’t have any errors, tackled well, and didn’t look out of place. He sounds excited to see what the kid can do next.
Alan Williams is no stranger to this.
He’s seen the scenario before. As a member of the mid-2000s Indianapolis Colts coaching staff, he watched another undrafted rookie climb his way into the starting lineup named Gary Brackett. The guy was a central part of their 2006 and 2009 Super Bowl teams, starting a total of 86 games. He was never the star of the show in that era, but he became a central part of their success. That might be why Sanborn’s emergence is so intriguing.
If Brackett could do it, there is no reason to think he can’t. Alan Williams already saw the Wisconsin product show flashes in the preseason. To see him step into the void left by Roquan Smith and not look overwhelmed? That is hard to do. It takes a player with intelligence and mental toughness. Sanborn always showed that in college. The reasons he went undrafted were the typical classics. Teams were wary of his limited athletic ceiling. He wasn’t the quickest or fastest.
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As can often be the case, he’s proven that such issues can be overcome. All he needed was a chance to prove it.
