After starting 53 college football games in Georgia, the safety of Spokane Shock Dominick Sanders quickly acclimated to the indoor game.

Four-year-old starters are rare in the football-rich Southeastern Conference, but former Georgia security Dominick Sanders holds the distinction.

Harris, now a member of Spokane Shock, also had the rare experience of playing on college football’s biggest stage.

Georgia’s 26-23 overtime loss to SEC rival Alabama in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship was the last of its 53 career starts.

It was also the most painful.

Sanders was in the back of the Bulldogs defense when Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa landed a winning 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith.

Tagovailoa found a big gap between Sanders and cornerback Malkom Parrish and acted on it, hitting Smith in stride to end the game in walk mode.

Harris blames himself for the blown blanket after being cheated on by the now-starting era quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.

“It takes a lot to watch me (in the pass coverage), but he did,” Sanders said earlier this week. “It was a great pass. They made a great game. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, but I learned from it.

“I thank God for being a part of something like this. I hate the way it ended, but it taught me something.

Sanders’ weather in Athens, Georgia was generally good, otherwise.

The All-SEC talent left Georgia in 2018 as the school’s career leader in interceptions (16) while totaling 156 tackles. He also has Georgia’s school record in interception return yards.

He demonstrated those abilities for the Shock on May 22 in a 34-26 win over the Massachusetts Pirates when he intercepted a fourth quarter interception 41 yards out of the end zone.

Sanders is enjoying his time in the Indoor Football League, a brand of football he is still learning.

“He’s a top player,” Shock coach Billy Back said. “He can be here for a long time or until (a bigger league) comes looking for him.” He started off as maybe our fifth best defensive back, but he’s really starting to understand and understand the indoor game.

After a successful career with a Power 5 contender, many believed Sanders would eventually find his way to an NFL draft pick as a late-round selection or rookie free agent.

But a lack of height (5-foot-11) and a 40-yard walking time of 4.65 seconds prevented NFL teams from extending a contract with Sanders.

Sanders, 25, bounced around NFL Trials much of 2018 before going the inside lane, making his Columbus, Ohio debut in 2019 before signing with the Shock ahead of a canceled 2020 season. due to the pandemic.

“Bouncing from one try to the next, I wanted to keep going and know that there was a lot of football left to play, be it IFL, NFL, XFL or CFL,” Sanders said. “Whatever door opens, take this opportunity.”

When football ends, Sanders, who studied kinesiology in Georgia, wants to return to the Bulldogs as a safety coach.

Until then, Sanders wants to help the Shock (1-1), who face the Northern Arizona Wranglers (0-2) on the road on Saturday, win an IFL title.

“It’s great to be here, especially with a lot of Southern teammates that I remember (from the SEC),” Sanders said.