Quick Chat: Dominick Sanders

By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer

It's no secret that Georgia running back Sony Michel makes music and is proud of the music he makes. Click here to listen to the intro music he recorded for coach Kirby Smart's All-Access show.

But the star senior isn't the only Bulldog making music. Senior safety Dominick Sanders has been recording some songs and even performed at a couple of shows this summer.

Before the Tucker, Ga., native pursues more hip-hop, however, there's the season ahead. Sanders has started 37 of 38 games in his career and has 12 interceptions. He sat down for a candid, sometimes deep Q&A last October (read it here).

Frierson: What's the most exciting or unusual thing you did this summer?

Sanders: I'd just say having the time to work out with the guys. It's my last year and realizing what type of standards and expectations we're going to have this year, but the main thing was coming back with the guys. I was very happy to come back and spend that last summer working out here with these guys.

Frierson: What's the best live performance — concert, play, sporting event, whatever — that you've ever seen?

Sanders: Oh man, I have a bunch of those. I'd say the Tennessee game my sophomore year (sadly, the Vols won 38-31 in 2015). That place was loud, man, that was was rocking. I'd never been in an atmosphere that loud.

Frierson: The reason I asked that I earlier this week I posed that question to Terry Godwin and he mentioned going to see you perform not too long ago. It seems Sony Michel isn't the only budding hip-hop or music star on the team, so what can you tell me about what you're doing with music?

Sanders: I'd doing music, I did music in the summer. It was pretty fun — I had two shows this summer and it was really fun. That's something where I step out and express myself, get out of my element and jump in another field. It's good music; it's not a lot of what you hear today. It's basically about what I went through as a child.

Frierson: Wow. We all know about Sony, but I hadn't heard anything about you performing as well.

Sanders: Me and Sony, we've been at it together. We haven't made a song together, we're trying to get that done, but right now we're both focused on this here season. We always talked about it and it will get done, but that was just something I had to step out into.

I always had that in me, but I had to tell myself, if I can get the right people in the right place at the right time, I could do. This summer I met with some people that were really good and gave me the opportunity to do it, and I made a couple of sounds and felt good about it. I let a couple of other people hear it, and they were like, you stepped out into this field and you're doing good in this field.

I told them I couldn't put my focus into this because I've got this season of football ahead of me.

Frierson: You're used to performing in front of 92,000 at Sanford Stadium, but what's it like to step up onto a stage with a microphone in your hand for the first time and perform? That's a lot different than being part of a team and performing.

Sanders: I treat it like football: you're out there and you've got to put on a show, so with that mike in my hand I've just got to put on a show for the crowd. The main thing is the music, you want to let the crowd feel you.

Frierson: Who's the most interesting person on the team?

Sanders: I'd say Malkom Parrish. That guy right there, he's a hard-working young man and he can jump into so many different fields and express and talk about a lot. He knows a lot about a lot of different things, and that's what's so good and bright about him.

He's a guy that not only knows football, but when it's time to get real and talk about life, he's a guy that talks because he really understands it.

Frierson: What's something you tried to master but still kind of stink at? I'll confess that in my early 20s I tried pretty hard to play the guitar and never got above terrible.

Sanders: I played soccer my senior year (at Tucker High School), but I didn't finish the season because I had to really get focused on coming to college. That was something that I really wanted to see if I could master, because that was fun, just running around. And seeing guys like Cristiano Ronaldo and how good they are with their feet, that's some unique stuff.

Frierson: You've got to watch (Lionel) Messi if you want to see the true master with the ball at his feet. It's like what Steph Curry does with the basketball in his hands.

Sanders: Who would you say is better, Cristian or Messi?

Frierson: They're both among the very best ever, but I'm a Messi guy. I just love watching him play. And Ronaldo, anyone that spends that much time and money on their hair and eyebrows, I just can't take too seriously.

In what ways have you grown the most since you've been at college? And it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with football.

Sanders: My mindset, I'm really starting to realize how important (this experience) is and how quick it goes. I was sitting in the back and now I'm sitting in the front, and I feel like I just committed to Georgia like yesterday. I'm starting to realize and become a better man.

I tell myself every day, try to be the best man I can be towards these guys, on and off the field, so not only are you going to see me in pads being a good leader, but off the field you're going to see me in the classroom being a respectful, good student.

(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)

John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.

University of Georgia Athletics

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