Lucas: It’s no surprise that Sanborn stands out
October 23, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas
From a young age, linebacker has impressed coaches and teammates
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
After his final game in a Chicago area youth league, she was mingling with other parents and their kids when the opposing coach walked across the field and sought out Jack.
"Jack Sanborn, I can't wait to watch you in high school," she overheard him saying. "You have talent I haven't seen in a lot of kids and for that reason I want to give you the game ball today."
The fact that Jack's team had just lost the game made it even more meaningful to Malinda. While it was the first time that she had heard such lavish praise of her son, it was not the last.
"A lot of Jack's coaches told me, 'He's going to be something when he gets older,'" she recounted. "They'd say, 'Malinda, he has the drive. You can't teach drive. And he's so coachable.'"
And this was from all his coaches, even in baseball and lacrosse, she recalled.
By her own admission, she wasn't well versed on the finer points of football. But the next time that she had a flashback to what they had told her — thinking to herself, "Wow, these people must know what they're talking about" — was during Jack's freshman year at Lake Zurich (Illinois) High School.
"He played three games for the freshman team — playing every single play on offense and defense — and he would come home from those games completely exhausted," she said. "I'd ask him, 'Jack, why are you playing so much?' And he'd say, 'This is what they want me to do.'"
This is also what he wanted to do. That year, he jumped from the freshman to the sophomore team to the varsity, whose head coach took Jack under his wing. "He'd get him out of lunch and make him watch film with him," Malinda said. "The kids on the team would joke, 'Your dad is calling you.'"
That was how close their relationship was for a few years. Only no one could really fill his dad's void. Paul Sanborn, a former University of Oregon offensive lineman, passed away in 2005. He was 43. Malinda picked up the pieces, kept the family together and raised three boys: Steven, Jack and Bryan.
"Honestly, at times, I'm in shock that she was able to raise us so well, a single mom like that, when you have a 7-year old, a 4-year old, and a 2-year old," said Jack, who was 4 when his father died. "But she made us her main priority and we still are. It's amazing."
It was a step-by-step process for Malinda and the boys.
"I was scared," Malinda said. "I didn't know how I was going to raise the kids, take care of the house, be able to live in the house and be able to have a full-time job with three young kids. I had to overcome being scared and not knowing if I was going to be able to do it.
"As time went on, I gained a lot of confidence in myself and the kids were good … the kids were helpful ... There's not any way that they could understand (why they were left without a father), but they made it a little easier for me because they weren't difficult kids.
"With the added confidence — and the kids being really good — I had a lot of help from neighbors and friends and the Lake Zurich community and I realized that I could actually do this."
Now you know where Jack got his drive. From Mom and Dad. At their home in suburban Chicago — Malinda still works in the city for an investment management company — there are football photos of Paul Sanborn and mementos from his playing days. Like his Oregon football helmet and letter jacket.
"It's always cool hearing stories about him from family friends and the people he played with," said Jack, who was asked if he still thinks about his dad. "I always do … just on how life would be with him here. But mom (breaking into a big smile), she's the best."
Malinda accompanied Jack on many of his recruiting trips. Her first impression of the UW coaches was a "Midwestern feel about them" in the way they presented themselves. "I got the sense that they were honest and sincere," she said. "They definitely took a huge interest in Jack."
On what gave Wisconsin's program the edge over others, she said, "All in all, it checked all the things that were important to us. Good football, a great university and a comfortable atmosphere."
Once Jack made up his mind that he wanted to be a Badger, he had to wait before announcing his decision to coach Paul Chryst, who was out of the country. Jack finally got ahold of Chryst by phone on March 22, 2017; coincidently the same day that Paul Sanborn had passed away 12 years earlier.
"It was like it was meant to be," Jack said.
• • • •
In late September, Sanborn had a team-high 13 tackles against Northwestern. It was nearly twice as many as the inside linebacker had all of last season.
But the numbers don't begin to tell the story of his ongoing education and what he learned from being in the two-deep rotation and on special teams as a true freshman instead of redshirting.
"The experience he gained last year was huge," said defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. "It's really hard to understand the speed of the game when you're watching and not playing on Saturdays.
"There are different issues that teams present that are hard to simulate in a practice setting. Any time you can get guys on the field on Saturdays, it's huge for their development."
In 2018, Sanborn had seven tackles in 11 games. He had seven last Saturday in Champaign in front of his mom and older brother Steven, a University of Illinois grad.
"I don't think I would be where I am right now as a player if I didn't have that experience from last year," he said. "I grew so much just being alongside of Chris (Orr) in practice and being in the meeting room with T.J. (Edwards) and Ryan (Connelly).
"I learned more about the game than I could have in any other way. It helped prepare me, it helped me learn the defense better. Experience is the best teacher as they say. And I prepared every week as if I was going in, because you never know with injuries. I got reps here and there and it was big."
The inside 'backer tandem of the 19-year-old Sanborn and Orr, a fifth-year senior, rank one-two in tackles with 40 and 38, respectively. They've combined for 14.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks with eight quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles. Not bad production.
"They communicate really well together," Leonhard said. "They're flexible in their skill sets where we can do different things with them. Anytime you have two inside 'backers that you feel comfortable with like that, it adds to what you can do.
"We put a lot on those two guys as far as communication and responsibilities. It's impressive to me not having a ton of experience together just how comfortable they are with each other."
Orr has been impressed with how Sanborn has matured into his role as a first-year starter. "It's not like I'm out there holding his hand or anything like that," Orr said. "He has stuff on his plate, too. That's what I'm most impressed with — his full grasp of the game and how fast he's able to adapt now."
Chemistry has factored into their success. And will again Saturday at Ohio State.
"He's a real aggressive player," Sanborn said, "and I understand that about him."
"Whatever I lack, he makes up for it," said Orr. "Whatever he lacks, I make up for it."
• • • •
Offensively, the Buckeyes don't lack much. They have size, speed and skill.
"The misconception about Ohio State is that they just want to get on the edge and run," Orr said. "They really want to pound the ball. If people get the box thin, they'll just run it down their throat. Once you bring everybody in, they're going to pitch it out to their receivers and run in space."
The explosive Buckeyes have 10 rushes of 40 or more yards to lead the country
Tailback J.K. Dobbins has four runs of 30 or more yards. He's averaging 7.07 per carry.
"He's extremely patient," Leonhard said. "And the patience he plays with syncs up really well with how they run their quarterback series. If he gets on the edges, he's breaking tackles."
Meanwhile, QB Justin Fields is a threat to pass or run. He has thrown for 22 touchdowns with just one interception. He has rushed for 291 yards and eight scores.
"Fields is throwing the ball extremely efficiently," Leonhard said. "The other thing that scares you is how he buys time. He's really good at extending plays when things break down."
The Buckeyes are No. 1 nationally in third-down conversion rate (56.1%).
The Badgers are No. 1 nationally in third-down conversion rate defense (16.1%)
"This," Orr said with conviction, "is a Front Seven game."
"These are the games you want," Sanborn said. "We're pretty hungry right now."
Malinda Sanborn would expect no less from one of her boys.
"He's living a dream that he wanted," she said. "I'm most proud of how Jack handles himself. He always has been very mature and humble. I love his humbleness and the way he processes. He's never too high and never too low. He's very calm and cool regardless of the situation."
The perfect temperament for a linebacker. Like it was meant to be.
