bob sanders vs austin collie

[CR91]

who would have ended up with the better career if injuries didnt occur

[PrincetonTiger]

Sanders

[Indyfan4life]

Most likely Sanders. Though, they do say if Collie had of stayed healthy/been around earlier during the Manning era he would of posted some Wes Welker stats.

[jvan1973]

Bob was a hall of fame talent in a brittle body

[TKnight24]

I say Bob. To this day, I sit & wonder/visualize the damage he would've dished out in this 3-4 Defense we run now.

Wishful Thinking I suppose

[Indyfan4life]

I say Bob. To this day, I sit & wonder/visualize the damage he would've dished out in this 3-4 Defense we run now.

Wishful Thinking I suppose

I still wonder how our offense would of been a few years back with Wayne/Collie/Gonzalez/Clark/Garcon on the field at the same time. Ugh. Makes me sad thinking of things like that.

[ReMeDy]

I say Bob. To this day, I sit & wonder/visualize the damage he would've dished out in this 3-4 Defense we run now.

Wishful Thinking I suppose

 

Let's call up Bob Sanders from retirement. He's bound to be healthy by now having sat on the couch 1-2 years . This time though, we do it right - lock him away and unleash the beast come playoff time. That should get us at least 10 productive downs to turn the game in our favor.

[Tark The Shark]

Definitely Sanders. Sanders played with a kind of veracity that would put Ray Lewis to shame.

 

If he stayed healthy he would be one of the best safeties in the game.

[Fx Stryker]

Bob without a doubt. He was DPOY and still didn't play every game that season.

 

Bob is only Colt to win that. No not only in Indianapolis. In the entire franchise history.

[SLILLINGTON10]

didn't that bob sanders guy have a couple pro bowls and a dpoy award?

[theanarchist]

Sanders was a freak. I live in iowa. We're Hawk fans. My son went to Iowa. Great great memories. The best is when we went to terre Haute for the opening of training camp and Bob walked into the lobby of our hotel. he was still holding out at that point. My boys got a handshake and an autograph. The man was a 5-7 Hercules.

[CjMcGirt23]

Depends, you have to throw in another factor. Is Collie with Peyton or just Collie in general? Collie alone then it's Sanders by far, Collie with Peyton I think both Sanders and Collie are equally effective.

[CR91]

i think we never got to see collie potential like we did sanders.  people forget in the 2010 season collie was the leading wr in the nfl in pretty much every category before he got hurt.

[Malakai432]

I still wonder how our offense would of been a few years back with Wayne/Collie/Gonzalez/Clark/Garcon on the field at the same time. Ugh. Makes me sad thinking of things like that.

Yeah Gonzo was another one of those stories. So much potential riddled with injuries. Between him, Collie and Sanders those are 3 players with great potential who had careers ruined via injuries.

With regards to the question I'd say Bob Sanders. I have to agree with one poster that he had hall of fame potential. Collie very well could have turned into a top recievers also. Collie has 649 yards in a mere 9 games in 2010.

[Firedawgs]

Bob Sanders, he made the defense better when he was on the field. He was a thumper which caught up to him in injuries.

[Derakynn]

I'd go as far as to say that if Bob Sanders didn't have injury problems, he would have gone down as one of the greatest at his position. 

So it's no knock on Collie to choose Bob over him. Collie has insane talent as well. 

[oldunclemark]

Bob Sanders was a defensive MVP..its not even close...

..

[bestQBever]

sanders would have made our defense unstoppable. we would have had arguably the best safety tandem in the nfl. add that with darius butler and vontae davis and we could've rivaled even the seahawks secondary.

[GoColts8818]

Collie would have put unreal numbers had him and Manning been healthy and stayed together.  He was just clicking when he started getting hurt.

[dw49]

Sometimes guys that are 5'8' , weighing 210 with muscels on top of muscels , have a tendency to start breaking down long before they should. 

[supremecoltsfan300]

It depends. If Sanders stayed healthy, we're probably talking a couple more superbowl victories.  Being key to that kind of run would make him a hof imo. 

 

If Peyton doesn't get injured and stays with Indy for the next five years, then I'd say Collie would have been the next Welker except with more TDs.  The two had such amazing chemistry.  Peyton knew where Collie would be and Collie knew what Manning was thinking every time.  I remember a stat where Peyton targeting Collie was the highest passer rating in the NFL at 123, before the injury vs the eagles.  Really sucks that combo never got the chance to truly shine.   (Without Peyton, Collie would have been a nice player if he stayed healthy, but I think the true magic came from him and Manning just being in sync)

[ColtsLegacy]

This is a joke, right?

[HawkeyesColts]

Hands down...Bob Sanders. Saw him play a lot of games at Kinnick and he was one of the best, if not the top defensive player I ever saw.

 

If I remember correctly he ended up with the Chargers for a season after the Colts cut him? I assume that he's retired, anyone know what he's up to? Might be a good assistant coach.

[Derakynn]

Hands down...Bob Sanders. Saw him play a lot of games at Kinnick and he was one of the best, if not the top defensive player I ever saw.

 

If I remember correctly he ended up with the Chargers for a season after the Colts cut him? I assume that he's retired, anyone know what he's up to? Might be a good assistant coach.

Looks like he's helping out kids. He's got a foundation. Great guy. The bio on his website perfectly puts what everyone here feels about him. 

http://www.bobsandersfoundation.org/

[mitchbr]

Sanders was the better, guy was better than Polamalu when it came to making plays he had no business making. He'd start off a play back pedalling and would be able to stop a ball carrier before he got to 7 yards.

 

Collie, IMO, should hang it up. It's not worth really hurting yourself permanently over a game, even if it has been your life. It'd be a shame if he did leave though, great athlete with great hands and runs great routes. If he does sign somewhere else and avoids injury no doubt he's an absolute steal for that team. Reminds me a lot of a taller Brandon Stokley.

[IndyTrav]

Sanders was the better, guy was better than Polamalu when it came to making plays he had no business making. He'd start off a play back pedalling and would be able to stop a ball carrier before he got to 7 yards.

Collie, IMO, should hang it up. It's not worth really hurting yourself permanently over a game, even if it has been your life. It'd be a shame if he did leave though, great athlete with great hands and runs great routes. If he does sign somewhere else and avoids injury no doubt he's an absolute steal for that team. Reminds me a lot of a taller Brandon Stokley.

Bob was great. And he gets my vote over Collie. But he is/was nowhere near the Safety that Troy P is/was.

[Warhorse]

The Eraser.

[21isSuperman]

Bob was a hall of fame talent in a brittle body

This is truth.  He was arguably better than Reed and Polamalu, but he couldn't remain healthy.  Out of those three, Sanders was the first to win a Super Bowl and a DPOY award, and he got some serious consideration for Super Bowl MVP with a FF and INT.

 

In my opinion, it's Sanders (just in case you couldn't tell )

[MR. Blueblood]

Sanders, IMO without him elevating the D for the 06 title run we wouldn't have won the SB that year.  Don't think I could say the same about a healthy Collie.

[wig]

Sanders and it's not even close.

[Indyswagger]

Superbowl win in '06 would not have happened without Bob Sanders, he was the main cog in that wheel. I cannot remember Austin ever being a "main cog" in the offense. Bob Sanders was on his way to a hall of fame career, Austin was not.So my answer would be Bob Sanders by far

[Superman]

I'm one of the biggest Collie fans around here, and it's not even close. Sanders, by a long shot.

[JoKeR]

Bob was a hall of fame talent in a brittle body

This. Collie has a lot of talent but Bob was phenomenal.

[Mitch]

Bob...no question about it. The one year we had him healthy in the playoffs, we won the super bowl...just saying

[John Dee]

Sanders (when he was in the game)  was a difference maker.   What other compliment does any great player need?

 

Collie was great when he played in "the Colt O" ....       who isn't?   Love me some Collie but Bob was an animal.    

 

The Colts have had some really bad luck with BIG NAME D players...   Simon, Booger, Emptman, Coryatt, Alberts, ....   But in my opinion the one that stings the worst is Sanders ...  because we got a "glimpse" of what could have been ......

 

Oh well...