Mark Sanchez ALWAYS dresses for Success… In Muze’s Wonderboy and Hickory T-shirts

Story Courtesy of BY Kristie Ackert
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

On a team full of brash talkers, Mark Sanchez kept his remarks humble Friday, but made a statement with his choice of T-shirts. Meeting with the media in Florham Park for the last time before tomorrow’s AFC Championship Game against the Colts, Sanchez donned a black T-shirt emblazoned with “Wonderboy,” and a lightning bolt, the logo on the bat used by fictitious slugger Roy Hobbs in the 1984 hit movie “The Natural.”

“I am just trying to wear anything that can bring us a little something good,” the rookie sensation said.

Unlike Hobbs, the prodigy who was shot and only able to milk his last bit of talent late in life, Sanchez has a chance to reach the pinnacle of his sport at the tender age of 23. He is playing tomorrow for the chance to be the first rookie quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.

Friday, however, Sanchez said he has it all in perspective.

“Just being excited and you know studying the game plan, nothing has really changed,” Sanchez said. “It’s just been important for me to understand that you don’t always get to come back here, that it really is a privilege to be here. And once you get here, with all the excitement and the distractions, you really just have to focus on playing.”

The Jets will need a focused and settled Sanchez tomorrow if they want to beat the Colts for the second time in a month. The Jets’ controversial Dec. 27 win in Indianapolis, during which the Colts rested their starters, opened the playoff door for Gang Green.

In that game, Sanchez, who has taken a lot of hits on and off the field in his up-and-down first NFL season, finally started putting together the lessons of a rocky year and playing better. Including that game, Sanchez – who had 20 interceptions and 10 fumbles in the regular season – has completed better than 60% of his passes (44-of-73) and turned the ball over only once the past four weeks.

“He is at the point where you know what you are going to get from him,” Jets guard Brandon Moore said. “There are guys you look at like Alan (Faneca) and Nick (Mangold) where you just know how they are going to play. He’s getting there. You look at him and you know you don’t have to worry about him. He’ll do his job.”

It has not been a quick process. Sanchez reminisced Friday, thinking back to a year ago when he had just left USC and declared himself eligible for the NFL draft.

“I was thinking about whether I was going to the Super Bowl for media stuff about this time last year and now we might go to play, which would be nice,” Sanchez said. “Yeah, it’s been a long year.”

For Sanchez, it’s been a year full of interceptions and fast learning on the job. He’s gone through a fast start and a five-interception game. He has survived being the Jets’ weak link and two three-game losing streaks to be on the verge of making history.

“I am just excited,” Sanchez said. “I’m excited. You know, thrilled at the opportunity, thankful for the guys around me and ready.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 2:48 pm and is filed under The Daily Muze.