Miles Sanders

Miles Sanders
refer to caption
Sanders with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022
No. 6 – Carolina Panthers
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1997-05-01) May 1, 1997 (age 27)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Woodland Hills (Churchill, Pennsylvania)
College:Penn State (2016–2018)
NFL draft:2019 / round: 2 / pick: 53
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2024
Rushing yards:4,237
Rushing average:4.7
Rushing touchdowns:22
Receptions:161
Receiving yards:1,155
Receiving touchdowns:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Miles Adam Sanders (born May 1, 1997), nicknamed "Boobie Miles",[1] is an American professional football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft after playing college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Early life

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Miles Sanders
RB 		Pittsburgh, PA Woodland Hills HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 199 lb (90 kg) 4.50 Jul 19, 2014 
Star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN grade: 85
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Miles grew up in Swissvale, a borough nine miles east of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended local powerhouse Woodland Hills High School, where he was a three-year starter at running back.[2][3] After winning Pennsylvania's Mr. Football award during his senior year and attending the Under Armour All-America Game, Sanders chose to attend Penn State over a host of other offers, including the local Pittsburgh Panthers.[4][5]

College career

2016 season

Sanders saw a limited amount of playing time as a true freshman behind teammate Saquon Barkley.[6] He received the majority of his reps on special teams this season.[7] While returning kicks for Penn State, Sanders set the school record for kicks returned in a season (33). He is also ranked second on the program's list for kick return yards in a single season (688), averaging 20.8 yards per return.[8]

Sanders was selected as a BTN.com All-Big Ten Conference Freshman Team honorable mention.[9]

2017 season

In 2017, Sanders played in 12 games, making his first college start in one of them.[8] He started his first game against Rutgers on November 11, 2017.[10] Sanders was presented with the 2018 Red Worrell Award, for the offensive player who best demonstrated exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude and improvement during spring practice.[11]

2018 season

With Barkley’s departure from Penn State after the 2017 season, Sanders was named Penn State's starting running back.[12] Sanders started all 13 games in the 2018 season. On September 1, in his junior season debut against Appalachian State, he carried the ball 19 times, rushing for 91 yards and two touchdowns.[13] That also included the game-winning 4-yard touchdown in overtime.[14] After this performance, he was named the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week.[8] Sanders’ most notable game of the year came against Illinois on September 21. He rushed for a career-best 200 yards on 22 carries. He also ended the game with a career-high three rushing touchdowns.[15] He was then named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week.[16]

To end the season, Sanders finished No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 15 in the nation with 1,274 rushing yards, was ranked No. 4 in the conference and No. 25 in the FBS with 98.0 rushing yards per game, and was No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 40 in the nation with 5.79 yards per carry. Additionally, he finished seventh in the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (9) and all-purpose yards per game (108.7).[8] On January 3, 2019, Sanders decided to declare for the NFL draft and forgo his senior season of college football.[17]

College statistics

Season Team GP Rushing Receiving Kickoff Return
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD
2016 Penn State 13 25 184 7.4 57 1 2 24 12.0 21 1 33 688 20.8 48 0
2017 Penn State 12 31 191 6.2 31 2 6 30 5.0 7 0 5 76 15.2 23 0
2018 Penn State 13 220 1,274 5.8 78 9 24 139 5.8 29 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Career 37 276 1,649 6.0 78 12 32 193 6.0 29 1 38 764 20.1 48 0

Awards and accolades

  • BTN.com All-Big Ten Freshman Team honorable mention[9]
  • 2018 Red Worrell Award[11]
  • Selected second-team All-Big Ten by the league's coaches and media[18]
  • Second-team All-Big Ten honors by Associated Press[18]
  • Penn State Most Valuable Offensive Player[19]
  • Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after Illinois (9/21) game[20]
  • Member of the Maxwell Award Watch List[21]
  • Preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back[22]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+5⁄8 in
(1.79 m) 		211 lb
(96 kg) 		30+5⁄8 in
(0.78 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.49 s 1.57 s 2.61 s 4.19 s 6.89 s 36.0 in
(0.91 m)		 10 ft 4 in
(3.15 m)		 20 reps
All values from NFL Combine[23][24]

Philadelphia Eagles

2019

Sanders with the Eagles in 2019
Sanders in a game against the Washington Redskins

Sanders was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round (53rd overall pick) in the 2019 NFL draft.[25] He is represented by Beyond Athlete Management.[26]

Sanders made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Washington Redskins. In the game, Sanders rushed 11 times for 25 yards as the Eagles won 32–27.[27] In Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders rushed three times for six yards and caught three passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.[28] In a Week 15 game against the Redskins, Sanders rushed 19 times for 122 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 50 yards and another touchdown in a 37–27 win.[29] During the game, Sanders passed LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson for the most rushing yards by a rookie and the most all-purpose yards by a rookie in franchise history, respectively.[30] In Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys, Sanders rushed 20 times for 79 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 77 yards.[31] He finished his rookie season with 818 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with 50 receptions for 509 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.[32] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[33]

In the National Football Conference (NFC) Wild Card Round against the Seattle Seahawks, Sanders rushed 14 times for 69 yards in a 17–9 loss.[34]

2020

Sanders missed the first game of the 2020 regular season with a hamstring injury.[35] He returned in Week 2 to make his season debut against the Los Angeles Rams. In the 37–19 loss, Sanders recorded 131 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown.[36] In Week 5 against his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sanders rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns, including a 74-yard score, during a 38–29 loss.[37] In Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens, he had nine carries for 118 yards.[38] In Week 14, against the New Orleans Saints, he had fourteen carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-high 82-yard score, during the 24–21 win.[39] Sanders played in 12 games in the 2020 season. He finished with 164 carries for 867 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns to go along with 28 receptions for 197 receiving yards.[40] Following the season, Sanders, along with Clyde Edwards-Helaire were selected to the playable Pro Bowl roster of the Madden 21 Video Game Numbers Challenge.[41]

2021

Sanders running the ball with the Eagles in 2022

While Sanders started off as the team's feature back, the offense began to focus on passing the ball more, which led to Sanders spending more time on the bench. Through the first six games, Sanders had a combined total of 57 carries for 270 yards and no touchdowns. In the team's week 7 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sanders suffered a sprained ankle.[42] This injury forced Sanders to miss three weeks of action. He returned in time for the team's week 11 showdown with the Saints. Sanders stepped back into a large role in the week 13 game against the New York Jets, as he carried the ball a season high 24 times for 120 yards.[43] In week 15 against the Washington Football Team, Sanders recorded a season high 131 yards rushing on 18 carries.[44] His hot streak came to an end during the Eagles' week 16 matchup against the New York Giants, Sanders broke a bone in his hand, which forced him to miss the final two games of the regular season.[45] In the 2021 season, Sanders recorded 137 carries for 754 rushing yards and 26 receptions for 158 yards across 12 games.[46]

2022

In Week 4, Sanders ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Eagles move to 4–0 on the season during a 29–21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.[47] In Week 12, Sanders rushed for a then-season high 143 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries in a 40–34 win over the Green Bay Packers and topped that two weeks later with 144 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries in a 48–22 win over the Giants.[48][49] Sanders finished the 2022 season ranked among the league's top 10 in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns; his 1,269 yards were 5th most in the league, while his 259 carries and 11 touchdowns both ranked 8th.[50]

Sanders rushed 17 times for 90 yards in the Eagles' 38–7 win over the New York Giants in the Divisional Round.[51] In the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sanders rushed for two touchdowns in the 31–7 win.[52] In Super Bowl LVII, Sanders had seven carries for 16 yards in the Eagles 38–35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.[53]

Carolina Panthers

On March 15, 2023, Sanders signed a four-year, $25.4 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.[54] In his debut against the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders rushed 18 times for 72 yards and lost a fumble to Falcons linebacker Lorenzo Carter late in the third quarter. The Panthers would go on to lose 24-10. Sanders' struggles continued in Week 2 against the Saints on Monday Night Football, where he ran 14 times for a meager 43 yards in the 20-17 loss. In Week 3 against the Seahawks, Sanders recorded his first touchdown of the season, on a 1-yard run. He finished the game with 9 carries for 24 yards and the touchdown, and the Panthers lost 37-27. In Week 4 against the Vikings, Sanders rushed for a season-low of 19 yards on 13 carries as the Panthers dropped to 0-4. Against the Detroit Lions in Week 5, Sanders recorded a season-low 7 carries for 32 yards. Sanders was ruled out the following week due to a shoulder injury. He would return in Week 8, where his workload drastically decreased. Against the Houston Texans, Sanders carried the ball just 2 times for 0 yards. Sanders would then rush 6 times for 39 yards against the Indianapolis Colts, before posting a career-worst performance with just 2 carries for -5 yards against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. In the following two weeks, Sanders saw his workload increase to 11 carries and then 15 carries against the Cowboys and Tennessee Titans respectively. In Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints, Sanders turned in a season-high 74 rushing yards on 10 carries in the 28-6 loss.

Sanders would go on to finish the season with career lows in carries, yards, and yards per carry.[55]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2019 PHI 16 11 179 818 4.6 65 3 50 509 10.2 45 3 2 1
2020 PHI 12 11 164 867 5.3 82 6 28 197 7.0 28 0 4 2
2021 PHI 12 12 137 754 5.5 38 0 26 158 6.1 25 0 1 1
2022 PHI 17 15 259 1,269 4.9 40 11 20 78 3.9 16 0 2 2
2023 CAR 16 5 129 432 3.3 48 1 27 154 5.7 14 0 2 2
2024 CAR 11 2 55 205 3.7 26 2 24 148 6.2 33 1 1 0
Career 73 54 868 4,140 4.8 82 21 151 1,096 7.3 45 3 12 8

Postseason

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2019 PHI 1 1 14 69 4.9 18 0 3 8 2.7 7 0 0 0
2021 PHI 1 1 7 16 2.3 14 0 3 12 4.0 6 0 0 0
2022 PHI 3 3 35 148 4.2 18 2 1 3 3.0 3 0 0 0
Career 5 5 56 233 4.2 18 2 7 23 3.3 7 0 0 0

Philadelphia Eagles franchise records

  • Most rushing yards by a rookie (818)[56]
  • Most yards from scrimmage by a rookie (1,327)[57]
  • Most all-purpose yards by a rookie (1,641)[58]

References

  1. ^ Terpstra, Peter (October 11, 2018). "How Miles Sanders' Nickname Followed Him to Penn State". We Are Central PA. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  2. ^ McLane, Jeff (July 19, 2019). "'The NFL is where I'm going:' Miles Sanders rode wave of determination from Pittsburgh to Eagles". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Stockey, Andrew (February 2, 2023). "Miles Sanders: From Woodland Hills to the Super Bowl". WTAE. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  4. ^ "Miles Sanders' presence may be enough for the Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl". Victory Bell Rings. February 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  5. ^ Bear, Matt de (July 19, 2014). "Oh, Hello: 2016 PA RB Miles Sanders Commits to PSU". Black Shoe Diaries. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Lombardo, Matt (February 28, 2019). "Penn State reunion for Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders in Giants' backfield? | Why one coach thinks it could happen". Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  7. ^ Treb, Mike (March 24, 2017). "2017 SPRING POSITION PREVIEW: KICK AND PUNT RETURNERS". Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d "2018 Football Roster – Miles Sanders". Penn State Nittany Lions Athletics. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "2017 Penn State Football Yearbook" (PDF). CSTV.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2017.
  10. ^ "Rutgers vs. Penn State – College Football Play-By-Play – November 11, 2017". ESPN.com. November 11, 2017. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Pickel, Greg (April 21, 2018). "Who are Penn State football's 2018 spring award recipients?". Penn Live. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  12. ^ Juliano, Joe (August 30, 2018). "Penn State's Miles Sanders ready to replace Saquon Barkley as No. 1 running back". Philly.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  13. ^ "Appalachian State at Penn State Box Score, September 1, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  14. ^ Schlarp, Thomas (September 1, 2018). "Penn State football prevails in overtime, avoids upset in season opener | Instant analysis". Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  15. ^ Kelly, Brad (February 12, 2019). "MILES SANDERS: POLISH DESPITE INEXPERIENCE". The Draft Network. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  16. ^ "Penn State running back Miles Sanders named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week". York Dispatch. September 24, 2018. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  17. ^ Heiser, Steve (January 3, 2019). "Miles Sanders is fifth player to give up Penn State eligibility to enter 2019 NFL draft". York Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Big Ten Announces Football All-Conference Teams for Offense". Big Ten Conference. November 28, 2018. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  19. ^ Black, Matthew (March 17, 2019). "Draft 2019: Landing Spots for Miles Sanders". Penn State University. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  20. ^ "Big Ten Football Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. September 24, 2018. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  21. ^ "Maxwell Award Watch List Additions" (PDF). Maxwell Football Club. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  22. ^ Sauertieg, Clay (July 18, 2018). "Miles Sanders Named To Doak Walker Award Watch List". Black Shoe Diaries. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  23. ^ "Miles Sanders Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  24. ^ "2019 Draft Scout Miles Sanders, Penn State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  25. ^ Wesseling, Chris (April 26, 2019). "Eagles select Miles Sanders, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  26. ^ "Beyond AM". www.beyond.am. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  27. ^ "Jackson shines in Philly return, Eagles beat Redskins 32–27". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 8, 2019. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  28. ^ "Cousins, Diggs fly past Eagles in Vikings' 38–20 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 13, 2019. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  29. ^ "Wentz, Eagles keep NFC East hopes alive by beating Redskins". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 15, 2019. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  30. ^ McManus, Tim (December 16, 2019). "Eagles' Miles Sanders drawing comparison to LeSean McCoy, Arian Foster". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  31. ^ "Wentz, Eagles deny Dallas the NFC East title with 17–9 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 22, 2019. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  32. ^ "Miles Sanders 2019 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  33. ^ "2019 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  34. ^ "Wilson leads Seahawks past Eagles 17–9". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  35. ^ Kerr, Jeff (September 12, 2020). "Eagles' Miles Sanders out for Week 1 after not making trip to Washington for season opener". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  36. ^ "Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles – September 20th, 2020". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  37. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers – October 11th, 2020". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  38. ^ "Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles – October 18th, 2020". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  39. ^ "New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles – December 13th, 2020". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  40. ^ "Miles Sanders 2020 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  41. ^ "Sanders and Edwards-Helaire named to the Pro Bowl through Madden 21". Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  42. ^ "Miles Sanders suffers ankle injury … How long will he be out for Eagles?". Fansided. October 25, 2021. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  43. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets – December 5th, 2021". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  44. ^ "Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles – December 21st, 2021". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  45. ^ Patra, Kevin (December 27, 2021). "Eagles RB Miles Sanders broke bone in hand, won't play vs. Washington in Week 17". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  46. ^ "Miles Sanders 2021 Game Logs". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  47. ^ "Undefeated Eagles spoil Pederson's return, top Jaguars behind Miles Sanders' 2 TDs". pennlive. Associated Press. October 2, 2022. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  48. ^ "Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles – November 27th, 2022". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  49. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – December 11th, 2022". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  50. ^ "2022 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  51. ^ "Divisional Round – New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – January 21st, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  52. ^ Morgan, Emmanuel (January 29, 2023). "N.F.C. Championship: Eagles Beat 49ers, 31–7, to Claim Spot in the Super Bowl". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  53. ^ "Super Bowl LVII – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 12th, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  54. ^ Gantt, Darin (March 15, 2023). "Panthers agree to terms with Miles Sanders". Panthers.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  55. ^ "Miles Sanders 2023 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  56. ^ Dajani, Jordan (April 16, 2020). "Eagles' Miles Sanders says he wants to be like the versatile Christian McCaffrey". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  57. ^ Gallen, Daniel (October 11, 2020). "Eagles' Miles Sanders 'blessed and happy that I'm living my dream' as he returns home to face Steelers". pennlive. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  58. ^ "By the numbers: Miles Sanders' historic rookie season". www.philadelphiaeagles.com. December 31, 2019. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miles Sanders.