Before Miles Sanders became the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, he bided his time at Penn State en route to a breakout final collegiate season.
Here's more on Sanders' college career.
The vitals on Miles Sanders
School: Penn State
Position: Running back
Height: 5-11
Weight: 215 pounds
Years active: 2016-18
Here are Sanders' career stats in college.
| YEAR | GAMES | RUSH ATT | RUSH YDS | RUSH TDS | REC | REC YDS | REC TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 13 | 25 | 184 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 1 |
| 2017 | 12 | 31 | 191 | 2 | 6 | 30 | 0 |
| 2018 | 13 | 220 | 1,274 | 9 | 24 | 139 | 0 |
| Career | 38 | 276 | 1,649 | 12 | 32 | 193 | 1 |
Sanders, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, signed with Penn State over a litany of offers that included Alabama, Pitt and more, per 247Sports.
Philly looking to get their ground game going
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 27, 2019
Eagles go with Penn State RB Miles Sanders pic.twitter.com/CbTNvpeYzX
What kind of prospect was Sanders in high school?
Sanders was a five-star running back at Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sanders was the No. 1 running back in the country, depending on the recruiting service, and a top-two player in Pennsylvania in the class of 2016.
Sanders finished his high school career with 4,573 yards on 508 carries for 59 touchdowns. After his senior season, he played in the Under Armour All-American game.
#FridayNightLights
— COMON Network (@ComonNetwork) June 20, 2020
Before becoming a college star in Central PA and a pro star in Eastern PA, @BoobieMilesXXIV owned the WPIAL at Woodland Hills. pic.twitter.com/CYw45fesKf
What was Sanders' record in college?
Sanders and Penn State finished a combined 31-9 during his career. Sanders didn't take over the lead running back role until 2018 — his final season — after sitting behind Saquon Barkley.
Records set by Sanders
Here are some of the notable records and statistical rankings set by Sanders in college:
- 1st in Penn State single-season kickoff returns (33)
- 2nd in Penn State single-season kickoff return yards (688)
- 11th in Penn State single-season rushing yards (1,274)
- 25th in Penn State career rushing yards (1,649)
Miles Sanders at Penn State in 2018 was 🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/J9XeeTcwiL
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 1, 2020
Which awards did Sanders win in college?
Here are the awards and honors Sanders won in college:
- Second-Team All-Big Ten (2018)
- Penn State Most Valuable Offensive Player (2018)
- All-Big Ten Freshman Team honorable mention (2016)
Penn State wasn’t trailing for very long.
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 22, 2018
Miles Sanders with a hat trick on the night, scoring his third TD for the lead. pic.twitter.com/KO5dWvbJtd
👀 COLLEGE CAREERS OF NFL STARS
2023 NFL Draft QBs: Bryce Young | C.J. Stroud | Will Levis | Anthony Richardson | Hendon Hooker
2023 NFL Draft Off. Skill: Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Jordan Addison | Quentin Johnston | Zay Flowers | Bijan Robinson
2023 NFL Draft DL: Jalen Carter | Will Anderson Jr. | Myles Murphy | Tyree Wilson
2023 NFL Draft FCS: Tucker Kraft | Andrei Iosivas | Hunter Luepke
2022 NFL Draft: Christian Watson | Brock Purdy | Bailey Zappe | Skylar Thompson | Isiah Pacheco
2021 NFL Draft: Trevor Lawrence | Trey Lance | Ja'Marr Chase | Justin Fields | Mac Jones | DeVonta Smith
2020 NFL Draft: Joe Burrow | Tua Tagovailoa | Tee Higgins | Jalen Hurts
2019 NFL Draft: Kyler Murray | Deebo Samuel | Gardner Minshew II | Miles Sanders | A.J. Brown
2018 NFL Draft: Lamar Jackson | Baker Mayfield | Josh Allen | Darius Leonard
2017 NFL Draft: Patrick Mahomes | Deshaun Watson | Cooper Kupp |
Juju Smith-Schuster | Haason Reddick
2016 NFL Draft: Carson Wentz | Jalen Ramsey | Chris Jones
2014 NFL Draft: Aaron Donald | Odell Beckham Jr. | Khalil Mack | Jerick McKinnon
FCS alums: Jimmy Garoppolo | Taylor Heinicke
Legends: Tom Brady | Jackie Robinson | Deion Sanders | Cam Newton
More: Matthew Stafford | Travis Kelce
