Sanders confident about pro future
Pitt RB Ollison also working out in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — Woodland Hills High School has placed more players in the NFL than many universities across the country. The 12 municipalities that feed the school district are some of the most fertile areas in the country for youth football.
Thirteen players from Woodland Hills have played in the NFL. Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor was the first, and four Wolverines are currently on NFL rosters — New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, Seattle defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson, New York Jets safety Rontez Miles and Buffalo cornerback Lafayette Pitts.
Miles Sanders is ready to carry on the tradition next. A running back from Penn State, Sanders is going through a weeklong job interview with 32 prospective employers at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“I know a lot of guys in the league,” he said. “I ask them what it’s like. They just say be yourself. The speed of the game is a little faster. The main difference is everyone is athletic. You just have to be on your A game.”
Only one running back — Josh Jacobs of Alabama — is expected to be selected in the first round of the draft next month, but this is a talented and deep running backs class that has strength in numbers and includes Pitt’s Qadree Ollison, who also is working out here this week.
“I’ve seen enough in Miles Sanders that it wouldn’t shock me — maybe if he works out great he could climb his way all the way into the second round,” said Daniel Jeremiah, a draft analyst for the NFL Network. “But because there are so many names at running back, he’s somebody I could see in that third-round range [which] would be a nice sweet spot for him.”
Sanders declared a year early for the NFL after his first and only season as a starter at Penn State. He was one of the top high school players in the country in 2015, when he led Woodland Hills to the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game against Central Catholic as a senior. When he committed to Penn State he was expecting to
share carries with Saquon Barkley, but Barkley was such a dominant player that Sanders had only 56 carries during his first two college seasons.
“It was definitely difficult,” Sanders said. “I would say that’s the most adversity I faced. Coming out of high school, I was a five-star recruit, highly recruited. I was expecting it to be a 1-2 punch type of situation when I got there. It obviously wasn’t that. But just learning from Saquon, picking his brain, how he thinks, how he learns, how he prepares for games helped me become a better player on and off the field.”
Barkley was selected with the No. 2 overall pick last year and earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors with the New York Giants.
Sanders had opportunities to transfer as a freshman and sophomore, but he never wavered on his decision to be a Nittany Lion. He bided his time and took full advantage when James Franklin tabbed him as his starter in 2018.
Sanders had 1,274 rushing yards and scored nine touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 139 yards.
“I’m not afraid of competition,” Sanders said. “I went to practice every day ready to work. I was preparing myself for when my number was called.”
The one positive about sitting behind Barkley for two seasons is Sanders has a clean bill of health and far fewer miles on his body than most of the other running backs who are here this week. That’s attractive to many teams because running backs have a shorter shelf life than any other position.
“I’m probably one of the freshest running backs here,” Sanders said. “I think I’m a great running back. I feel like I can be that Todd Gurley, Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott-type of running back. I can do whatever to help a team win a Super Bowl.”
Like Sanders, Ollison is trying to establish himself after playing behind a talented back in college. Ollison rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman in 2015, but
“Maybe if he works out great he could climb his way all the way into the second round.” — Daniel Jeremiah NFL Network draft analyst on Miles Sanders
he played as a backup behind Steelers running back James Conner in 2016 after Conner returned from his battle with cancer.
“It was a little bit difficult,” Ollison said. “You come off a good freshman season and you feel like everything is going great. You are on top of the world. It wasn’t that hard. James came back battling for his life and deserved everything he got. It wasn’t like I was mad or anything. I was more happy for him.”
In 2017, Ollison was expecting to regain his starting job, but he shared the running back duties with Darrin Hall, who led the Panthers with 628 yards and nine touchdowns. Ollison had just 398 yards and five touchdowns.
“I think I worked my hardest I ever did that offseason,” Ollison said. “It was motivation to try to get back where I was as a freshman. I wasn’t the best player I was. I played my best football senior year. I just put my head down and kept working.”
Ollison and Hall again shared the carries last fall, but Ollison regained his previous form and led the team with 1,213 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is out to prove this week that he can match the production of his freshman and senior seasons as an NFL player.
Ollison is projected to be selected in the later rounds of the draft or sign as an undrafted free agent.
“I tell people that, honestly, this is something I’ve been working for my entire life, not just the last couple years,” he said. “You dream of this as a kid, you grow up watching it as a kid. It’s really surreal to be here. I’m embracing every moment and loving every moment.”