Jock Sanders

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Jock Sanders
Jock Sanders warming up before the 2007 Mississippi State game.
College	West Virginia University
Conference	Big East
Sport	Football
Position	Tailback/Receiver
Class	Freshman
Career	2007 – present
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Nationality	USA
Born	1988 St. Petersburg, Florida
High school	St. Petersburg Catholic High

Jock Sanders (born 1988 in St. Petersburg, Florida) is a freshman American football receiver and running back for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Collegiate career 2.1 Freshman Season 2.2 Sophomore Season 2.3 Career Statistics 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Early life

In high school at St. Petersburg Catholic High, Sanders was a three-time all-state receiver and running back. He was named the team MVP two times in his career while rushing for 1,600 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior and 1,200 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior. The quarterback of the Barons was David Girardi, and lead blocking was full back Mitch Petit. He was also a basketball letterman.

Sanders was given three and two stars by different recruiting sites while being recruited by West Virginia, Florida, Ohio State, UCF, Bowling Green University, and South Florida as an athlete. Sanders eventually committed to West Virginia University after a December 2, 2006 visit.

[edit] Collegiate career

[edit] Freshman Season

Sanders came to West Virginia along with high school legend Noel Devine in the Mountaineers' recruiting class. Sanders eventually made the team as the third-string running back behind Devine and collegiate star Steve Slaton and a slot receiver position. Sanders was even listed as the second-string back for the season opener against Western Michigan after an impressive off-season.^[1]

In the season opener against Western Michigan, Sanders had three carries for 13 yards and a reception for 13 yards. He also had a total of 37 return yards on two returns (a punt and kickoff return). In the next game against Marshall, Sanders saw no action as Devine was the second-string runner and returner. In the third game against Maryland, Sanders got in on the last two plays of the game in which he rushed on both plays for 11 yards. Against ECU the following game, Sanders totaled three rushes for 15 yards and one reception for 6 yards. He also had key blocks that sprung receiver Darius Reynaud for two touchdowns in the 48-7 win. Against Syracuse in the 55-14 win, Sanders had two rushes for 10 yards and his first career touchdown, two receptions for 12 yards, and a kick return for 27 yards. In the 38-31 win over Louisville, Jock had two receptions for 32 yards, including a screen pass that Sanders broke for 23-yards.

In the 28-23 victory on the road against #22 Cincinnati, Sanders had a reception for 15 yards, in which he leaped into the air and pulled the ball down in the middle of the field in the redzone. In the Big East Championship-clinching 66-21 win over #20 Connecticut, Sanders rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown on only three carries, helped out by his 56-yard long.

Jock Sanders finished his true freshman season with 12 receptions for 102 yards, an 8.5 yard average per reception. He also had 16 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Sanders also had 5 total returns for 101 yards. Sanders finished the season with 308 all-purpose yards while playing in all 13 games on the year.

[edit] Sophomore Season

Before the 2008 season even began, in February, Sanders was involved in an altercaltion. Teammate Noel Devine and Jock Sanders were the only two identified football players from an attack on two WVU students outside a Morgantown bar. Head coach Bill Stewart, however, did say, " To me disrespecting someone downtown of the opposite sex is a whole lot worse that bumping into a guy in a bar, which you shouldn't be in the bar anyhow. But, to me there's intangibles in life. Sometimes there's confrontations, sometimes you don't handle confrontations right, but preplanned, pre arranged instances--you can't overlook that."^[2] On March 13, Sanders, Devine, Eian Smith, and Brantwon Bowser were all arrested and pled no contest to the charges.^[3]

In the Mountaineer's first scrimmage of spring practices, on April 5, Sanders rushed for 29 yards and two touchdowns and also grabbed 3 receptions for 30 yards. He totaled 59 yards and two scores on the day.^[4] In the Gold & Blue Spring Game on April 19, Sanders recorded 5 receptions for 71 yards.

[edit] Career Statistics

WVU			Rushing						Receiving						Kickoff Returns
Season	Games		Att	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD		Rec	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD		No	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD
2007	12		15	106	7.1	56	2		11	96	8.7	23	0		5	101	20.4	22	0
Total	12		15	106	7.1	56	2		11	96	8.7	23	0		5	101	20.4	22	0

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official West Virginia profile