Bishop Sankey is hoping to have a big sophomore season in the NFL. (Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bishop Sankey’s first season in the NFL didn’t exactly go according to plan.
When the Tennessee Titans chose him 54th overall last year and made him the first running back taken in the 2014 draft, they thought he would be a versatile player who would head up a triumvirate that included Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster.
While Sankey did lead the team in rushing, it was only for a paltry 569 yards, and the running game never got on track. Circumstances were to blame for some of that, as the Titans sank to 2-14 and were often out of games by the second quarter, forcing them to abandon the ground game sometimes after as few as 10 carries.
Sankey was a bit behind overall, in things like his footwork and taking the handoff, pass protection and overall knowledge of the Titans’ system.
“I think I could have done better,” Sankey said. “Personally, I wanted to have a better rookie year and be more productive and more consistent. This offseason, I’m doing my best to learn from last year and just get better at all aspects of running back.”
Some of the blame, according to coach Ken Whisenhunt, is because the agreement between the NFL and NCAA forbids draft picks who are on the quarter system (notably Pac-12 teams) from taking part in organized team activities until their school semester is out. So while teammates were on the field getting their work in last year, Sankey was still at the University of Washington getting emailed his playbook on his iPad.
Sankey’s absence made a difference in his development, his coach believes.
“Being here the whole offseason has certainly helped,” Whisenhunt said. “Running backs are really a little bit difficult, because when you get into pads is really when you get a chance to see them in the holes and see them with protections.
“Bishop is doing a good job with what we’re asking him to do at this point. I like the way he’s progressing, and we’re expecting him to have a good camp.”
Now in year two, Sankey is getting all the work he needs and then some. Greene, a candidate for release, has been absent for all of the voluntary work, and rookie David Cobb, expected to share the load with Sankey, has been limited due to a hamstring injury.
Sankey already sees a difference.
“I think it’s helped a lot,” Sankey said. “We’ve been able to start from scratch and kind of take it a day at a time, and I feel more comfortable with pass protections and initial reads with the running plays and everything.”
