UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Junior running back Miles Sanders (Pittsburgh, Pa.) has decided to forgo his senior season and has declared for the NFL Draft.
On Wednesday, junior offensive linemen Ryan Bates (Warrington, Pa.) and Connor McGovern (Larksville, Pa.), junior defensive tackle Kevin Givens (Altoona, Pa.) and junior defensive end Shareef Miller (Philadelphia, Pa.) announced their intentions to forgo their senior seasons and declare for the NFL Draft.
"I want to start by saying that this decision was not an easy one. I have so many people to thank for my experience here at Penn State and so much love for my teammates, coaches and the FANS. The Penn State culture has allowed me to grow on and off the field while teaching me valuable life lessons along the way."
I owe a huge thank you to my mother and family – none of this is possible without their support through every high and low. Thank you to the fans for bringing an unbelievable energy every single week, no matter the circumstances. Thank you to my coaches. Coach Franklin and Coach Smith, who recruited me to come to the greatest university in the world, Coach Seider and Coach Rahne for pushing me beyond what I thought I was capable of and to the entire athletic staff for giving me the room to develop into the player and man that I am today. Thanks to you all, I've achieved some of my wildest dreams and set high goals for my future."
I've made the decision to forgo my senior year and declare for the 2019 NFL Draft. As I prepare for the road ahead, I truly believe this is the best, next step for my future. Thanks to so many of you, my future is bright, and I'll never forget my home here at Penn State. #WeAre."
"So appreciative of Miles and his family for how they handled this entire process," Franklin said. "Miles is a student of the game and made the most of his opportunities when his time came. He did a great job leading the running back room this season. We are very proud of Miles and how he has grown during his entire Penn State career. We are looking forward to seeing what he can do at the next level."
Sanders garnered second-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's coaches and media. He became the 26th player in program history with 1,000 rushing yards in a season, finishing with 1,274 markers as a junior, which is 11th on Penn State's single-season chart. Against Illinois, Sanders became the 16th player (28 occasions) in program history to rush for 200 yards and he is one of six players (nine occasions) to rush for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a game. For his efforts against the Illini, he was selected as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
As a true freshman, Sanders was selected BTN.com All-Big Ten Freshman Team honorable mention. He finished seventh in the Big Ten in kickoff return average with a 20.8 mark.
The Pittsburgh native finished his career with 1,649 yards to rank 25th in program history. He owns the Penn State season record with 33 kickoff returns set in 2016. He is also second on the school's season kickoff return yardage list with 688 in 2016.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and reserving new 2019 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m.
