Bishop Sankey (born September 15, 1992) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

. He was drafted by the

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in the second round of the

2014 NFL Draft The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...

. Sankey played

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Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. After starting 12 games over two seasons with the Titans, Sankey then had stints with the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

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and

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over the next two seasons without seeing any game action. After a year away from football, Sankey saw game action again playing for the

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of the short-lived

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in 2019. Later that year, he signed with the

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practice squad. After the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season, he signed an extension with the Argonauts in 2021, but retired before the season began.

Early life

Born in 1992 in Wadsworth, Ohio, to Julie Anne Becker and Christopher Daniel Sankey, Bishop spent his early years with his mother, Julie, and grandparents, William and Carol Becker, in

Wadsworth, Ohio Wadsworth is a city in Medina County, Ohio, United States. It is counted as part of the Cleveland metropolitan area, although it functions mainly as a suburb of Akron. Founded on March 1, 1814, the city was named after General Elijah Wadsworth, a ...

until age 7. He moved with his father, a

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

in the

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Fairchild AFB Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane. The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigned to ...

near

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...

, when Sankey was in the eighth grade, relocating from

Wright-Patterson AFB Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wri ...

near

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. He finished that school year in 2007 at the middle school in Cheney, then enrolled as a freshman at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane and graduated in 2011. As a sophomore in 2008, the Bullpups compiled an 8-2 record. That season, Sankey rushed for 526 yards while splitting time in the backfield, averaging 10.5 yards per carry. He earned All-Greater Spokane League first-team and All-State Class 4A honorable mention as a junior, amassing 2,011 yards with 17 rushing touchdowns in nine contests. He opened the season with four 200-yard rushing performances and by midseason, he had shattered the previous school record of 1,299 yards on the ground by Tim Lappano in 1974. As a senior, Sankey established league and district season and career rushing records. He totaled 2,518 yards with 33 touchdowns on 281 carries (8.96 ypc), becoming the only player in district annals to produce a pair of "top ten" rushing seasons on the annual record chart. That season would see him gain 359 yards against

Mead Mead () is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. The defining character ...

, the third-highest game total in GSL annals. Sankey closed out his career as the state and Greater Spokane League record-holder with 4,355 yards rushing. His 198 points scored set another season mark and his career total of 306 points rank third. He was named the Inland Northwest amateur athlete of the year for his efforts. Following his senior season, Sankey was invited to perform at the U.S. Army National Combine, attended by over 500 players, where he recorded a

20-yard shuttle The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...

time of 3.90, the second-best at the event, while his 4.4 clocking in the

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

was also the best for any player in attendance. Sankey was also a member of the Gonzaga Prep

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

team, where he performed as a sprinter and as a member of the relay teams, in addition to performing as a jumper. As a sophomore, he recorded season-bests of 11.40 in the 100 meters at the Jesuit Twilight Outdoor Relays, along with a 6.43-meter (21'1")

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

and a 12.48-meter (40'11.25") triple jump in Greater Spokane League competition. He also ran a leg on the Bullpups' 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams. The following season, Sankey again starred for the school's outdoor track team. He posted a season-best 11.28 seconds in the

100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...

at the GSL District Meet, and 23.21 in the

200 meters The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

at the regionals, followed by a 400-meter clocking of 54.84. As a senior, he boasted season-best times of 11.54 in the 100 meters, 23.94 in the 200 and 55.14 in the 400. He also ran a leg on the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that placed second in both events at the Ray Cockrum Relays. Regarded as a four-star recruit by

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, Sankey initially gave a "soft verbal" commitment to

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant unive ...

as a junior in December 2009, then changed his mind as a senior - “on letter of intent day” & accepted a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

from head coach

Steve Sarkisian Stephen Sarkisian (born March 8, 1974)Stephens, Ken. – "QB GENEALOGY – Steve Sarkisian is latest in long line of talented BYU quarterbacks". – FUN FACT, Sarkisian’s father is actually Texas Tech Head Coach, Joey McGuire. ''Dallas Mo ...

to play football at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

College career

Sankey appeared in 38 games for the

Washington Huskies The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac- ...

, starting his last 25 contests. He carried the ball 644 times for 3,496 yards (third-most in Huskies' history) and scored 37 touchdowns on the ground, while also adding 567 yards and one more score on 67 receptions (8.46 ypc) and 134 yards on seven kickoff returns (19.14 avg) for a total of 4,197 all-purpose yards (110.45 ypg). In 2013, with a 200-yard game against Washington State in the Apple Cup, he finished the game and the regular season with 1,775 yards for the season, breaking Corey Dillon's 1996 record of 1,695 yards. On the same play on which he passed Dillon, a seven-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, he also broke

Napoleon Kaufman Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman (born June 7, 1973) is a former American football player and currently an ordained minister and head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. He is a former NFL running back, playing for the ...

's school career rushing touchdowns record, with his 35th. He decided to forego his senior season and enter the NFL draft in January 2013.

Freshman season

After rushing for 2,518 yards as a senior in high school, Sankey only carried the ball 28 times as a true freshman at Washington in

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, but made the most of his limited chances as he gained 187 yards, an average of 6.68 yards per attempt. He scored just once, but had big carries that set up eight touchdown drives and key receptions that resulted in two more scoring marches for the Huskies. Nine of Sankey's carries resulted in first downs, with eight of those gaining at least 10 yards. He also added six receptions and in the Alamo Bowl's wild 67-56 loss to Baylor, and also handled kickoff return duties.

Sophomore season

With

Chris Polk Chris Polk (born December 16, 1989) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the Washington Huskies. Despite being considered a top running back prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft, he went undrafted due to concerns ...

having left for the National Football League, the Huskies opened the 2012 campaign with Sankey in a reserve role. When junior halfback Jesse Callier was injured in Washington's first game against

San Diego State San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

, Sankey stepped into the starting lineup the next week and never relinquished his role with the first unit. He was the MVP of the 2012 Maaco Bowl Las Vegas after rushing for 205 yards and 74 receiving yards on six receptions. Sankey ended up rushing for 1,439 yards on 289 carries (4.98 ypc), both rank third on the school season-record chart. His 16 touchdown runs are surpassed by only

Corey Dillon Corey James Dillon (born October 24, 1974) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. Dillon played college football at Washing ...

(who had 24 touchdowns in 1996) on the Huskies annual record list. Sankey averaged 110.69 yards per game on the ground, the 19th-best average in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision ranks that year. He also served as a safety valve for quarterback

Keith Price Keith Price (born June 28, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Washington, where he was the starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks i ...

, catching 16 of the 22 passes targeted to him, good for 249 yards. He led the team in scoring with 96 points and registered 1,688 all-purpose yards, the seventh-best figure by a Husky in a season.

Junior season

After being named one of the team's offensive captains, Sankey rewarded his teammates for that honor when he exploded for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in the 2013 season opener against

Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...

. He also came up with other big carries that set up two more touchdown drives, along with a big reception that led to a field goal. With his mother, aunts and uncles in the stands at Chicago's

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...

, Sankey exploded for a career-best 208 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 35 carries against

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. He would establish school career and season records when he again reached the 200-yard rushing level in the 2013 Apple Cup against

Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

. During his junior season, Sankey also proved to be a highly capable blocker, registering seventy-six knockdowns and 10 touchdown-resulting blocks. He was named Second-team All-American and First-team All- 2013 All-Pac-12 Conference football team at the end of the season. Sankey entered the

after his junior season. He finished his college career as Washington's career leader in rushing touchdowns and third all-time in rushing yards.

Statistics

Professional career

Tennessee Titans

The

selected Sankey in the second round of the

. Chosen with the 54th overall pick, he was the first running back off the board, the latest for a first running back in the history of the

NFL Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...

. On June 17, 2014, Sankey signed a four-year contract with the Titans. Sankey scored his first NFL touchdown against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

on September 28, 2014. Sankey finished his rookie season with 569 yards on 152 carries and two touchdowns. Sankey recorded an additional 133 receiving yards on 18 receptions. Sankey opened the 2015 season with a career-high 74 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown. However following Week 6, Sankey would only receive eight carries for 34 yards and six receptions and was a healthy scratch three times. Sankey started only three games in 2015, down from the previous year’s nine. On September 2, 2016, Sankey was released by the Titans as part of final roster cuts. Sankey started 12 of the 29 games he played for the Titans, totaling 199 rushes, 762 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He also added 32 receptions on 45 targets for 272 yards (8.5 yards per catch) and a score through the air from 2014–15.

New England Patriots

On September 5, 2016, Sankey was signed to the

' practice squad.

Kansas City Chiefs

On November 1, 2016, Sankey was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs off the Patriots' practice squad. He was released by the Chiefs on November 22, 2016.

Minnesota Vikings

On November 25, 2016, Sankey was signed to the Vikings' practice squad. He signed a reserve/futures contract with the Vikings on January 2, 2017. In the first game of the 2017 preseason, Sankey tore his ACL and was ruled out for the season.

NFL statistics

San Diego Fleet

On September 5, 2018, Sankey signed with

of the

for the 2019 season. He suffered an injury before the season began and was placed on the roster exempt list, a designation that later became injured reserve. He was promoted to the active roster on March 4. In the remaining 4 games prior to the AAF's bankruptcy, Sankey recorded 119 yards on 30 rushing attempts, as well as 5 receptions for 20 yards. The league ceased operations in April 2019.

Toronto Argonauts

With two weeks remaining in the

2019 CFL season The 2019 CFL season was the 66th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 62nd Canadian Football League season. The regular season began on June 13 and concluded with the playing of the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary on November ...

, Sankey was signed to the practice roster by the

of the

. The CFL cancelled its 2020 season due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. He signed a contract extension with the Argonauts on December 28, 2020. He retired from football on July 10, 2021 on the first day of the Argos' training camp.

Post-career

In June 2022, Sankey joined the Tennessee Titans' scouting staff as a Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellow for the team's training camp.

References

External links

Tennessee Titans bioWashington Huskies bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sankey, Bishop 1992 births Living people Players of American football from Spokane, Washington Gonzaga Preparatory School alumni People from Wadsworth, Ohio American football running backs Washington Huskies football players Tennessee Titans players New England Patriots players Kansas City Chiefs players Minnesota Vikings players San Diego Fleet players Toronto Argonauts players