What Rocket Sanders said about return to full health
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer heaped praise on running back Rocket Sanders this preseason — for both his hard work this offseason in getting back fully healthy and for just how talented the former Arkansas back is.
Sanders, who transferred to the Gamecocks in January, was one of the best running backs in the country with the Razorbacks in 2022 but was slowed by injuries last season as he struggled to get on track playing for an Arkansas team that had its own overall struggles.
Sanders sat out the spring with Carolina but is now back at 100 percent and projects to start for the Gamecocks this season.
The former All-SEC performer and Doak Walker Preseason Watchlist member spoke in-depth with the media earlier this week about his return from injury and the first few days of camp.
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Q&A with RB Rocket Sanders
Q: It’s just kind of been the looming question, just how healthy are you? How good do you feel? Are you limited in any way out there?
Sanders: No, I actually feel great. I’m not limited in no way, you know what I mean? I’m ready to go, really. These, what, going on the third day today, what was it? Well, the fourth, I think, fourth practice, and feeling good, pads on. Throwing my shoulder in there as well, so I actually feel great.
Q: Hey, Rocket, how do you feel about all the guys that you have in the room right now? How’s that competition kind of looking so far in the early stages of this fall camp?
Sanders: Actually great, everybody say it’s competition, but I feel like it, of course it’s competition in a way, but as we see it, well, as I see it is, I’m helping the young guys, we helping each other as a unit, and getting better.
And I feel like competition, when it comes down to any competition, is making everybody in the room better, so I see it more like helping each other and achieving the one on one goals as well. So I feel like when it comes down to competition, just making each other better.
Q: When it comes to that injury and working off of it, when you’re actually in a practice in contact, is that just kind of like riding a bike, do you have to kind of learn to trust that again? Or what’s kind of the mental process like of recovering from an injury?
Sanders: You saying with the shoulder? I really, as I see it, the first day, I was probably as nervous a little bit on the first day. But when I got going that was pretty good on the first day. Now when I throw pads on, I wasn’t even actually nervous, that’s what I thought I would be. I feel like when it came down to getting back in the routine and just doing handoffs with the quarterbacks and just getting back in that rhythm, I feel like that helped me out. And I feel like we did a lot of stuff in the summer for me to be prepared for fall camp.
Q: Kind of a two-parter here, Rocket. But when you were coming in as a freshman at Arkansas, what were the expectations and the pressure like? Did you expect to play as main of a role as you did?
Sanders: No, what was so crazy was Coach Stepp, when I first got to Arkansas, Coach Stepp left, you know, and I got the text, well, I actually got the call from him and saying that he had family down here. So I was like confused with that, because right when I got on campus, we was ready to see him, because he was one of the guys that I was talking to heavy. So when that happened, I was like, man.
And then I started thinking about running back, because I was like, man, I’m going to be a running back. Because I came in as an athlete, and a lot of schools recruited me as an athlete. So whenever I actually got on campus, well, got on our first practice, and we was doing drills and individual and stuff. And I was like, hey, Coach Pitt, what position do you want me at for today?
He was like, oh, running back, you can try that out. And then they watched my Indy, and then after that, it was sky was the limit. But one thing I learned when I first got in there, going to high school, I didn’t take as much hits, because I was playing more receiver than I was playing running back. So it was like a lot hitting, as a running back had to change a lot of things. And that happened, actually, with the coaches I had, you know what I mean, with the changing with pad level and just being patient, because I was a go guy. When I got the ball, I’d just go. And like, my second year watching my freshman film, I feel like the patience was the key as being a running back and pad level, and all the little things. And that’s what I was patient with that. And my running back (coach) Jimmy Smith had helped me with that.
Q: Fast forward to this year, and obviously your resume speaks for itself. A lot of pressure. And expectations, saying that’s going to be the middle of the offense right there. So how do you feel about that, you know, dealing with those expectations now?
Sanders: I see it as, it’s expectations, but a lot of people don’t see what’s done in the dark, you know what I mean? And I see it as, I leave all the stress and put it on God and not worry about the outside when it comes down to putting a lot of load on myself, because it’s not just me on the team. We got guys at receiver, quarterback, offensive line. So I’m really trying to gain trust with them. And be a leader, not just for myself, but as a team as a whole, because more team goals. Of course I’ve got self goals, but I feel like when it comes down to it, to a winning team, I feel like I’ve got to have team goals as well.
Q: I was talking to Marquel a few weeks ago, and he was saying that, you know, you stayed back during the summer, and you were one of the first guys, you know, in the facility every day, getting here at 5, 6 in the morning and stuff. What were those days like during summer? When you’re recovering and stuff, and you’re trying to get back to 100%? And how do you feel like that work you put in has, you know, translated over to these first few practices?
Sanders: It was crazy, because when it came down to summer, the break we had, I was like, this is my first summer of me not, like, going home as much. So that was a crazy thing, because my freshman year to my, what, junior year, I was going home during the summer. So it was, when it come down to the summer thing, it was a patient thing. You know what I mean? I was doing that. I was doing that in January, so I was kind of used to it.
And I feel like (assistant strength coach) Chip (Morton) played a big part of that, just me staying and believing in that. And I feel like that helped not even just my shoulder out, but my full body, and showed me how to take care of myself when I’m outside of the facility as well. And when I did get a chance to go home, to figure out all the little things that I needed to do, as in stretching and just being patient. I feel like with the summer, it helped me being patient. And in January, in the spring deal as well, that’s what helped me out.
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Q: What time were you getting to the facility in, like, May and June?
Sanders: Man, shoot, it was, what, I’ll probably, I’ll wake up around about, like, 5:10, 5:15. Yeah, 5:10, 5:15, and get here probably, like, 5:20, 5:30-ish. And then I go and get a little hot tub going, do my sheet for my shoulder, and just hit a couple things before I hit the weight room and do some recovery stuff and just get ready for practice and meetings.
Q: Chip, I think, called it rocket science, what you guys were doing in the summer. Like, what did the rehab look like? I mean, were you just working out your legs? Or, like, what were you doing with your shoulder to get back to 100%?
Sanders: I wouldn’t say it was too much on my shoulder. Of course, it was my shoulder. But when it came down to me and with Chip, he showed me the way to where, take preparation and just take one day at a time. Because when I first got in here and I got in with Chip, it was just, like, I was just ready to go, you know what I mean, and just taking everything fast.
And I feel like that was, with being with Chip, it was like a lot of patience stuff and just, not just working on my shoulder, but working on my mobility of everything, like my hips, my knees, and everything. And I feel like that was the main thing. It wasn’t just the shoulder.
Q: Jakai was in here, and he was talking about, he had, you know, just a confident look when he said, man, the offensive line is looking better. We’re gonna run the ball. Give me a sense. Give me a sense of how new and improved this running game is gonna be with yourself, and in all the collective pieces that you guys have?
Sanders: It’s crazy, because I feel like it’s just a different feeling. It’s a different feeling, man. And I can’t explain it, because it’s like, I feel like it started off with me not being there 24-7 in the spring, and being here fall, and just the time that we had, like, together, as in just family bonding. I feel like that helped us a lot, you know what I mean?
And I feel like it’s gonna be a great year, not just for me, but for everybody in the running back room and on the line. And I feel like just, it start with the O-line. It start with the O-line, and I feel like them having self-confidence in their self, and them doing the right thing is gonna affect on us, and everything we do is gonna affect on them. So I feel like that’s just trusting them and they trusting us. We’re gonna have a bright future on that.
Q: You mentioned a few answers ago about some personal goals you have for yourself. What are some personal goals you have for yourself? Some personal goals you have this year, not just, you know, team wins and losses or anything you can share, but which you wanna do for yourself this season?
Sanders: No, I’m not gonna say too much on that, you know what I mean? I got goals for the team, of course, and the goal is to win and win the right way so that’s what I’m gonna say as a team goal, but I’m not gonna say too much of my self goal.
Q: Kinda going off that, you guys have a scrimmage on Saturday at Williams-Brice. You know, one, I know you didn’t get to go through it in the spring, when you guys had the spring game, but how much are you looking forward to getting out there, playing in that stadium, even though it might not be with fans? And what are you looking to, you know, check off in terms of boxes for that day?
Sanders: I’m taking a day at a time. Saturday will come, but just getting a feeling of getting tackled again, taking on blocks. I just wanna figure out just the offense standpoint of it, because I’m still learning and studying. I just wanna see, really the main thing is just the falling part of the shoulder, you know what I mean? And just getting back in that routine again, really.
