Tony Sands
{{short description|American football running back}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college football player
| name = Tony Sands
| school =
| currentnumber = 12
| currentposition = Running back
| class =
| major =
| pastschools =
- Kansas (1988–1991)
| bowlgames =
| highschool = St. Thomas Aquinas (FL)
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 6
| weight_lb = 175
| highlights =
- Second-team All-American (1991)
- Most rushing attempts in a single game – FBS (58)
- Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year (1991)
- First-team All-Big Eight (1991)
- Second-team All-Big Eight (1989)
- All-time Big Eight single-season rushing yards leader
}}
Tony Sands is a former American football running back. He played in college at the University of Kansas.
College career
Sands is most notable for holding the all-time Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record for the most rushing attempts in a single game, with 58 carries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-24-sp-433-story.html|title=Sands Tears Up Rushing Record With 396 Yards|date=1991-11-24|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-07}} In the same game, Sands broke the FBS record for most yards in a game with 396, a record that stood for eight years until it was broken by LaDainian Tomlinson in 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/oklahomas-samaje-perine-sets-new-fbs-rushing-record-with-427-yards/|title=Oklahoma's Samaje Perine sets new FBS rushing record with 427 yards|website=CBSSports.com|date=November 22, 2014 |language=en|access-date=2020-04-07}} Both records were originally set by Sands during a game against Missouri on November 23, 1991. Kansas won the game 53–29 with Sands accounting for four touchdowns.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockchalktalk.com/2014/7/30/5946311/know-your-ku-history-tony-sands|title=Know Your KU History: Tony Sands|last=dnoll5|date=2014-07-30|website=Rock Chalk Talk|language=en|access-date=2020-04-07}} He finished his senior season with 1,442 yards and nine touchdowns and was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1992-04-28-9202050474-story.html|title=GOING LATE OK WITH BENTON; SANDS LEFT BEHIND|last=Writer|first=CHRIS LAZZARINO, Staff|website=Sun-Sentinel.com|date=April 28, 1992 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-07}}
Pro career and coaching career
Sands had a brief stint (tryout) with the Arizona Cardinals{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/7001128/top-15-players-st-thomas-aquinas|title=Top 15 players from St. Thomas Aquinas|date=2011-09-22|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-07}} and also briefly coached for Kansas. Many have stated that Sands was likely overlooked for an extended pro career due to his short stature at 5 ft 6 in. Since 1993, Sands has run a speed training program for NFL and college football players.{{Cite web|url=https://getsandsational.com/about-us/|title=About Us – GetSandsational.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-07}}