Chiefs safety Sanders Commings is putting two injury-plagued years behind him

It would be easy for Sanders Commings to dwell on the play that ended his 2014 season.

It happened last July, in training camp, and it was of the spectacular variety, as he broke a bone in foot thanks to a devilish juke by Jamaal Charles that drew loud “oohs” from the crowd in St. Joseph.

“Yeah, yeah, it was (a great play),” Commings said. “He’s one of the top running backs in the league.”

But Commings, who has been a full participant throughout the Chiefs’ nine practices of organized team activities, also insists that he has moved on.

“I really don’t even remember,” Commings said, when asked how quickly he knew he was hurt after the play. “I forgot all about that. I’m about the future.”

That’s probably a good strategy, since Commings — a fifth-round pick in 2013 — also had the majority of his rookie season wiped out by injuries, as he recorded only one tackle in two games.

“I’m not holding back,” Commings said. “My position, DB, is all about having a short memory. So those injuries are things of the past.”

Commings, who is listed at 6 feet and 223 pounds, trimmed down this offseason to roughly 206 pounds, which he says is the lightest he’s been since he was a college freshman.

“I honestly feel faster now than I was,” Commings said. “I’ve lost about 10-15 pounds this past offseason, changing my diet. So I’m feeling pretty good out there.”

His position coach, Emmitt Thomas, says Commings’ football instincts remain intact.

“Mentally, on schedule,” Thomas said. “(He’s) sharp, always has been, from the day he came here.”

Thomas, however, noted Commings is still working to regain his old athleticism.

“(He’s) a little rusty — you can tell he hasn’t played football in a little while,” Thomas said. “His explosion is not back with him right now, but mentally, he’s on schedule.

“All he’s got to do now is get more confidence in that foot so he can stick off on it. He can turn, but you can see him taking his time putting it in place instead of just letting it go.”

Regaining that confidence will go a long way toward helping Commings earn a roster spot this year, as the Chiefs’ top three safeties appear set with Ron Parker, Husain Abdullah and free-agent signee Tyvon Branch already in the fold.

But Commings’ versatility — he played cornerback at Georgia — could help his bid to make the roster as a swing backup, of sorts.

“It’s been a dream of mine to be a professional athlete since I was a little boy, so that’s really what keeps me going, trying to live out this dream,” Commings said.

This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Chiefs safety Sanders Commings is putting two injury-plagued years behind him."