By Nick Underhill | The Advocate
The move has always been there for Sheldon Rankins.
It was a product of necessity back when he first found it. As a bigger guy on the basketball court, other players would set their feet and draw charges against him when Rankins drove the lane. So, one day, he decided to spin around the defensive player. It worked.
“For me, it was just the way I was going to the basket,” Rankins said. “Guys were going to try to cut me off and take a charge. I’d spin back and get an easy layup or dunk. It was something that was just natural for me on the court.”
That same move has become one of the staples of Rankins’ arsenal as a pass rusher. The Saints defensive tackle used it in his rookie debut in 2016 to beat a 49ers guard for a pressure, and it was there again last week when he twice used it to get after Giants quarterback Eli Manning. On one of the attempts, he caused Patrick Omameh to fall to the ground.
Rankins’ spin is so quick and smooth that it has become his signature move. Cam Jordan has “California Cool,” which is his twist on how he sets up a swim move. Rankins has this. Whenever someone else on the line attempts a spin, the players in the meeting room will often crack, “Oh, he’s been watching Sheldon,” which is flattering, but it is also real. No one can quite do it like Rankins. ...
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