Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty reveals Chip Kelly’s demand to fix ‘Michael Myers’ stance

Ashton Jeanty’s football stance might differ when he first snaps with the Las Vegas Raiders. Since high school, Jeanty has stood straight up with his hands at his side during every play in the backfield, pre-snapping.

This stance is so different from what other running backs look like in the backfield that it has garnered countless memes about how he looks, with one notable comparison being to Michael Myers, the infamous killer from the “Halloween” movies.

As different a stance as it is from what we have seen from other running backs, it hasn’t hampered his performance. He finished runner-up to Travis Hunter in the Heisman Trophy race after having the second-best rushing yards in FBS history, with 2,601 yards. Only Barry Sanders finished with more with 2,628 yards in 1988.

Raiders’ offensive coordinator Chip Kelly wants to change things up and wants Jeanty to do things differently in the NFL.

In an interview with the “Up &  Adams Show,” hosted by Kay Adams, Jeanty elaborated on his conversation with Kelly about changing his stance in the NFL.

Jeanty said Kelly asked him if he ever played basketball. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I play basketball, you know I can dunk and all that.’ He’s like, ‘OK, show me how you would guard me,’ and he’s acting like he’s holding the ball.”

He also demonstrated the stance with Adams and said Kelly told him, “That’s exactly why you have to be down in your running back stance.” Jeanty said Kelly “won for now,” but he won’t give up his trademark stance that has been memed to a massive degree.

“I’m going to try and persuade him one day. I got to earn my stripes and make some plays first, but I don’t think it will be the end [of the stance],” he said.

Kelly is a tremendous offensive mind and knows how to coach running backs, so his advice should be taken seriously, even if it is something as small as a running back’s stance in the backfield.

Jeanty also said he has gotten a kick out of all the social media posts, even singling out the Myers comparisons. As a nod to the social media comparisons, he dressed up as Myers for Halloween and shared it on his social media accounts.

As much fun as people have had with the stance, Jeanty has said that its entire point was to make people as relaxed and comfortable as possible before the play.