Kansas State Football: Travels of Wildcats legend Darren Sproles
By John McCarty
Kansas State football rode Darren Sproles – the energetic and dynamic pint sized running back – all the way to the Big 12 Championship. Sproles then ran around in the NFL for over a decade.
Before Darren Sproles was a sensational running back for Kansas State football from 2001-2004, he was running wild around the state of Kansas, with highlight videos of him as a kid all the way to being a star for Olathe North High School.
From Olathe, his travels took him to Manhattan, where for Bill Snyder and the Kansas State offense, he accumulated 5,588 total yards of offense and 47 touchdowns. During that time, he helped lead the Wildcats to an upset victory over the top ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2003 Big 12 Championship game, and a bowl appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
Bill Snyder made his reputation at finding the under recruited player and winning games – a lot of them in Manhattan – and Sproles was his masterpiece. The Wildcats were the only major football program to offer Sproles a scholarship coming out of Olathe North in the 2001 class, as you can see from his recruiting profile linked above.
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From 2001 through 2004, Sproles and quarterback Ell Roberson were a lethal duo who won game after game for the Wildcats.
During Sproles’ junior season, he was a human highlight reel, making plays and scoring touchdowns from all over the field. He accumulated a staggering 2,273 offensive yards that season along with 18 total touchdowns, and was enough to garner an invitation to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, finishing fifth. He was voted first team All-American and All-Big 12 in 2003 for his performance.
Darren Sproles was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft where he spent five seasons. He then took his talents to New Orleans for three years and then spent six years with the Philadelphia Eagles.The Eagles won the Super Bowl during Sproles’ fourth season in Philly and 13th overall pro season.
During the 2011 season with the New Orleans Saints, Sproles set the NFL single season record for all-purpose yards with 2,696. He also went to three Pro Bowls during his career and was voted to the Chargers’ 50th anniversary team.
Related Story. All-Time Leaders in Rushing Yards. light
After announcing his retirement from the NFL following the 2019 season, Sproles was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles in their front office. No matter the travels Darren Sproles takes, he will always be a legend for the Kansas State Wildcats.