STILWELL, Kan.- Darren Sproles is an inspirational story to Kansas City kids with NFL dreams. So, Sproles returned to Kansas City to give some youth football players a few tips. He recently held the "Darren Sproles Football Camp" at Blue Valley High School.
Sproles returned to the metro with a smile on his face. The San Diego Chargers placed the franchise tag on him this offseason. He signed a tender which will guarantee him a base salary of $6.621 million this year.
"It kind of caught me off guard at first, but I'm happy with it."
Sproles has had a lot to be happy about these days. The former fourth round pick out of Kansas State initially made his mark in the NFL as a return specialist. Most people thought at 5'6" he could not handle the rigors of being an every-down running back. Former Chargers guard Mike Goff admits the thought crossed his mind.
"He's got the heart of a lion. You're always a little concerned because you think he's going to get broke in half out there, but you want to talk about a kid who's just got his head on right."
Sproles spent four seasons in the shadow of LaDainian Tomlinson. But when L.T. was slowed by an injury this past season, Sproles was there to rush for 105 yards and two touchdowns in a playoff win over Indianapolis. Teammates such as Antoine Cason marveled at Sproles' performance.
"As a teammate, just be happy for him. Living in that moment. I can only imagine how it felt for him."
Suddenly, the former Olathe North star was a commodity. The Chargers slapped the franchise tag on him. The two sides are working on a long-term deal.
While the negotiations continue, Sproles returned home to tell his story to other Kansas City kids. Of course, this is the hard part for Sproles. He has battled a stuttering problem since childhood. He used to avoid interviews but not anymore.
"You got to do it more. Once I keep doing it, I think, it'll probably be like running the football."
For the undersized Sproles, that has been his lifelong philosophy. Just run head first at your challenges.
"That's the way you have to attack a lot of stuff."
