Sproles’ success story is one worth hearing
Former Eagles standout will share it at Athlete of the Year event
Darren Sproles was doubted every step along the way of his football career.
At 5-foot-6, Sproles was thought to be too small to make it to a Division I college program or the NFL. But those doubters fueled his passion.
Not only did he make it to the NFL as a fourth-round pick and the 130th pick overall in the 2004 draft, but he ended up staying for 15 years and becoming one of the most dynamic running backs and kick returners in the league.
His perseverance and determination are traits to be admired, and that’s why he was the perfect choice to speak during the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute’s ninth annual Athlete of the Year awards show at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The show will be broadcast live on PBS39.
The Athlete of the Year event is the culminating celebration of the Athlete of the Week program, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute. The 35-week program, featured in The Morning Call, gives the public an opportunity to vote from three male and three female student-athletes weekly. Each weekly male and female winner receives a $500 scholarship.
In addition to the weekly scholarships, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute awards one female and one male Athlete of the Week winner with a $10,000 scholarship.
This year’s winners will be announced live during the broadcast. All weekly winners are eligible for the top prize, which is determined based on academics, community leadership and athletic accomplishments.
In addition to the Athlete of the Year winners, other non-monetary awards announced during the broadcast include Comeback Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, presented by The Morning Call, and the Community Support Award, presented by PBS39.
“Athlete of the Year is an important part of Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute’s sports medicine program,” said Daniel Terpstra, an orthopedic surgeon at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic
Institute, who was a standout football player and wrestler at Bangor High School and Muhlenberg College.
“Over the last nine years we have recognized over 400 student-athletes who have gone on to do amazing things, and we know that this year’s Athlete of the Week winners will be no different.”
PBS39 supports the program as the Premier Production Partner, and The Morning Call as the Premier Media Partner.
“At Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, we understand the commitment and hard work it takes to succeed as a student-athlete, and we’re proud to celebrate the success of all of our Athlete of the Week winners,” said former Allentown Central and Princeton University Gabe Lewullis, orthopedic surgeon at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute.
Commitment and hard work were cornerstones of Sproles’ pro career, which stretched through stops with the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Eagles. He was a member of the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl championship team, although an injury limited him to just three games that season.
Sproles played six games in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons before retiring.
“In high school I heard I was too small to play, and then in college I heard the same thing, and then I got to the NFL and they said the same thing,” Sproles said. “I just had to keep my head down and keep on grinding.”
Sproles said the detractors were his fuel.
“That’s what kept me going to accomplish what I did,” he said. “I wanted to prove everybody wrong.”
Like many of the senior athletes who will be recognized during the show, Sproles had to make sacrifices along the way.
“My dad once asked me if I wanted to be good or did I want to be great?” Sproles said. “He told me that it doesn’t take much to be good, but if you want to be great it’s going to take a lot more, a lot of sacrifices.
“He said you can’t go out to all kinds of parties and stuff like that. You have to put in the extra work, even when nobody’s watching. You’ve just got to do it.”
Sproles ended his career having played in 183 games. He had 3,352 yards rushing, 4,840 yards receiving, 2,961 yards on punt returns, and 8,352 yards on kickoff returns. He scored 64 total touchdowns, nine on returns, and was a threetime Pro Bowl selection as a returner.
Of the 48 players in NFL history with 3,000 rushing yards and 3,000 receiving yards, his 4.9 yards rushing average is the best.
Many believe Sproles will end up as an NFL Hall of Famer in Canton.
“In high school they never let me return punts or kicks, so when I got to college [at Kansas State] I couldn’t catch a punt to save my life,” he said. “So I really had to put in the work to learn how to catch punts and kickoffs. It was really a challenge, and after practice every day I had to catch 50 punts. That helped me become the player that I was.”
As it turned out, his father wasn’t the only one to give Sproles good advice.
“When I first got to the Chargers, I met a guy named Lorenzo Neal, who was a fullback, and he played for a long time,” Sproles said. “He said ‘Good job young fella for making it to the NFL, but now the hardest part is staying. The moment you get drafted, they are trying to find your replacement in the next draft, so you have to prove yourself each and every year.’
“That always stayed in the back of my mind.”
While Sproles played in two other cities, his six years in Philadelphia may have been the most special, and the 2017 season provided some of his best memories even though he was injured.
“I was hurt, but that year was special,” said Sproles, who still works for the Eagles as a personnel consultant. “I don’t think anyone could understand how many players called me and texted me every single to make sure I was good. That was one of the highlights of my career, and Philadelphia ranks at the top.
“There’s no city like Philadelphia because the fans are honest. If you’re playing terrible, they will tell you you’re playing terrible. But if you’re playing good, they’re going to give you praise. You’ve got to be a tough-minded player to play in Philadelphia.”
Sproles was tough in every sense of the word. His ability to prove doubters wrong is a message the area’s best athletes should hear.
“It’s all about hard work,” he said. “One year I broke my arm and tore my knee and the rehab was hard. I was thinking it might be time to retire, but my wife told me I had more to prove and that’s what got me out of my funk.
“I would tell today’s kids to never be outworked. Whatever success comes your way, continue to work. That’s what got me through.”