MANHATTAN, Kan. — Olathe native, Kansas State University legend and 16-year NFL player Darren Sproles has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
“You have represented football in general, certainly the NFL, certainly college football, Manhattan and our program so very well,” former Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder said in a Zoom call with Sproles.
Sproles joins players Gary Spani (2002), Mark Simoneau (2012) and coaches Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf (1966), Charles Bachman (1978) and Bill Snyder (2015) as the sixth K-Stater to receive the honor.
At the time of his graduation, Sproles held 28 school records, 21 of which have not been broken.
In 2003, he finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, third in the Associated Press Player of the Year voting and finished as a First Team All-American.
“This program is built on guys like yourself who put blood, sweat and tears into everything they have here at Kansas State Football,” K-State head coach Chris Klieman said.
The running back was drafted in 2005 to the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round and spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Olathe product ranks sixth in NFL history in career all-purpose yards with 19,696. During his time in Philadelphia, he earned three Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl championship in 2017.
Sproles was also selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade Team for the 2010s.
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