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Darren Sproles
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Previous Schools
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Olathe North
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Previous Experience
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Olathe, Kan.
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Darren Sproles Game Highlight
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A consensus preseason All-American and first team All-Big 12 selection... One of the nation’s leading Heisman Trophy candidates... Should also contend for the Walter Camp Trophy, Maxwell Trophy and Doak Walker Award... A two-time K-State player representative as a team leader... Possesses an incredible work ethic and was referred to as “Dudley Dooright” by quarterback Dylan Meier during the spring because he always seems to do the right thing... Is extremely quick in and out of the hole... The Sporting News calls him the Big 12’s “fastest running back”... Is Kansas State's career rushing leader with 3,661 yards on 571 carries... Career rushing total ranks tied for fourth all time in the Big 12 Conference, 1,628 yards behind all-time leader Ricky Williams (5,289).
2003 (Junior): Finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy with 134 votes (15 first-place, 30 second and 29 third) ... Finished third in The Associated Press Player of the Year voting... Runner-up for the Doak Walker Award... Named the Big 12 Player of the Year by College Football News... A first team All-American by The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and Rivals.com... Kansas State's offensive MVP... Became the first running back and just the 10th Wildcat player overall to earn first team All-American accolades from The Associated Press... A second team All-American by The Sporting News... A consensus first team All-Big 12 selection by the league's coaches, Associated Press, Kansas City Star, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News, ESPN.com and College Football News... Started all 15 games and led the nation in total rushing yards with a K-State single-season record 1,986 on 306 carries (6.5 ypc).... Ranked third on the NCAA's rushing-yards-per-game chart at 132.4... Also led the nation in all-purpose yardage with a K-State record 2,735 and was second in all-purpose yards per game at 182.3... Was the first player in the nation to go over 2,000 all-purpose yards during 2003... His 6.5 yards-per-carry average tied for fifth nationally (third among RBs), but was tops among players with 215 or more carries... His 1,986 yards ranks fourth all-time in Big 12 history... Set the school mark for rushing yards for the second consecutive season (1,465 yards; 2002)... Also 38th nationally in scoring (7.6 points per game)... Totaled 849 yards on 109 carries over the last three games of the regular season and the Big 12 Championship game for an incredible 7.8 yards per carry and 212.2 yards per game... Became just the seventh player in Big 12 history and the first Wildcat to accumulate 3,000 career rushing yards with his 140-yard effort against Nebraska (11/15)... Ran wild in the Big 12 Championship game vs. Oklahoma (12/6), torching the Sooners for 235 yards on 22 attempts (10.7 ypc)... It was his third 200-plus yard rushing performance in the last four non-bowl games (no other back in K-State history had rushed for over 200 yards more than once in a career previously)... It also marked the 19th time (continuing his school record) in the last 27 games that he has rushed for at least 100 yards, including nine games during 2003... Registered an additional 88 yards receiving on three catches, including a career-long 60-yard touchdown reception, against OU... Earned Big 12 offensive player of the week honors and set the school single-game rushing mark with 273 yards on 43 attempts vs. Missouri (11/22)... The total was the third-best in the NCAA during 2003 and the 10th-most in Big 12 history... Totaled 293 all-purpose yards against Missouri and eclipsed Aaron Lockett's all-time mark (4,023; 1998-2001)... Ended the season with 4,745 all-purpose yards for his career, producing 100 or more all-purpose yards in 25 of the last 28 games... Two rushing scores vs. Missouri and one TD on the ground at Nebraska gave him 33 for his career and moving him past Josh Scobey (2000-01) for second in school history and sixth in Big 12 history in rushing scores... Enters 2004 ranked second in school career touchdowns with 37... Became just the second non-kicker and the first RB to score 200 career points with his touchdown run against the Huskers... Also surpassed Tate Wright (196; 1990-93) and Ralph Graham (196; 1931-33) and enters 2004 fourth on the all-time scoring list with 224 points... Rushed for 201-yard at Iowa State (11/8)... His 201 yards on 19 carries came in just under three quarters of play, surpassing his previous-high of 175 against California (8/23)... Became the first Wildcat to rush for 200 yards since Ell Roberson ran for 228 against Nebraska (11/16/02) and the first RB since Josh Scobey tallied 204 yards against Kansas (10/27/01)... Tied a career-high with three rushing touchdowns against ISU, matching his effort against Colorado (10/5/02), Nebraska (11/16/02) and Massachusetts (9/13)... Tied his second-longest score of his career and his longest this season with a 70-yard jaunt to start the third quarter against Iowa State (matching a 70-yarder against Nebraska (11/16/02)... It was also his second-longest rush of the season (behind the 73-yarder against Baylor) and the fourth time he had a carry for more than 50 yards during 2003... Recorded the second-best all-purpose effort in school history (10th-best in Big 12 history) against Baylor (11/1), tallying 308 yards on four different touches of the ball (rush, catch, punt and kick returns)... Became the first Wildcat to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and the eighth overall with 155 yards against the Bears... Reached 1,000 yards rushing in only 183 carries, the second fewest carries to reach the plateau in school history (he did it in 159 during 2002)... Recorded the milestone on a 73-yard burst in the fourth quarter, the second-longest run of his career... Eclipsed Eric Hickson (2,537; 1994-95, 1997-98) as the school's all-time rusher with a 12-yard run in the second quarter against Kansas (10/25)... Recorded 172 all-purpose yards, including 98 rushing, against KU... Returned a punt 63 yards for his first career touchdown on a return against the Jayhawks to earn Big 12 special teams player of the week honors... Scored three different ways for the Wildcats during 2003 (run, catch and punt return)... Tallied 214 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma State (10/11), including then career-highs for both receptions (5) and receiving yards (82) to go with his first touchdown pass (23 yards)... Tallied 128 yards rushing against Texas (10/4)... Had 127 all-purpose yards against Marshall (9/20), catching five passes for 50 yards to go with 77 yards rushing... Rushed for 152 yards on 28 carries against Massachusetts (9/13)... Gained 101 yards on 14 carries - all in the first half - against McNeese State (9/6)... In doing so, he became the sixth Wildcat to rush for 2,000 yards in a career... Broke the school mark for consecutive 100-yard rushing contests with a then career-high 175 yards against California (8/23)... Teamed with Ell Roberson to become just the ninth tandem to rush for 100 yards in the same game against Cal... It marked the third time that the duo accomplished this feat during the 2002 and 2003 seasons... Preseason first team All-American by both Athlon and The Sporting News in preview editions... TSN also ranked Sproles second nationally among RBs in their issue... Named the No. 2 prospect nationally for the Heisman Trophy and a preseason All-American by nationalchamps.net web site... Voted a team representative in the spring by his teammates and K-State’s 2003 Offensive MVP following the season.
(Click next page or page 2 at top to continue biography)
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Upcoming Schedule
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