Sproles selected by San Diego
Apr 24, 2005 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. The all-time leading rusher in Kansas State football history is now a San Diego Charger.
Darren Sproles, who rushed for 4,979 yards and accounted for a Big 12-record 6,812 all-purpose yards while a Wildcat, was selected in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft on Sunday by San Diego.
The 130th overall pick, Sproles was the lone Wildcat to have his name called during the two-day draft. It marks the first time K-State has had just one player taken in the draft since 1998, when Todd Weiner was selected in the second round by Seattle.
Sproles will join former Wildcat Ben Leber with the Chargers. Leber was a third round selection of the Chargers in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Overall, Sproles is the fifth Wildcat to be drafted by San Diego. During the Bill Snyder era at K-State, Sproles is the fourth Wildcat to be taking by the Chargers, following in the footsteps of Leber (2002), Damion McIntosh (2000) and Andre Coleman (1994).
Sproles’ selection by the Chargers caps an incredible collegiate career for the Olathe, Kan., product. In all, he set 23 records while at Kansas State, including virtually every career, single-season and single-game mark for both rushing and all-purpose yards as well as the K-State records for both career touchdowns (48) and career rushing touchdowns (45). He also totaled an incredible 24 career 100-yard rushing games, with five 200-yard rushing performances, averaged 110.6 yards per game during his career, and rushed for over 1,000 yards as a sophomore, junior and senior.
Named the North’s Offensive MVP in the 2005 Senior Bowl, Sproles was a three-time All-Big 12 selection, including earning first team honors in both 2003 and 2004 from The Associated Press.
As a junior in 2003, Sproles led the nation in rushing with 1,986 yards and picked up first team All-America accolades from the AP. He also finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, third on the AP’s Player of the Year ballot and was the runner-up for the Doak Walker Award.
