Darren Sproles Is the Most Underrated Running Back in the NFL

If you’re one of those people that might start reading this article and wonder why if he is so good isn't he starting for an NFL team, and then stop reading, check out his NFL highlights that I have in the links below before you pass judgment.

2007 Week 15 regular-season game against the Lions.

2008 Preseason Week Three against the Seahawks.

Darren Sproles is a 5'6", 181-pound backup running back and return specialist for the San Diego Chargers. 

The two games he is most known for are his game against the Colts in the regular season last year when he had two return touchdowns as the Chargers beat the Colts 21-19, and his game against the Colts in the playoffs when he had a 56-yard touchdown reception, as the Chargers upset the Colts 28-24.

I believe he is the most underrated running back in the NFL. Although he is 5'6", he plays much bigger than his size, and his quickness is unmatched in the NFL.

Although skeptics believe that because of his size he’s only suited to be a kick returner and third-down back, I believe he could be a great everyday back. Sproles is freakishly strong for his size.

Sproles actually bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times at the NFL combine, which was more than his fellow draftee, Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman, did at the combine.

He is also a surprisingly good blocker, who seems to always lower his shoulder, doesn’t shy away from contact, and is able to make defenders miss with his great agility and quickness.

He was an every-down back in college, and he hasn’t gotten much of a chance to prove his doubters wrong, yet.

However, he did have a great performance last year, when he constantly juked defenders on his way to 122 rushing yard and two touchdowns on 25 attempts last year in a blowout against the Lions in Week 15.

I first saw Darren Sproles play when his team, the Kansas State Wildcats, was playing the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 championship game. The Sooners were undefeated and all the experts thought they were easily going to handle the Wildcats.

However, Sproles had 235 rushing yards, as the Wildcats shocked Heisman-Trophy winner Jason White and his Oklahoma Sooners. He made plays in that game that just put me in awe.

He was the quickest player I had ever seen, besides Barry Sanders. I knew after that game that I was watching a special back with a bright future ahead of him. Following the next year, he entered the NFL draft.

I remember watching him thrive in the Senior Bowl, with five carries for 55 yards and a 24-yard touchdown run. I remember hearing one of the commentators say that Sproles should be drafted higher than he is projected, and that he would rather have Sproles than California’s J.J Arrington.

The other commentator completely disagreed, claiming that Sproles was too small to be an every-down back in the NFL. This was just another example of a person that doesn’t notice how great Sproles is because they are affected by Sproles’ size.

Some people just can’t face the fact that a 5-6 running back really could make it in the NFL as an every down back. Because of Sproles’ size nothing has ever been given to him and people constantly doubt him no matter what he does.

Sproles ended up being drafted by the Chargers with the 130th overall pick, in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. I was disappointed when I heard this because I knew it would be hard to for him to get playing time playing on the same team as LaDainian Tomlinson. 

Besides playing behind L.T. during his career, he has had trouble getting playing time because he has also been playing behind current starting running back of the Atlanta Falcons, Michael Turner.

This past offseason, Michael Turner signed with the Atlanta Falcons, and you would think that Sproles would be given the backup job for playing so well when he came in games.

However, the Chargers still weren’t sure they wanted him as an every-down backup running back. This caused them to draft power-runner Jacob Hester from LSU in the third round (69th overall).

Sproles has had to battle Hester for the backup job all preseason. Even though Hester has played well, Sproles has clearly been outplaying him. He had 13 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown in a preseason Week Three game against the Seahawks.

Although he hasn’t officially been named the official backup yet, it looks more and more likely as though he will be L.T.'s main backup this season.

Sproles is for real, and if I was a GM, I would want him as my starting running back. If one day Sproles becomes a starter somewhere, I believe he will show everyone how great he truly is and become an NFL superstar.