Will Sproles be in the Hall of Fame?
By: Jake Rajala
Darren Sproles was a ball of lightning in his playing days. He was one of the best all-purpose weapons in the game. He was a menace for each team he played for – whether it was the San Diego Chargers, the New Orleans Saints, or the Philadelphia Eagles.
Here is a closer look at his career stats:
3,552 rushing yards
4,840 receiving yards
8.392 receiving and rushing yards
23 rushing touchdowns
2,961 punt return yards
8,352 kick return yards
Three-time Pro Bowler
Second-team All-Pro once
So the question is: does he deserve to be in Canton?
It’s very hard to compare Sproles to another player in Canton. There is nobody quite like him. I still believe that he was one of the best match-up nightmares of all time. Sproles (and Jimmy Graham) were nearly impossible to cover. Between 2009 and 2013, he recorded at least 787 all-purpose yards a season.
He was also one of the best return specialists for Philly. In 2014, he unleashed 39 returns for 506 yards. He also averaged a league-high 13 yards per return. In 2015, he unveiled 446 yards, which was the most in the league.
Between the Saints and Eagles, Sproles was an elite play-maker. He wasn’t a bell-cow RB, but he was one of the best pass-catching RBs. With the Eagles, he shined in another unique way: punt returns.
I don’t believe Sproles is a first ballot HOFer, but I do believe he deserves to be cast into Canton at some point.
Sproles will undergo a coaching internship with the Broncos next Fall!
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