Darren Sproles says while playing at K-State he had extra motivation when facing KU

When he played at Kansas State, Darren Sproles had some of his best games against Missouri, Iowa State and Nebraska.

There was also that legendary performance against Oklahoma in the 2003 Big 12 championship game.

But there was one school Sproles disliked most of all: the Kansas Jayhawks, and it wasn’t simply because of the Sunflower Showdown rivalry.

Sproles explained why while on Fubo Sports’ “Getcha Popcorn Ready” podcast, which is co-hosted by former NFL receivers Terrell Owens and Matthew Hatchette.

After rushing for 5,230 yards at Olathe North High School, Sproles said he received scholarship offers from K-State, KU and others. But Sproles said on the podcast the Jayhawks pulled their offer.

That didn’t sit well with Sproles, who played for the Wildcats from 2001-04.

“See I was mad, but to be honest, I wasn’t going to KU, not for no football,” Sproles said. “So I wasn’t really mad like that, I was just mad that they did it. So every time I played KU, I tried to kill ‘em.”

Sproles had 388 yards rushing against the Jayhawks in 61 attempts (4.7 yards per carry) with three touchdowns while with the Wildcats. He also caught seven passes for 46 yards and had a punt return for a touchdown.

Other schools showed interest in him, but not as a running back.

“With Texas, they wanted to move me to slot; Iowa, they wanted to move me to slot, too,” Sproles said on the podcast.

When he visited Manhattan, Sproles knew he wanted to be a Wildcat.

“When I went to my recruiting trip to K-State, all the players were like family,” he said.

Here is Sproles talking about KU and K-State.

Sproles, who finished fifth in the 2003 Heisman Trophy vote, was selected in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Chargers. He played 14 seasons in the NFL, also spending time with the Eagles and Saints.