K-State back hopes to have his name called

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If only some team would give him a chance, Darren Sproles may take an old baseball adage -- ''You can't hit what you can't see'' -- and make it work in the NFL.

Whoever blocks for him at the highest level of football will be more than 100 pounds heavier and 9 or 10 inches taller than Kansas State's 5-foot-7 career rushing leader. For a few seconds after he takes the ball and his blockers set up, he might even disappear from the view of would-be tacklers.

But a few seconds may be all Sproles needs to turn heads in the NFL just as he did in college.

''He can literally hide behind the offensive line,'' said Kansas City Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson. ''Then when he gets the crease, he's got the acceleration to get through it. It's a challenge to tackle him. Ask anybody who's played against him.''

In his illustrious Kansas State career, Sproles rushed for 4,979 yards -- 11th all-time on the NFL chart -- and 45 touchdowns.

He also totaled a Big 12 record 6,812 all-purpose yards, No. 6 on the NCAA's career list. Altogether, he set 23 records while at Kansas State.

But 24 hours before the draft began, there still seemed some question as to whether any NFL team would be willing to take a chance. Height and weight mean a lot to pro scouts. And there's no question his diminutive size makes Sproles seem dangerously delicate in a rough-and-tumble world where even big running backs rarely last more than a few years.

NFL tacklers are bigger, stronger and less easily juked than most the college kids Sproles has been so successful against.

Still, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said he was ''quite confident'' Sproles would be successful in the NFL.

''He's more than capable to play at the NFL level,'' Snyder said, adding that he has heard from ''five or six'' NFL teams inquiring ''about a variety of different things'' regarding Sproles.

''I think there's a lot of interest out there,'' Snyder said. ''What degree of interest is going to vary from team to team.''

The Chiefs have him in their sights. They lost a backup running back, Derrick Blaylock, to free agency and could be in the market.

''He is somebody we have under consideration,'' said personnel director Lynn Stiles. ''He is on our board.''

Peterson, who has seen Sproles play in person many times, calls him ''a tremendous competitor.''

''He has some very unique skills as a runner. He's got vision, he's got burst, he's got balance. He's tough. He is a football player,'' Peterson said.

Snyder said most NFL teams are talking about Sproles as a third-down back and/or kick return specialist. There is also concern about a tendency to fumble, a problem that plagued him his senior season.

''It will be interesting to see whether he is a first- or second-day choice,'' Snyder said. ''I told him, 'Don't be nervous about it, just relax.' The deal is you're going to get your chance, and once you do you will make the most of it.

''Darren has that monumental heart, and that goes a long way with what he does. Whoever gets him is going to be awfully pleased in a lot of ways. Darren can do just about anything he sets out to do.''