Sproles keeps working to overcome stuttering

For years, former Kansas State and Olathe North star Darren Sproles did his best to avoid TV and radio interviews.

Sproles always knew the risk involved, that his secret would be revealed: He stutters.

“When you’re in those types of live interviews,” he told me, “you get nervous anyway. And being nervous makes it worse.”

Sproles, a change-up back and return specialist for the San Diego Chargers, has worked hard in taking steps to control his stuttering. It is an everyday battle he believes he is winning, so much so that he doesn’t shy away from interviews as much as he used to.

“There are some little tricks you use,” he said. “The main thing is you have to slow down. You don’t have to be in a hurry to answer questions.

“If you can get flowing, get into a rhythm, you will be OK.”

Sproles now has a mission to help others with stuttering problems, and he has lent his name to the Stuttering Foundation of America, though he’s not officially a spokesperson for the organization. Next week is Stuttering Awareness Week.

“My advice is for people (who stutter) to take classes on it, learn about it,” he said. “Just work on it.”

Sproles first became aware of his problem when he was about 6 years old. While he had to endure the typical razzing from other children, he said he doesn’t remember any particularly cruel incidents, at least none that bothered him.

“I just remember thinking ‘How come other kids can talk so flowingly and I can’t?’ ” he said. “My grandpa would tell me not to worry about it and not to let anyone say I couldn’t do anything just because it took me longer to say things.”

Sproles, who majored in speech pathology at K-State, certainly hasn’t been deterred. He now is one of the top return specialists in the NFL — last year he became the ninth player in NFL history to score on a kickoff and punt return in the same game.

He has also come to know some other prominent figures who stutter, such as Bill Walton.

“(Walton) just gave me the same advice I always try to follow,” Sproles said. “Just take your time. Don’t be in a hurry.”

Pay up, Lawrence

A year ago, the KU basketball team held a post-season banquet with select donors at the Holiday Inn Holidome in Lawrence. This year, after the Jayhawks won it all, KU cancelled that banquet because it figured a much bigger party was in order — such as a parade and a celebration at Allen Fieldhouse.

But, according to reports in Lawrence, the Holiday Inn still wants to collect a $6,400 cancellation bill. And KU officials want Lawrence and the chamber of commerce to help foot the bill, reasoning that the city’s commerce benefited from the thousands of fans who flocked downtown.

City economic development officials were to meet on the matter Wednesday.

Moose is loose

Those clever Royals fans from Kansas City who last month road-tripped to Burlington, Iowa, just to see No. 1 pick Mike Moustakas have put their homemade T-shirts (a moose in a taco equals moose-tacos) in honor of him on the web site www.zazzle.com.

To reach Jeffrey Flanagan, call 816-234-4492 and leave a message or send e-mail to jflanagan@kcstar.com