Chip Kelly is a huge Darren Sproles fan, like millions of football aficionados, but the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles loves the diminutive running back for more than his production on Sundays.
Apparently, Sproles went to the Jerry Rice school of practice habits. According to Kelly, he takes just as much pride in what he’s doing during the week in practice as he does on game days.
“We always talk about ‘you sink to your level of training‘ and what you see on Sundays from Darren is what we see every single day, whether it’s a walk-through or whether it’s a practice,” Kelly said, via Zach Berman of Philly.com. “It’s an amazing thing to watch. I wish more players would emulate it because it seems like a pretty good formula that’s working.”
Kelly also said Sproles returns every practice punt for a touchdown, a la Rice back in the day with the San Francisco 49ers, and that he only has “one speed.”
“That’s just the way [Sproles] is built and the way he’s wired,” Kelly said.
And, he had to instruct punter Donnie Jones from trying to chase Sproles down because he didn’t want Jones to pull a hammy trying to catch the running back.
Sproles is an invaluable asset to Kelly in Philly, just as he was for Sean Payton in New Orleans. Not only is he an electric return man — as his 89-yard touchdown against the New York Jets in Week 3 indicated — but he is also an outstanding receiver. Furthermore, in his 10 seasons as a pro, Sproles is averaging 5.1 yards per rushing attempt.
Part of the reason Sproles has had so much success in the NFL is that he has been blessed with physical attributes that make him dangerous in the open field. Just as critical to his success, however, is his hunger to be the best he can be. His practice habits should be emulated by more young athletes, who would certainly not be disappointed in their results if they followed suit.