Jordy Nelson, Darren Sproles share favorite K-State football memories at HOF ceremony
Fourteen years have gone by since Jordy Nelson burned Aqib Talib for a 68-yard touchdown catch in a Sunflower Showdown game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, but the former Kansas State receiver remembers it as if the iconic play happened yesterday.
“It was a very basic play that we had in the playbook for starting a drive,” Nelson said. “That drive just happened to start around midfield and the route was a three-in-one route that had adjustments based on how they were playing. Since he came up and pressed, it turned into a go ball. Josh (Freeman) threw a good ball, and then I found separation.”
Next thing he knew, Nelson secured the pass with no one between him and the end zone. Talib was beaten so badly on the play he barely chased after Nelson, realizing there was no point.
That was easily the most memorable play from Nelson’s career as a K-State football player. And he happily reminisced about it this week before he was inducted into the K-State athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday along with David Allen, Darren Sproles, Laurie Koehn, Liz Wegner, A.J. Morris, Mike Wreblewski, Attila Zsiovczky and Marty, John and Mary Vanier.
But Nelson is sometimes hesitant to tell the story because the Wildcats ended up losing that game to KU.
Ask for his favorite memory in a K-State uniform, and he sometimes shifts focus to the time the Wildcats beat Texas 41-21 in Austin that same year.
“I had a long punt return in that game,” Nelson said. “We also had a kickoff return that game. I had over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. Doing it on the road, especially at Texas, it’s just a unique experience to go into a place like that and quiet them down and win the game.”
Still, he can’t help but circle back to his highlight grab against Talib, who went on to become a star defender in the NFL. Nelson said when both Talib and he were at the NFL Scouting Combine the following winter, he personally rooted for Talib to run the fastest 40-yard dash possible, because he knew that would make him look good.
Turns out, they both matured into great players at the next level.
“I still credit him,” Nelson said, “for making me a decent amount of money in the NFL.”
Darren Sproles picks his top three highlights
Darren Sproles isn’t used to K-State football fans referring to him as “a legend.”
“The only legend to me is Coach Snyder,” Sproles said.
Indeed, Sproles credited former K-State coach Bill Snyder for much of his success with the Wildcats. Sproles could have played for Iowa, Kansas or Texas, but he preferred K-State because of Snyder’s family atmosphere. And Snyder “didn’t care about size.”
So Sproles came to Manhattan and shattered the school’s all-time rushing record by nearly 2,000 yards.
Ask him to select his favorite play, and he shakes his head. He can only narrow it down to three.
The first moment that comes to mind is when K-State beat USC at home in 2002 when he rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown.
“That was a big game for us,” he said.
His biggest highlight probably came against Oklahoma in the 2003 Big 12 championship game when he caught a screen pass from Ell Roberson and sprinted 60 yards up field for a touchdown. K-State went on to win that game 35-7.
“That was a play right there,” Sproles said.
But Sproles also mentioned K-State’s 38-9 victory at Nebraska in 2003, which he punctuated with an impressive touchdown run. A Nebraska defender grabbed him from behind but didn’t have enough muscle to bring him down and fell to the turf with a torn piece of Sproles’ jersey in his hand.
“I didn’t realize that happened until the next day when I watched film,” Sproles said. “That was crazy.”
What if they were never Wildcats?
While Nelson and Sproles were reminiscing about their time with the Wildcats, they both admitted that they considered playing for other schools.
Nelson, a former walk-on from Riley, Kansas, also had opportunities to play at Emporia State and Washburn. He said he strongly considered Washburn, because the Ichabods were going to let him play both basketball and football. But he ultimately chose K-State to see how far he could push himself as a football player.
Sproles said he was interested in playing for Texas until the Longhorns said they wanted him to play slot receiver instead of running back. Texas had already signed star running back Cedric Benson, and viewed Sproles more as a complementary player to him than a true running back.
Had they offered to let him play exclusively running back, maybe he would have ended up wearing burnt orange instead of purple.
But it’s clear both Nelson and Sproles made the right decision. You can’t argue with a Hall of Fame induction.