Darren Sproles (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Darren Sproles still carries the football in his hands.
Except he starts his field work by helping the specialists get ready – from field goals to punts and overseeing players returning the ball. From there, he’s pinpointing the direction running backs should run in while teaching technique.
This is the new life for the 42-year-old Sproles, who is now “coach” to the Oaks Christian High School Lions in Westlake Village, California.
He smiles at his new chapter, all while glistening at the thought of one former NFL team he played for in a one-on-one with RG Media.
Darren Sproles Likes Chargers’ Philosophy
Sproles remains interested in the NFL as he juggles coaching. He’s located in closer proximity to a former team he suited up for from 2005 to 2010.
And the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers piqued his interest so far this season. More so, the philosophy Jim Harbaugh created for that offense. The run-heavy attack reminds Sproles of a past legend he suited up for.
“I love it because he reminds me so much of Marty Schottenheimer,” Sproles tells RG Media. “He’s run first, run first, then play action. But he’s run first.”
Sproles’ rookie season with the Chargers didn’t start with similar vibes to the ’25 team. They began 0-2 before finishing 9-7 and barely missing the postseason. The Chargers, then in San Diego at the time, started 2-0 the following year and rose to 14-2 – before Schottenheimer got replaced by Norv Turner.
No other Charger team Sproles played on began the year undefeated after two weeks.
The late Schottenheimer emphasized ball control and beating teams at the line of scrimmage. Sproles embraced the tactics before blossoming under Turner – which includes scoring 17 career touchdowns in the Bolts uniform.
Sproles Heaps Praise on Barkley
Sproles owns one Super Bowl ring – before Saquon Barkley took over RB1 duties for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 5-foot-6 RB played on Philly’s first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy-winning franchise in the 2017 season.
Now he’s embracing watching Barkley recreate the narrative for running backs, even in a league that became more passer-friendly.
“I love him. He’s so explosive, it’s crazy,” Sproles said. “But the thing he really needed? He actually has a great offensive line.”
Sproles helped point out that Barkley didn’t always have the best offensive line structure in his career with the New York Giants. But now plays with trench men armed with multiple Pro Bowl nods.
Sproles Shares Bold Words For Vaughn
Fans of the NFL recall Sproles needing to throw out size. He was always considered the smallest RB on the field during his run – which still became illustrious in the end.
He doesn’t compare himself to today’s RB stars like Barkley, or a similar speed/elusive back in Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions.
But he believes he’s comparable to a rather unknown RB in the league. One he shared bold words for: Deuce Vaughn.
“When he gets a chance in Denver, he’s going to show everybody who he really is,” Sproles said of Vaughn.
The Broncos RB shares a lot of similarities with Sproles. He’s another diminutive back at approximately 5-foot-5. Vaughn also starred at Kansas State, where Sproles became a collegiate star.
Vaughn became seldom used by the Dallas Cowboys after landing in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft class. He racked up only 110 total rushing yards there. But count Sproles as someone who believes Vaughn will break loose when given the chance.
The “Fun” Aspect of Coaching Sproles Enjoys
Sproles is now joining a growing fraternity of former NFL players giving back at the high school level. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section already has seen Carson Palmer take up head coaching. Same with former Los Angeles Rams defensive back Troy Hill.
Sproles is more in the background, though, compared to former NFL assistant coach Charlie Collins – who leads Oaks Christian as head coach.
Still, Sproles gets to be hands-on with the players and turn to teachings that his past coaches taught him. He’s instilling those philosophies for one notable future Big Ten talent: USC running back commit Deshonne Redeaux, who spends a lot of time with Sproles.
“I’ve been able to get him to slow down and really be patient,” Sproles said. “He’s already fast and explosive and he’s strong too. I just needed him to slow down and be patient, that way he can see things. He’s already physical and he’s coachable.”
Oaks frees up Redeaux on inside zone runs – which Sproles attacked with fury during his pro career. Redeaux is now 113 yards away from hitting 3,000 career rushing yards at the prep level.
Sproles isn’t just locked in on developing Redeaux for college, though. He’s helping lead a team featuring other future CFB talent like five-star safety Davon Benjamin (Oregon commit) and nose tackle Joseph Peko (son of Colorado defensive line coach and former NFL DL Domata Peko).
Sproles got his post-NFL taste through the scouting world, which he credits for helping him in this transitional phase. But coaching in a way reminds him of when he wore the pads for one key reason.
“It’s actually fun because I’ve scouted for a while. But scouting doesn’t give me the same rush and that same grind. Coaching is a different grind, but like when I played.”