Opinions on Sproles

[shnagy]

I would like to know what you all think about Sproles, the RB out of Kansas State. Seems to me like he has a lot of speed and is in the build of a Barry Sanders. I haven't watched him play much, but from what I've seen from him, he is very explosive. If Jones does not pan out for us, what do you all think about drafting him? I wouldn't mind having him on the team.

By the way, I'm a first time poster here. I have been lurking here for about a year now. I don't get to see too many Cowboys games here in WV, so I depend on this board for player evaluations, news, etc....

 

[Danny White]

It will be very interesting to see how he does this year. Defenses will be keying in on him a lot more, and he won't have Roberson to help carry the load. I'm no KState fan, so I don't know who they're starting this year at QB, but Roberson was a weapon other team's had to account for (in addition to Sproles). This year, Sproles will be target #1.

Also, he was dinged up a bit last year if I remember correctly. It'll be intersting to see how he holds up given his size.

I predict that he'll probably go in second to third round next year.

I think OU will shut him down pretty well (under 100) when they meet this year. He will not beat them, nor will KSU.

 

[shnagy]

I personally do not keep up with college football besides scores and records. Sproles ran for 235 yards against Oklahoma last year and ended up with 1,986 yards on the season. I think it was Roberson who was dinged up last year.

Sproles is only 20 years old. He's 5'7 180 lbs. Not too bad. I think he is one of the front-runners for the Heisman this year. Anyway, he probably won't be as effective without Roberson being there.

By the way, who ended up with Roberson?

 

[Danny White]

I'm pretty sure Sproles missed a game or two as well. Which only makes his season total even more impressive.

Roberson didn't get drafted. He may have landed somewhere as an UDFA, but I don't think so. He's marginal for the NFL as it is without all of his character/legal problems compounding things.

 

[shnagy]

He probably did miss a game, but I don't know. I had no clue that Roberson had character issues. Any other impressive running backs that you have noticed?

 

[Danny White]

I had no clue that Roberson had character issues.

I'm surprised you never heard. About 40 hours before the Fiesta Bowl, Roberson was charged with sexual assault. The coach let him play, and no charges were filed in the end, but his judgement was seriously questioned by the incident and his scholarship was revoked.

Most of the media reported it as a "he said/she said" indicent, but it's actually a lot more complicated and sordid than that. The report I'm pastig below is the most complete record of the story I've read on it. It's a pretty shocking story.

Police release Roberson report

Arizona police say "it's one word against the other" in alleged sexual assault at hotel before Fiesta Bowl game.

BY VAN WILLIAMS AND JEFFREY PARSON

The Wichita Eagle


Paradise Valley (Ariz.) police on Wednesday released a report detailing events surrounding sexual assault allegations against Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson on New Year's Eve.

The report includes detective interviews with Roberson and his accuser. She says the quarterback, whom she once tutored, had sex with her after slipping into a darkened hotel room where she was sleeping; she thought he was a K-State player with whom she had earlier had consensual sex.

Roberson acknowledges having sex with the woman but says it was consensual. He has not been arrested.

The K-State football team was in Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. The incident took place at the Scottsdale Plaza resort, the team's hotel.

The report has been submitted to Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley, who will decide whether to file charges against Roberson.

"We hope to have it done soon, but I don't have a timeline for you," said Bill Fitzgerald, spokesman for the county attorney office.

Police said again Wednesday that they lack evidence for a successful prosecution, though they stressed that the county attorney will make the decision.

"Basically, it's one word against the other," said Lt. Ron Warner of the Paradise Valley Police Department. "There's no physical evidence. There's no evidence of injury."

Details of the report further angered the father of the woman who says she was assaulted.

"Everybody seems like they're believing a guy they hold up on a pedestal and they don't even know him," the woman's father said. "They just know of him. They've only heard his side.

"They always tell women to come forward when incidents like this happen. I guess this is probably one reason they don't."

The Eagle, which does not identify alleged sexual assault victims, is not identifying the father to protect the identity of his daughter.

Despite the allegations -- and an apparent violation of the team's 11 p.m. curfew -- Roberson started K-State's Fiesta Bowl game, a 35-28 loss to Ohio State. Coach Bill Snyder said he made his decision to play Roberson after a university investigation found that no criminal act occurred.

K-State President Jon Wefald, who has criticized Roberson for poor judgment, declined Wednesday to comment on the report, saying he hadn't seen it.

Wefald said Snyder will issue a statement when the Maricopa County attorney's office makes a decision.

"I'm sure he'll be more than happy to answer your questions," Wefald said.

Sports information director Garry Bowman said statements were being prepared but would not be released until the county attorney makes a decision. He said "it's not determined" whether Snyder would answer media questions at that time.

Roberson's lawyer could not be reached for comment.

The events in question occurred less than two days before K-State participated in the most important bowl game in the program's history.

According to the report:

At about 9 p.m., the woman reported she had champagne and mixed drinks before Roberson arrived at her room for drinks.

At about 1 a.m., the woman acknowledges having consensual sex with football player James McGill, whom she says she has dated off and on for more than a year.

She said after McGill left her in a dark hotel room, she remained in bed with her back turned to a door. She told police McGill had left the door ajar by sliding what she later learned was a metal bar between the door and the door frame.

At 3:35 a.m., she said, someone she thought was McGill entered the room and climbed in bed with her; she suspected the man wasn't McGill when she smelled his cologne and felt chest hair. She said McGill didn't have chest hair.

According to the report, the woman said, "No" and "Wait." She said the assault lasted less than two minutes.

She said she realized the man was Roberson after he left the bed and went into the lighted bathroom.

At 3:45 a.m., she returned to her room and told three roommates what happened. A roommate called hotel security, who notified police.

Roberson later told detectives that he never heard the woman say "no" or "wait." He said if the woman did not want to have sex with him, he would have stopped and left the room.

The woman's father said his daughter, 22, tutored many K-State football players and is an accomplished student. She has earned two undergraduate degrees from the school.

"She's just disappointed, she's gone into a shell," he said. "She's humiliated and just not doing too good right now."​

 

[shnagy]

I don't remember hearing anything about that. That sounds pretty crazy though. So what do you think we will be looking for in the upcoming draft? Maybe CB, WR, DT, DE, LB's? We should have plenty of options with the extra first coming up. Hopefully Buffalo stinks it up as usual and we get a pretty high pick out of them.

 

[Tricky-22]

I would like to know what you all think about Sproles, the RB out of Kansas State. Seems to me like he has a lot of speed and is in the build of a Barry Sanders. I haven't watched him play much, but from what I've seen from him, he is very explosive. If Jones does not pan out for us, what do you all think about drafting him? I wouldn't mind having him on the team.

By the way, I'm a first time poster here. I have been lurking here for about a year now. I don't get to see too many Cowboys games here in WV, so I depend on this board for player evaluations, news, etc....

I think that he has the quickest feet that I have seen since Barry Sanders.

 

[NumOneQB]

I never heard any news on conduct issues regarding Ell Roberson throughout his tenure at K-State other than the Fiesta Bowl incident.

Darren Sproles is a helluva back but will have to carry the load with Roberson gone. He's probably a first day pick. Look for K-State to have a down year.