NDSU’s Sproles Talks Recovery and Return From Knee Injury

Bison WR shares recovery journey and is ready to play this fall

FARGO, N.D. — After injuring his knee in the fall and missing all of the spring season, receiver Phoenix Sproles is back 100 percent after seven months away.

“Coming in right away. Playing right away. 30 games or so then going from 30 games to zero games,” Sproles said. “It was a refresher on how quick these moments are in college football. It can be taken away just like that. You never anticipate getting injured and when that happened all I could do was basically be on the sidelines and be a cheerleader. That’s what I had to be.”

What Sproles went through in that experience brought out some unexpected growth especially from a leadership standpoint where now the senior is a captain.

“My first couple years my leadership came from what I was doing so just having watch people what I do,” Sproles said. “Being injured and not doing the physical parts like running routes, I had to become more of a vocal leader.”

With becoming more vocal, there were a few examples around him to pick off of including his fellow receiver, who Sproles gets to reunite with this fall Christian Watson.

“We go back and forth off each other with ideas,” Sproles said. “He’s not afraid to say what he wants to say. I always chime off him. That vocal part came from Christian because he’s an outgoing guy.”

Now it’s time for Sproles to take that leadership into game action and when that comes Saturday, he may need to find ways to calm himself down.

“I feel like something is going to happen where I cramp up. Maybe on Friday, who knows when but I’m hydrating just to take out all the small things that could mess with a little bit,” Sproles said. “I’m going to be so excited and jacked up. I might have to listen to country music on saturday and just come down for a little bit.”

Last time the New Hope ,Minnesota native wore the green and jersey, he caught at least one ball in 15 games.