NFL's Darren Sproles advises on stuttering

MEMPHIS, May 14 (UPI) -- San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles, who has struggled with stuttering, says playing professional football is easier than speaking.

Sproles says his stuttering became more pronounced when he was a star player at Kansas State University.

"I had to talk to the media a lot, and once they put a camera in my face, that's when it got bad," Sproles said in a statement. "I just had to work on it. I couldn't really stress about it, because that's just me."

Sproles, who earned a degree in speech pathology, says former NBA basketball player Bill Walton, who also struggled with stuttering and is now a successful broadcaster, told him to take his time while answering questions during an interview.

"I don't have to be in a hurry to say something," he explains.

More on Sproles and stuttering is available from the Stuttering Foundation is available at stutteringhelp.org.