Opinion Person Of The Month: Phoenix Sproles

My name is Phoenix Sproles, I’m from Minneapolis, MN. I started playing football in the 3rd grade for St. Louis Park up until 8th grade, then I moved over to New Hope and played high school football at Robbinsdale Cooper High School. Won a lot of games within that program, had a breakout junior year, had over 19 Division 1 football scholarships. Committed to North Dakota State University in the summer going into my senior year of high school. Won 3 National championships at NDSU, was team captain, and graduated. Transferred my last year to James Madison University, was ranked in the top 25 in all of the college FBS teams, went the schools fist bowl game and scored the first ever touchdown in JMU bowl history and ended a historic year at James Madison. Declared for the NFL draft for 2024 class. Had some interviews with scouts from a couple of teams, however, I was not drafted or signed after the draft. I was out of football for a year until I came in contact with the IFL, The Indoor Football league, a professional league where a lot of ex NFL, CFL, UFL guys were in. Signed with the Vegas Knight Hawks, made the team, and currently fulfilling my dream as a professional athlete.

Many athletes face doubt on their journey—whether from others or even themselves. How have you dealt with being doubted?

-Many people doubted me becoming a pro athlete. I overcame that doubt by staying persistent in my training and remaining focused on my goal to becoming a pro. I blocked out the noise, which was hard, but blocked out the noise and kept the main thing…the main thing.

How do you handle people who underestimate you? Do you use it as motivation?

-Motivation forsake. Whenever I’m told I can’t do something it makes me want to prove them wrong even more.

What’s one thing people get wrong about you or your journey?

People may think I’ve had everything handled to me. I am blessed with having family in the NFL, my step dad as my football coach, great parents that were blessed to be able to have the money to get me certain training, my training facility called GameFace. But at the end of the day, I had to show up in those training sessions day in and day out, I had to maintain a 3.8 GPA in high school, I skipped spring break/summer break trips in college to go train to become a better football player, and I also had to comeback from 4 different surgeries, 3 being lower body and had to learn how to walk, run, cut again. All of that makes me who I am today and a lot of people don’t know that, and that’s fine, they can get it wrong cause I know what’s right.

What sacrifices have you made to prove the doubters wrong?

Worked when no one was watching.

What motivates you to keep pushing forward, even when things get tough?

Failing. I refuse to fail.

Who has been the most influential person in your life, and why?

I have multiple. To not leave anyone out, I’ll just say my family and GOD. It takes a village.

What’s the most memorable piece of criticism you’ve received, and how did it fuel you?

Just to not be complacent. There’s always someone working, so you can’t rest too long. My line I remember, “You’re only as good as you were yesterday”

What advice do you have to anyone who has a dream that other people might doubt?

God gave you that dream for a reason, you owe it to yourself to pursue it.