NFL’s Darren Sproles Shines

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Jan. 6, 2009) — San Diego Chargers' Darren Sproles, made history Jan. 3, with 328 all-purpose yards with 23 carries for 105 yards, 5 catches, 3 punt returns and 4 kickoff returns. It was the second-best yard gain in the Chargers post-season history and ranks as the third most all-purpose yards by a player in a single post-season game in NFL history.

Sproles is featured in a new mini poster of Famous People Who Stutter, which is available free to download from the Stuttering Foundation, www.stutteringhelp.org.

He joins other sports legends who stutter, such as Bill Walton, Kenyon Martin, Ken Venturi and Bob Love, as the 18th famous person on the poster. Others include actor James Earl Jones, Marilyn Monroe and Winston Churchill.

Sproles said he learned to take his time while answering questions during an interview. “I don’t have to be in a hurry to say something.”

“I remember a long time ago my grandpa told me “don’t ever let anybody tell you that you can’t do anything because you stutter.” Sproles said. “I always remembered that and worked hard at improving my speech.”

“Darren Sproles will be a great source of inspiration to young people who struggle with stuttering,” says Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation. She notes that speech therapists, school clinicians, teachers and others often hang the posters in a prominent place in their office.

Note to reporters and editors: A photo of Darren Sproles and PDF copies of the 18 Famous People Who Stutter brochure/poster can be e-mailed to you. A media resource kit on stuttering is also available to help with stories or sidebars

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Marilyn Monroe

From Edward S. Herrington's letter to Southcoasttoday.com

I am writing in response to "The importance of voice" (May 29), which mentioned that famous actor James Earl Jones struggled with stuttering. Another famous voice that you cited was the trademark breathy voice of Marilyn Monroe; however, you did not make mention of the fact that Marilyn Monroe also struggled with stuttering at various points in her life, sometimes very painfully.

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.