Stuttering didn’t keep Sproles out of the game: National Stuttering Awareness Week is May 11-17

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (April 15, 2009) — Darren Sproles, the San Diego Charger who made history last season by returning a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game, has overcome many challenges, but the toughest perhaps is stuttering.

This year he joins the Stuttering Foundation as its Spokesperson in recognizing National Stuttering Awareness Week, May 11-17.

"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."

During Stuttering Awareness Week, the NFL star and the Stuttering Foundation will work together to educate Americans about this poorly understood speech disorder that affects more than three million people in the United States.

As part of its educational outreach, the Foundation offers a toll-free hotline, 800-992-9392, and maintains two Web sites,www.stutteringhelp.org and www.tartamudez.org.

The running back, who became aware of his struggle with stuttering at age 4, says the problem became more pronounced when he was a star football player at Olathe North High School and 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. "I just had to work on it. I couldn’t really stress about it, because that’s just me."

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."

"We are extremely happy to have as our spokesman someone who is a role model to young people who struggle with stuttering because he himself never gave up," says Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation.

For a free copy of the 18 Famous People brochure/mini-poster featuring Darren Sproles, call 800-992-9392 or visitwww.stutteringhelp.org.

Note to reporters and editors: Photos of Darren Sproles can be downloaded by clicking here: Photo 1 Photo 2.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Winston Churchill

Seeking to "remove Winston Churchill's stutter by second guessing the diagnosis" indicates neither a truthful retelling of history nor an informed opinion about a complex speech disorder, say experts in the field of speech-language pathology.

Recent news reports that quote Dr. John Mather, a Washington physician, as saying that Churchill's stutter "is a lie" brought adamant critical response from specialists in the field of stuttering and fluency disorders.

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.

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

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.

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.