Profile: Jerrod Sparling

Jerrod Sparling, senior history major and wide receiver coach for the Emporia State football team, has had a very long and diverse athletic career. Sparling will graduate in May with a degree in history, but plans to continue his work with athletics and academics as a graduate student next year.

Sparling, an Ohio native, transferred to ESU three years ago after attending the University of Ohio. Sparling recalls his experiences on the Ohio Bobcats football team.

“We beat Kent State at Kent State, in front of 62,000 people,” Sparling said. “We also played Central Florida, and that was in front of 77,000 people. As a small town guy, walking out there, looking up at the people sitting in the upper deck, it was amazing.”

During his football career at Ohio, Sparling suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury.

“After I blew out my shoulder, I knew I needed a smaller place to go,” Sparling said. “Five shoulder surgeries later, my shoulder looks like a massacre. You never think you’re gonna be that guy that’s always in training room, always hurt.”

Though the injury impacted his athletic career, Sparling used it as an opportunity to learn to play smarter.

“It definitely forced me to get smarter because some of things I could do before physically I couldn’t do anymore,” Sparling said. “I had to get smarter to get stuff done. You have to play smart at that point, to keep control of the ball. Maybe it was the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Sparling said he enjoys his new role as the wide receiver coach for the Hornets football team.

“It’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “Still, it’s been really difficult as of late, trying to pull a balancing act between class and work. That’s really all there’s time for.”

Sparling’s academic work is valued by professors, many of whom feel that it matches the high quality of his work with athletics.

“I know he’s highly valued as a coach,” said Karen Smith, social sciences professor. “He’s also an excellent student and there’s a lot of respect for him,”

Smith recalls a presentation Jerrod did for an Irish history class. Though many students talked about topics such as Celtic music and Gaelic, Sparling chose to do his presentation about the Guinness brewery.

“He really taught us a lot,” Smith said. “He went into the whole history and the connections with Protestantism [in Ireland].”

Smith said she also hears students talk about Sparling’s work in the athletic department.

“I feel he’s done a lot of good for students since he began coaching,” Smith said.

Sparling works with head football coach Garrin Higgins, coaching wide receivers and completing many other tasks with the football team.

“He really understands the offense because he played last year,” Higgins said. “Sometimes as a GA it’s not any fun, it’s dirty work. They review the film, do the typing, make the play cards.”

Jerrod’s work with the football team both on the field and on the sidelines has earned him respect from the team and the staff.

“He just goes above and beyond,” Higgins said. “He’s that type of guy that you tell once to get something done, and it gets done. He will make a great coach.”

Although Sparling enjoys history, fishing, lifting, and working out, he admits that he has very little spare time to pursue his own interests.

As a May graduate, however, Sparling said he intends to take a break over the summer.

“I’m going to get to go home,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve been home for an extended period of time since I left for college.”

Sparling plans to return in the fall, both as a coach and a graduate student.

Even though he has many roles to fulfill as a coach and a student, Sparling remains very low key about his accomplishments on campus.

“I’m not really an awards kind of guy,” he said.

Sparling said that he admires Karen Smith, Gregory Schneider and Chris Lovett. He also said that his parents and grandparents provided him a lot of support in his personal life and that he looks up to them as well. Sparling plans to move closer to his hometown after completing his studies.

“I’m looking to get into coaching, getting closer to home, Sparling said. “Still, it’s been great here. With my transfer and everything, I’ve been through four different head coaches. It’s nice to stick in a system for more than a year. This is definitely the right fit for me.”

Higgins said he also looks forward to Sparling’s continued work at Emporia State.

“As a GA, you’ve got to be very goal-oriented,” he said. “Jerrod gets the job done every time.”