Franklin grad Beau Sparks uses underdog mentality to fuel breakout season

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The college football season has officially come to an end. This year will go down as one of the best for El Paso high school football players at the next level.

We've seen stunning highlights from Jeremiah Cooper (Andress grad), Cedarious Barfield (El Dorado grad), Deion Hankins (Parkland grad), LJ Martin (Canutillo grad) and Beau Sparks (Franklin grad).

While they made the plays look easy, playing at the next level wasn't necessarily an easy path, or a path with a lot of options for all of them.

Despite Sparks having 159 receptions for 2,738 yards and 38 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons and running a 4.36, 40, the former Cougar had just three scholarship offers out of high school - Army, Incarnate Word and Utah Tech.

"It was super humbling and I honestly I loved it," Sparks said. "I've always been the underdog like undersized all that, it wasn't anything new to me so I just had to go and prove myself at the Division 1 level." 

Sparks signed with the Trailblazers and made it his mission to get playing time in his freshman year.

"I went in as the bottom of the depth chart like one of those guys like 'ok this kid is probably going to redshirt'," Sparks said. "I couldn't see myself sitting on the sidelines for a whole year and not playing. In the summer when I was there, every single day, throw, lift, go back to the field get footwork in, I just earned my spot every day."

Not only did Sparks earn his spot but he was a 'spark' to the Trailblazer offense - 74 receptions, 723 yards and team-high seven touchdowns. That saw him pickup FCS All-American honors, a UAC freshman of the year nod and more than 20 offers to transfer, including UTEP, North Texas and San Diego State.

"I love proving people wrong you know," Sparks said. "I went from getting no phone calls to getting phone calls every hour so that was definitely a super cool feeling." 

Sparks chose to take his talents to Texas State this season and he has no plans of defusing that spark anytime soon.

"When you get accolades for me it's I've got to work harder, I've got to get better and keep elevating to be the player I want to be," Sparks said. "I love putting it on for the city and I think it should be recruited more."