Darren Sharper

Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American football safety who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at William & Mary.

Sharper is a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team. He has also played for the Minnesota Vikings. He is the younger brother of former NFL linebacker Jamie Sharper.

Early years

Sharper attended Hermitage High School in Richmond, Virginia, graduating in 1993.Paul Woody, , Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 6, 2009.

College career

Sharper played college football at William & Mary, where he was a teammate of current Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator and current Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. In high school Sharper had primarily played quarterback, and he wanted to be a quarterback at William & Mary as well, until his college coach, Jimmye Laycock, told Sharper that he had the potential to make the NFL as a defensive back. During his career he earned All-America honors twice and was named first-Team All-Yankee Conference three times. As a senior he was the Yankee Conference Defensive Player of the Year after intercepting 10 passes. He finished his college career with a school record 24...
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