Darren Sharper '97

Darren Sharper '97 is known throughout the NFL as one of the elite defensive playmakers. The defensive saftey has accolades and statistics that could land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame oncve his illustrious career winds down. The Minnesota Vikings star is tied for sixth in NFL history with seven career interception return touchdowns. Sharper ranks 10th in NFL history with 953 career interception return yards and he has acheived Pro Bowl berths following the 2000, 2002 and 2005 seasons.

Sharper was orignially drafted with the 60th overall choice by the Green Bay Packers in 1997 after graduating from the College with a bachelor's degree in sociology. His impact on the Packers was immediate -- he played in 14 regular season games and in all three playoff games, including Super Bowl XXXII, which the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos. He tied a Packers record and set a Green Bay rookie record by scoring three touchdowns, scoring on a pair of interceptions and a fumble return.

Sharper toiled with the Packers through the 2005 season, when he battled a knee injury which hampered his production. Sharper's career took a turn to the north, when he signed with the Packers' bitter rival -- the Minnesota Vikings. Since he signed with the Vikings in 2005, he has led the team in every concievable defensive statistic, and he notched a career-long 92-yard return for a touchdown in a game against the New York Giants.

Sharper played for his old teammate, Mike Tomlin '95, though the 2006 NFL season. Tomlin, who is now the head coach of the Pittsurgh Steelers was the defensive coordinator for the Vikings in 2006.

While Sharper was playing for the Tribe, he earned All-America honors twice as a free safety and return man. He was named to the 1st-Team All-Yankee Conference team three times and set school record with 24 career interceptions. He also set a I-AA record with 468 career interception return yards. Sharper earned Yankee Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior.

Sharper is active in several community programs in Wisconsin and his home state of Virginia. He has a foundation known as "Sharper Kids" that operates an annual football camp and celebrity weekend at his high school (Hermitage High in Richmond, Va.) Sharper has worked as a television color commentator for NFL Europa games in 2004, 2005 and 2007. -- Source: Minnesota Vikings.

Darren Sharper's NFL Defensive Stats

Year Team Games Total Tackles Assists Sacks INT Yards Avg. Long TD Passes Def.

1997 Packers 14 18 16.0 2 0 2 70 35.0 50 2 0

1998 Packers 16 73 53.0 20 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 9

1999 Packers 16 113 84.0 29 1 3 12 4.0 9 0 3

2000 Packers 16 92 72.0 20 1 9 109 12.1 47 0 8

2001 Packers 16 94 70.0 24 2 6 78 13.0 23 0 11

2002 Packers 13 68 51.0 17 0 7 233 33.3 89 1 2

2003 Packers 15 82 69.0 13 2 5 78 15.6 50 0 8

2004 Packers 15 70 57.0 13 0 4 97 24.2 43 2 3

2005 Vikings 14 51 41.0 10 0 9 276 30.7 92 2 7

2006 Vikings 16 67 51.0 16 1 4 10 2.5 10 0 5

TOTAL 151 728 564.0 164 7 49 963 19.7 92 7 56

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