Harry James Sharper Jr. (born November 23, 1974) is an American football coach and former player. Sharper played professionally as a linebacker for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), and played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft. Sharper spent five seasons in Baltimore, where he was part of the team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl in Super Bowl XXXV. In 2002, he was selected by the Houston Texans in their expansion draft and played three seasons with the team. During his final season in 2005, Sharper was a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He is the older brother of former safety Darren Sharper.
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | November 23, 1974 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 239 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Hermitage (Henrico, Virginia) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Virginia | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1997 / round: 2 / pick: 34 | ||||||||||||||
| Expansion draft: | 2002 / round: 1 / pick: 5 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| As a coach: | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Career
editSharper attended Hermitage High School in Henrico County, Virginia. He played for the school's American football team as a linebacker.[1] His younger brother, Darren, played for the football team as a quarterback.[2] After high school, Sharper enrolled at the University of Virginia, and played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers.[1]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+7⁄8 in (1.90 m) |
240 lb (109 kg) |
32+7⁄8 in (0.84 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
4.67 s | 1.61 s | 2.74 s | 4.24 s | 7.57 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) |
19 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[3] | ||||||||||||
The Baltimore Ravens selected Sharper with the 34th overall pick in the 1997 NFL draft.[4][5] He made an impact right away, recording 68 tackles, three sacks and one interception in his rookie year. He became an important part in the record-setting 2000 Ravens defense, making a crucial interception which sent Baltimore to the Super Bowl, and he started in Super Bowl XXXV.[5] His career totals with the Ravens included 328 tackles, 14 sacks, 2 interceptions and one touchdown. After the 2001 season he was chosen in the expansion draft by the Houston Texans.[5] From 2003-2004, while a member of the Texans, he led the NFL in tackles in that period with 301. After the 2004 season he signed with the Seattle Seahawks for one season, helping the team reach their first Super Bowl. Sharper then retired after one season with Seattle due to a knee injury. During his 9-year career Sharper only missed 8 games, and did not miss a game until his final season, playing in 136 straight games.[6]
Post-playing career
editJamie Sharper joined the coaching staff at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans and served as Linebackers coach from 2016 to 2018. He joined the Georgetown University football program in August 2018 as the assistant linebackers coach and held that position until 2021. From 2021 to 2022, he served as the Defensive Line coach.
Sharper was hired by the DC Defenders on September 13, 2022.[7] He did not return in 2024.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b Laken Litman, USA TODAY Sports (April 15, 2014). "Sharper's high school faces decision on 'tarnished' hero". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
- ^ Paul Woody, "Hard work, confidence key Sharper’s NFL success"[permanent dead link], Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 6, 2009.
- ^ "Jamie Sharper RAS". RAS.football. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "1997 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Texans cut Sharper loose after three seasons". chron.com. April 2, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^ "Seahawks Notebook: Sharper to sit for first time in nine years". seattlepi.com. November 9, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^ "XFL Finalizes Coaching and Football Operations Staffs for All Eight Teams". www.xfl.com. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "UFL Announces Team Coaching Staffs". www.theufl.com. February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.