Pretty good run the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at William and Mary had in the mid-'90s turning out future NFL high-achievers.
All Mike Tomlin did was race through the assistant coaching ranks and take over the Pittsburgh Steelers at age 34. Then there is Tomlin's fraternity brother Darren Sharper, who at 33 leads active NFL players with 53 interceptions.
Sharper, who is from Richmond, is in his 12th season as a defensive back, his fourth with the Minnesota Vikings. A second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in '97, Sharper set William and Mary records, which he still holds, for interceptions in a season (10) and a career (24).
Twice a college All-American, Sharper has been to four Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl - as a rookie, his Packers lost 31-24 to Denver in Super Bowl XXXII. And until this week, Sharper had 10 more interceptions than his nearest active rival, Champ Bailey. That was before the New York Jets signed Ty Law, who is one behind Sharper.
A free safety, Sharper still has no picks this season as the Vikings (5-4) head to Tampa Bay (6-3) this weekend. So he remains where he was at the season's start, tied for 21st all-time with Deion Sanders.
Not bad at all for a small-college guy who entered the NFL "hoping I could play out my contract."
Sharper wound up outlasting his brother Jamie, a U.Va. linebacker also drafted in '97, who played nine NFL seasons.
And Sharper hopes the broadcasting career he seeks is still a ways off. Because while Jamie "is enjoying his retirement"
in Houston, "I know I want to play into the next decade,"
said Sharper, who lives in Miami in the offseason and has two children.
The Pilot caught up with Sharper by phone this week at the Vikings' practice facility in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Your frat brother Tomlin has done well for himself, huh?
"Shoot, he moved up the ranks extremely fast. I think that's a testament to how great a coach he is. You don't see too many guys at his age, and also, too many African American coaches, that make it up the pole that quickly. When he was a defensive coordinator - he actually coached me in Minnesota for a year - I could tell he had the makings of being a head coach by just his presence, his knowledge of the game, and how he was able to motivate all players."
You haven't fared too badly yourself. What's it all mean to you?
"A lot, because from where I came from, William and Mary, a small school, you never know if you're gonna get drafted, let alone play in the NFL.... I had a good rookie year, but the next two years I kind of struggled. So I really persevered and kept working hard to put myself in the position to have the career I've had thus far."
Of your 10 defensive TDs, three came as a rookie. Did you think, 'This stuff's pretty easy?'
"I was playing cornerback then. There wasn't too much thinking you had to do; you just went out there and played. I was just using all my athletic abilities. Things did seem a little bit, I won't say easy, but they seemed not as hard as they did my second and third year, when I moved to safety and had to do more thinking. I had to make all the calls and adjustments, and that was a little bit tougher. You could tell I started to struggle a little bit. But then things started coming along for me."
You comfortably led active players in interceptions until Ty Law came back. Worried?
"(Laughing) Yeah, I saw that. Hopefully I can get some more to kind of spread that margin a little bit."
What's kept you from picking any this season?
"With what we do (on defense), the safeties are usually back and teams haven't really tried to test me deep by just throwing the ball up and seeing if their receiver can catch it over me. The ball just hasn't been in my direction that much. But we've still got a lot of football left and I expect I'll get some opportunities before the end of the season."
You spent a few days last summer at NFL Films' broadcasting "boot camp."
You're getting ready for prime time?
"Yeah, that's exactly what I want to do, get into broadcasting and be a color analyst for pro and college football games. I went over to NFL Europe and did games for three or four years until it became defunct."
You can be proud of so many things. What tops your list?
"I'd just say my total career. If you think of one of my stats to be most proud of, I'd say it would be games played. I think I'm about at 180 almost (176). That's a big stat... because the lifetime of an NFL player is so short, for many reasons."
You return to the area often - last spring you went into William and Mary's Hall of Fame - so complete this thought: When I'm in Williamsburg, I always...
"Go to Paul's Deli. I always go and get those great sandwiches."
Is there a sandwich named for you?
"Not yet. They should, though. That would be a good thing."
