Somewhere in a
middle school library, there is a book called Pro
Football’s Stars of the Defense; and on the page dedicated to Darren
Sharper, it reads “[he] rarely makes mistakes. Using a combination of speed,
strength, and smarts, he has excelled.” Author Michael Sandler is right. In his
14-year
career in the NFL, Sharper accumulated 510 total tackles and 63 total
interceptions.
But, if Sandler
examined Sharper away from the field, “smarts” might not be the word to use.
Currently, Sharper is involved in an investigation
that includes as many as four cities, eight women, and charges punishable with
up to 30 total years in prison. Sharper, who took an analyst job with NFL
Network in 2012, appeared before a judge as recently as Friday, February 14,
2014. Sharper posted bail on January
17 after being arrested and has since been ordered to surrender his
passport, remain in L.A. County, abstain from entering nightclubs and bars, and
avoid scenarios in which he is alone with any female he did not know prior to
October 30, 2013.
Photo courtesy of newswhip.com.
The allegations about
the ongoing investigations now stretched across five states are similar in
chronology. Sharper met women in nightclub settings, usually in pairs, and left
with them to his hotel room or their own apartment. There, the women recalled
taking shots provided by Sharper before blacking out and waking up later with
no recollection of the events that had passed. Equally terrifying, each of the
women claim to have ‘come to’ during or shortly after being sexually assaulted
by Sharper. These stories span over a period from October 2013 to January 2014.
So, why did the
incidents happen? Darren Sharper is an all-pro-caliber retired NFL star. As
recently as 2010,
he was making more than $2.2 million in a single-season contract. The women who
reported the alleged sexual assaults went willingly to his hotel room or
invited him into their own homes, at least indicating a willingness to spend
more time with him. What motives did Sharper have?
Despite the
motives, the consistencies of the alleged victims from Tempe, Arizona to Miami,
Florida remain. No less than eight women in five states have come forward in a
matter of less than three months. The defensive star, which was praised for his
on-the-field “smarts,” seems to have made all his mistakes away from the
gridiron.
This is a very much so disappointing situation. As a defensive player I loved watching athletes like sharper play the game at a high caliber level. When it comes to off the field issues Sharper's problem seem to be a confusing one. You have a millionaire that allegedly has to rape woman. I am sure plenty of ladies will be willing to stay the night with him. If guilty this is probably a mental problem. This goes to show you no matter how talented the athlete they still have flaws just like anyone else. This will be a very interesting trial to see how everything plays out.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how many different unheard stories have been brought to my attention in the last couple of weeks. This story is one that, once again, I was unaware of and more importantly shocked by. It just perturbed me how these guys have so much going for them consistently find a way to mess it all up. There needs to be some kind of organization set up that helps guys like Sharper deal with the issues he may have, that way he can represent his team and more importantly himself in a humble and honorable way.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of this recent allegation either. It seems that many stories of this nature are covered up during a star players actual playing career, but enough is enough. Sharper landed a very promising job with the NFL network and still can't manage to control himself. It leads me to wonder if absolutely anyone held him accountable to these actions before it became public? He has played for numerous coaches at all levels - I would hope at least one of them tried to tame is unexcusable antics. Maybe an anonymous organization would be beneficial, but what about the teammates and coaches that were alongside him for a number of years.....that's my issue!
DeleteI wonder just as Jonathan does who was holding him accountable for his actions during his playing days? Surely this isn't a behavior that just came about at the conclusion of his career. NFL players are afforded so many opportunities that most people never have the resources to get access to so why not use his resources to work on these problems behind closed doors so that something like this wouldn't have a chance to come to light and potentially ruin his broadcasting career as well as take away his freedom??
DeleteThese athletes have all the money in the world but yet they somehow find a way to land themselves behind bars. It seems to be a common trend today in athletes. From DWI, to possession, and now something like this. It amazes me how it continues to happen at a very high rate, and not just with players but now with even owners too. But just like within any sports team there needs to be some type of accountability. I'm pretty sure that Mr. Sharper knows right from wrong but like most athletes money can buy them everything, or at least they think it can. In life all you have is your name, once it is messed up it is very hard to get back on track.
ReplyDeleteMark hits the nail on the head with this one. I think the simple fact is when you give a person too much power, in the form of money in this case, it can have a very negative impact on the person’s decisions. The person has the feeling of being invincible. This happens to numerous people who make colossal amounts of money. You see it all over the news very frequently. It is very unfortunate to happen to such a talented athlete, however he is indeed human. Everyone has their own personal struggles however having a lot of money is no excuse for acting on these struggles. I feel that this just means the person should have more accountability since he can't obviously make good decisions on his own.
ReplyDelete