The Mistakes Made by Darren Sharper

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 investigationthat 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.