Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975) is an American convicted serial rapist and a former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football at William & Mary and was selected in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, where he spent eight seasons. Sharper played his next four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, while his final two seasons were as a member of the New Orleans Saints. Recognized as one of the league's top defensive backs during his career, Sharper was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time first-team All-Pro, along with being named to the second-team of the 2000s All-Decade Team. He ranks sixth in interceptions and is tied with Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson for the most defensive touchdowns. Following Sharper's 2010 retirement, allegations surfaced that he drugged and raped several women across various states, leading to him being charged in 2014. Sharper pled guilty to the rape and drug-related charges and was sentenced in 2016 to 20 years in prison. As a result of his guilty plea, he was removed from the William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame, while debate has loomed over whether his Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility should be disqualified. Early years Sharper has an older sister, Monica, and an older brother, Jamie. The Sharpers attended Hermitage High School in Henrico County, Virginia. Jamie played for the high school football team as a linebacker. Darren played for the varsity football and basketball teams. He was named to the honor roll, had perfect attendance in three of his four years, and was active in the foreign language club and student council. Hermitage honored Sharper with a display on their "Wall of Fame". Sharper graduated from Hermitage in 1993. College career Sharper attended the College of William and Mary, where he played for the William & Mary Tribe football team. In high school, Sharper primarily played quarterback. He wanted to be a quarterback at William & Mary, as well. The college coach, Jimmye Laycock, hinted to him that, as an alternative, Sharper might join the NFL (as a defensive back). During his college career, he earned All-America honors twice and was named first-team All-Yankee Conference selection three times. As a senior in 1996, he was the Yankee Conference Defensive Player of the Year after intercepting 10 passes