New Orleans Saints Darren Sharper ready to play again
Darren Sharper, safety for the New Orleans Saints, says that he is not ready to retire just yet.
He told a local newspaper that his injured knee and hamstring are now “110 percent” and that they feel stronger than ever before.
Sharper’s 14th season in the National Football League (NFL) was cut short due to the injuries, resulting in the five-time Pro Bowler posting only 16 tackles during the 2010 season.
"Oh man, I feel like two different people," Sharper said. "No pain, no swelling. I'm excited about the upcoming season, so I can get back to the level I was at in 2009."
In 2010, Sharper started in only one of the eight games that he played in. It was rather disappointing for him after he started in 14 games during the 2009, with nine interceptions in the season that led to the Saints winning Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis
Colts at the end of the season.
He also told the newspaper that he isn’t worried about the current NFL lockout creating a problem with his career with the Saints, or any other NFL team since he is a free agent once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.
"It's not stressful at all, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be playing football next year," Sharper said. "So once everything gets worked out, once football gets back started, that's when I'll start worrying about, 'OK, where am I going to wind up?'
"The Saints know what I am, and other teams know what I am," said Sharper.
After being drafted 60th overall in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of the College of William and Mary by the Green Bay Packers, Sharper started in 14 games, recording 19 tackles and two interceptions. In his second season, he started
in all 16 games and finished with 73 tackles.
In 2000, Sharper really broke out. He had 91 tackles, had the most interceptions in the league with nine and made his first Pro Bowl. His second Pro Bowl came in 2002 when he returned seven interceptions for 233 yards in only 13 games.
He was released by the Packers in 2005 and, after eight years with the team, was ranked fifth in Cheesehead history with 36 interceptions, 616 tackles, six sacks, 677 interception yards and five touchdowns. He then signed with the Minnesota Vikings and spent
four years with them. While with the Vikes, Sharper was selected to two more Pro Bowls, in 2005 and then again in 2007, bringing his total to four.
After he was released by the Vikings in 2008, he joined the New Orleans Saints in 2009 and made his fifth Pro Bowl.
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