Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9410030027
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Mostly, Sharper was hoping to regain the starting job he had lost as a junior and, just maybe, attract some Division I-AA college interest.
``It was about this time of year when I got my first film of him,'' Virginia assistant coach Ken Mack said Tuesday. ``I looked at probably four plays and, while I can't say I knew then he would be a big-time prospect, I told myself, `I'm going to recruit this kid.'''
Actually, it only took one play.
``On the first play of the game, it was like he was shot out of a cannon,'' Mack said. ``All I could say was `Damn!' I remember it like it was yesterday. Mike Archer was in the next office and he yelled over, `What's going on in there?'
``Mike was our linebackers coach at the time, and I told him, `You've got to see this.' I ran back that one play and he said, `I don't need to see any more. We need to recruit this kid.'''
Archer never had an opportunity to coach Sharper, who was redshirted in 1992, Archer's final year at Virginia before moving to Kentucky as defensive coordinator. What he missed was potentially one of the best linebackers to come through the UVa program.
Sharper finished second on the team with 99 tackles last year, when he started only six of 11 games. This year, he has a team-high 29 tackles after three games. He leads the ACC in tackles for a loss with six for 31 yards.
``To me, he's played well,'' head coach George Welsh said Tuesday, ``but he's not close to reaching his potential. I think he has unlimited ability that hasn't all come together yet. He has good instincts, he's tough, he's got speed and quickness.''
At 6 feet 3 and 229 pounds, Sharper also has good size to go with 4.5-second speed for 40 yards. But, Sharper is quick to point out, he isn't as fast as UVa's other outside linebacker, James Farrior.
Defensive coordinator Rick Lantz said during the preseason that UVa has ``more speed at the linebacking positions than any place I've ever been, and that includes the [New England] Patriots and Notre Dame.''
Despite his speed and size, Sharper went unnoticed until midway through his senior year in high school.
``I definitely thought I could play I-A; I just needed the chance to prove it,'' Sharper said. ``The bad part about my play is, I play to the level I'm at, especially against the scout team in practice. Sometimes I don't work as hard as I should.''
Motivation will be no problem for Sharper on Saturday, when the Cavaliers meet William and Mary at 1 p.m. at Scott Stadium. Sharper's younger brother, Darren, starts at free safety for the Tribe and has a team-high four interceptions.
Even in the context of Jamie's swift development, few Division I-A programs recruited Darren, who played quarterback in high school.
``We really wanted to recruit him, but it was tough to project him [for another position],'' Mack said. ``He was a good student, he was family, he was from right down the road. You never want to make a mistake with a kid like that. It was a tough call.
``They were both late-bloomers. That was something the dad told me and something the coach [Gus Allen] told me.''
If not for Harry Sharper Sr., a one-time All-CIAA tight end at Virginia State, the Cavaliers wouldn't have signed Harry Jr., better known as Jamie. When he returned from a recruiting visit to South Carolina, he was ready to commit to the Gamecocks.
``I had the mind set that I had to have a better time here for [Virginia] to beat out South Carolina,'' Jamie said. ``After my visit, I came home and told my mother and father that I wanted to go to South Carolina.''
Sharper said he was blinded to what Virginia had to offer, especially academically, by the opportunity to play as a freshman at South Carolina
``They [his parents] had pretty much stayed out of it before that,'' Sharper said, ``but then they sat me down and started talking to me. South Carolina wanted me to get it over with. They said, `Go ahead and call Coach Mack now and tell him you're coming down here.' They kept pushing, but as I weighed the pros and cons, I felt I couldn't pass up a scholarship to Virginia.' ''
The Sharpers couldn't have known then that Darren would be going to William and Mary, but Saturday's game is one occasion the family has been anticipating for a while.
``To lose to [William and Mary] would be a slap in the face,'' said Jamie, who no doubt would endure a lifetime of razzing. ``I saw them this weekend, and I'd have to say we have to worry about them more than they have to worry about us.''
by CNB