Disgraced former NFL player Darren Sharper has been removed from the Hall of Fame at his alma mater, William & Mary, after pleading guilty to being a serial rapist.
“After a period of thoughtful deliberation, the decision has been made to remove Darren Sharper from the William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame,” Athletic Director Terry Driscoll said in a statement. “We view induction into this group as the highest individual honor for a former William & Mary athlete, and criteria for selection include both athletic excellence and citizenship. In light of Darren’s recent guilty plea, we decided his removal was the right course of action.”
Shortly after Sharper was identified as a suspect in several rape cases, a debate emerged about whether he should be declared ineligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But the reality is that Sharper, while a good player, wouldn’t be a Pro Football Hall of Famer even if he were a model citizen. That makes Sharper’s eligibility a debate the Pro Football Hall of Fame doesn’t need to have.
The William & Mary Hall of Fame, however, was faced with the debate and forced to conclude that Sharper is a man the school does not want to be associated with.