Getting to know: Darryl Sharpton

Each week I'll feature a different Washington Redskins player, asking them a handful of questions that, hopefully, gives you more insight into who they are away from the field.

Player: Darryl Sharpton
Age: 26
Position: Linebacker
College: University of Miami
Year in NFL: 5th

Best season: 2013. He started eight games and recorded a career-best 55 tackles with two forced fumbles.

Person you most admire: "I'm a big boxing fan so I always admired Muhammed Ali for his competitive nature and the way he works, his attitude, the way he approached things. His confidence. I always admired him."

Biggest obstacle you've overcome: "The injury when I tore my quad tendon (in 2011). You have a major injury, there's a chance maybe you can't come back from that and rehabbing from that and staying positive and not going into the tank and coming back and being a productive player afterward…That's one thing that sticks out in my mind."

Favorite football moment: "It was probably the game where I came back from the injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars and I had probably one of my best NFL games. I think I was second on the team in tackles. They were going to ease me in but they needed me and we ended up winning in overtime and I made some really big hits all over the field. It was a great game. Very memorable."

Most overrated part of pro sports: "I guess when you get so used to being in the big arenas, the crowd and the number of people around you doesn't affect you as much as you think. Once you lock into the game you can play against a team with no crowd or a big crowd. So the effect of the crowd is a little overrated."

Most underrated part: "Never thought about this. I guess just the stress and the pressure. You can't take anything for granted. You have to come out every day and prove you belong on a team no matter if it's midseason or training camp. It's just a lot of the pressure and stress that people go through, every individual is under an enormous amount of stress. It's a year-round thing. You have to watch what you eat year-round. It's really non-stop working and non-stop under the microscope. That's something people don't realize."

What did you dream of being when you were a kid: "With my dad being 5-6, I didn't necessarily think I was being bred to be an NFL linebacker. I was going to follow my dad's footsteps. My family has a financial background. I got a degree in finance so I was looking to be an accountant or in wealth management. That's something I found interesting and always saw myself doing."

What's something people don't realize about you: "I speak Spanish and I speak it well. I started learning it in first grade; I was in a language program in Miami."

What topic riles you up: "I'm really into politics. If I hear people talking about politics and I feel they don't know what they're talking about it might rile me up. But as far as football is concerned it's who's a hard hitter. I might be, ‘Oh, man I want to be in that discussion.' If someone tries to challenge me on the physicality of the game, that will light a fire into me to let you know I'm here."


(espn.com)