Jamie Sharper remembers joy of playing for Ravens, winning Super Bowl XXXV

The former Baltimore linebacker caught up with Nestor on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

pro bowl, play, baltimore, houston, ray lewis, sack, long, year, games, people, defense, gave, players, run, neil smith, ravens, mccray, tackles, talk, jamie

SPEAKERS

Jamie Sharper, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:00

Welcome back. It is the Budweiser sports forum. We are live in Houston it’s Super Bowl 38 It’s all brought to you by our friends at Toyota. And we are joined finally by a true world champion and a dear friend and a guy who’s you know making a name for himself and growing some decent dreadlocks down here the one the only number 55 In your playbook number one in your hearts Jamie sharp big

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Jamie Sharper  00:23

hair baby. Yeah, hi guys.

Nestor Aparicio  00:25

Are you trying to be like your brother’s teammates? Those guys got some some dreads

Jamie Sharper  00:31

they got a couple years old me man those guys are gonna feel a little bit longer. Kinzie is in our Harris l Harris.

Nestor Aparicio  00:37

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Interception right up.

Jamie Sharper  00:39

Those guys go to a little bit longer than me. So yeah, they gotta keep warm. Oh, they agree man. Oh man so cold. They need to heal their heads. Tell me you’re not sweating window here. Definitely. Like I have a status taking care of me like ever

Nestor Aparicio  00:50

get caught up in your helmet and

Jamie Sharper  00:54

Jimmy can’t be known. Can’t wear bandanas anymore. Thanks to Ray Lewis you know we gotta wear Jimmy calf now you know Ray Lewis to the outside of the band and Ray Lewis

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Nestor Aparicio  01:03

fell because he wears a raven jersey. That’s what it is. Now the good guy may love him the good guy they hate the Ravens man. You feel that down here?

Jamie Sharper  01:11

I felt when I was in Baltimore for that all over me

Nestor Aparicio  01:14

that you feel a little ignored a little on the outside being that you’re planning for this expansion team and all that

Jamie Sharper  01:20

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all over again. St. Louis. I was feeling when I was in 97 at Baltimore. I mean it’s your brand new team people trying to get to know you until you start winning games they will know who you are really and I think too we get these victories that in in in Houston Texas Land people not going to understand what we had to offer or whatever.

Nestor Aparicio  01:36

Nobody Houston’s listening. It’s not the same is it? Not the same here.

Jamie Sharper  01:41

Oh no, not at all. But you know football is big in Texas though man football same thing if you want a championship you’re world champion in Baltimore.

Nestor Aparicio  01:50

And that is the same you trying to teach people the right way down here. Oh,

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Jamie Sharper  01:52

there’s a young guy trying to learn 10 Learns what’s going on I wish I could teach DOM and and other coaches how to do it you know like Billy you know, like club man of Dan Baltimore man’s chill you know? Oh, capers got a foot up your backside it’s like Tom confidence came down here man really like military guy here? Yeah,

Nestor Aparicio  02:08

well, I mean, did it get that way like telling me about the good parts of Bill like now that you’ve played for someone else you played for Ted, you played for Brian, you play for Tom told me the good parts of why Brian pillock is liked by players why Baltimore’s a place where people want to come play well,

Jamie Sharper  02:22

I know that he tastes good. He’s He’s a player’s coach where he wants to play to go out there and perform and the maximum his ability. I mean, he doesn’t go out there and be like, alright, I sent you 100 And some plays you pass 100 Sometimes, you should know what to do. Now, since you practice all day all along. He’s more about All right, you guys want to be as fresh as possible, have your legs under you. You go out there and go to done what you had to do to be ready for the game. Let’s get veteran guys take care their business, he doesn’t go out and say alright, I did all I had to do as a coach is the players far they don’t get it done. He’s more like the players need to be as fresh as possible. I’m gonna try to get my stuff together the playbook and what have you together as much as possible where I can outsmart other coaches, and my players play better to your players. And that’s why I like a guy that trusted his guys go out and make plays and he tries to make sure you’re fresh for the whole year long. And I felt that difference going from 10 muchbetter to him where I’m nobody felt better the whole season. And with a feeling better whole season long. We’re able to go further into playoffs within that first year.

Nestor Aparicio  03:23

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For you to come down here and start this thing to be on the field the first night to be really good. I think you Briselli and a couple other guys they brought into you expecting pacella And you to be leaders and of course he had some injury problems that wasn’t there. You were the star of this football team last year you were there Ray Lewis right. Obviously not the same results or success or not same talent around you. That must be pretty difficult. The first six, seven months and I know Tony Agnone your dear agent from up in Towson, probably telling you that this is the way it had to be. You kind of sort of knew halfway through the Ravens season, you had a real good chance of being a Texan. Yeah,

Jamie Sharper  03:55

I don’t know if there’s possibility coming out here. And here I am, you know, kind of build up another team. Last year. It was fun, though. I mean, I had some of the guys around me, Eric Lin, Gary Walker, those guys was making plays for me and I was playing at a high level. But this past year, so my boys went down with injuries. And we had the most guys go into reserve as any team in the NFL and it showed with our record I mean, we were so close games but we couldn’t get it done the fourth quarter we didn’t have that veteran knowledge to get it done. And I was able to get through the season healthy, which I’m glad about and being honest on that field a whole season and you know, a lot of time on defense. I was able to have a lot of tackles you know and lead the league in tackles and what have you. And that shows you know that we need to get to another level of defense here and we need to keep these guys healthy.

Nestor Aparicio  04:37

Jamie sharper joining us down here in Houston. He is a member of the Houston Texans. You know, the Texas weren’t a team that anybody wanted to play. I mean, you gave both of these teams that are in the Super Bowl. You beat one you gave the other one overtime hell and maybe you beat them in the championship game wouldn’t have been in New England it might have been I can just say could have been anywhere.

Jamie Sharper  04:57

Yeah, we could. We could have hurt them a little bit. The Patriots mean came down to the overtime and we had a play where I even got a sack and got the ball back on like the 35 yard

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Nestor Aparicio  05:06

sack that’s like Virginia, old school, right? You’re gonna have to quarterback

Jamie Sharper  05:10

Yeah, I got a sack down here taking the ball, it’s taking the quarterback a lot, it’ll be at about a 35 yard line had a chance to be to kick a field goal. But we got pushed back about seven yards. And we had to put the ball back to those guys. And they were down to score. So it was a close game. But I think it shows you that the NFL, you know, anybody who went on to get any sick in any given Sunday. And to go out here and play hard every Sunday, I’m proud of what the Houston Texans did. You know, a lot of young guys were there to play hard and I know what was going on. But he wouldn’t have laid it on the line. I think next year, you can see how that’s gonna help us out. It’s gonna add more depth because there’s so many guys get hurt. Young guys have been playing so nicely. We have a lot of depth on defense that things will help us out a lot.

Nestor Aparicio  05:48

Just Baltimore feels like a long time ago to you that Oh, I mean, it feels like yesterday to you.

Jamie Sharper  05:52

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Yeah, especially talk about the Super Bowl run in that week before suitable and so much fun 2003 that long ago, but it’s like three years ago, you know, three, four years ago,

Nestor Aparicio  06:01

it’s starting to slip away. I mean, I don’t want to be like a Steeler fan. 28 years later, still talking about something that happened 20 years ago. It’s been three years now. And you almost feel like it’s you know, you want to earn another one. I know you do. I know Ravens. People will

Jamie Sharper  06:14

speak respect to all the things we did in Baltimore. They know how good our defense was. And they see the defense in Baltimore. Now to that same level. I mean, maybe I’ll put some of the guys in the Pro Bowl is ridiculous. Maybe that watch out. Like, they talked about San Francisco tonight as they’re like eight guys in the Pro Bowl. Absolutely. So bottom was getting respect, you know, and I think that’s good for the for the area, and it’s good for the team.

Nestor Aparicio  06:34

So individually or let’s array you Miss Ray, you talk to Ray, I mean, do you miss having that kind of guy around? Or do you like miss that guy?

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Jamie Sharper  06:42

I miss having him around, you know, because he’s such a good leader. But to the guys I missed them. I told him to Gusa and Sam Adams, I mean, those guys, I know the difficulty you have those guys up front hold people off for you. Anybody else? Anybody else me and those guys knew how to play that defense. We had that for three skiing with Marvin Lewis and let me run free. I mean, that was a great defense. I had many players Millau backs around the league, just envious of our defense and how free we run. And just hit guys down here just make plays in the backfield. I mean, they knew that it was the scheme, but they knew that we had a guy on the ground to make plays, and they always talked about that. Would you

Nestor Aparicio  07:15

say they’re unsung that people don’t? Goose kinda is the jokester and the prankster but nobody gave him credit. Sam came into his own god is Pro Bowl credit, whatever, but because of those big fat sloppy bodies and those big dances, nobody talks about them when they talk about me.

Jamie Sharper  07:30

Rob Burnett, Mike McCray, and it was land was definitely what kept us playing hard and kept the linebackers free

Nestor Aparicio  07:36

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but look at the jellies yeah Keith

Jamie Sharper  07:41

no she didn’t she was me yes we guys are gonna leave Atlanta come in and just could get a sack for you come in and can get make plays for you. We had we were so deep on defense even offense that year on our Super Bowl run no have a priest home as a backup. What he’s doing now, you know, you know, having a tie, he was a backup. I mean, we have so many so much depth. And I think that’s the type of type of death we’re trying to build here in Houston. And that’s why I’m happy to go with the next year and see what happens. Peter

Nestor Aparicio  08:06

struggled all year injuries he just had he just was nicked that he was right it was almost like that 99 season when he wasn’t really right yet he’s still going to the Pro Bowl you guys forge a relationship to two very similar players. I mean, a lot of people didn’t think you guys could coexist.

Jamie Sharper  08:21

Yeah, he did the sack guy he always gets some sacks no more like kind of like regular I go I’ll get a lot of tackles you know, kind of getting back on college. I guess I’m sad to say about five or six sacks but Elmore got it. We’re not gonna fill in Makita tackles you know, Peter was a straight sack guy coming from college and he’s a sack guy. Now. You know, that’s what he loves to do. And he goes out and plays outside lab requisition well, and has thrilled says he’s doing good things down into

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Nestor Aparicio  08:44

like a little Peters. Yeah, right. Right. Yeah. I mean, he’s ready to go. And he

Jamie Sharper  08:47

did his time. He’s, you know, he played with me. Yeah. But he’s made some good plays. I was gonna

Nestor Aparicio  08:51

go into the Pro Bowl. Yeah, as a special teams player. And he got dinged, but we didn’t have him in the playoffs. I mean, we didn’t play our playoff game with p and a Dallas and I still say to this day that you take those guys out, you gotta win it, you can’t win. You can’t win with those guys. Marvin, Marvin. He was here yesterday, he was adding media day. He Marvin is a rock star now.

Jamie Sharper  09:13

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Man made to go out and says that and turn the team around. I mean, what did he do for you? Man thing he had the energy that like right on its own the playing field, that’s energy was brought into the coaching room. He was always looking at different film and wanted to stress points of view looking at film, and did you have a knowledge of what you’re looking at here? Question guys right there in the meeting, like what plays coming on this specific formation or what these guys would come out with on this specific set of personnel groups. So you challenged guys mentally, and I think guys like that, you know, you don’t wanna go in there all the time and just fall asleep in meetings. He actually challenged guys from Toronto, he gets back home back in the day to rain. I mean, he’s had everybody so you had a look at your film and understanding we came to the meeting room, you might have not be asked the question, but you have to know what’s going on and know he’s talking about and that’s why So smart on defense we’re able to make somebody plays he’s a great guy

Nestor Aparicio  10:02

you know with Marvin, we’ve talked about you a lot because you were a challenge for him. You were one of the first guys to come in you would always say if I keep Jamie sharper focus, Jamie sharper is going to be a pro bowl incredible football player. And he always he would talk about you a lot. Yeah. And how much you wanted to drive you because he saw it in you.

Jamie Sharper  10:22

I’m gonna lay back and Marva was gonna make me go down and be a rah, rah guy. You know, he always wanted to try to pull a trigger. See what how I thought, but not that we can get into my head as much as possible, you know, but I realized that my third or fourth year just I gotta go out there and perform period. And I think we looked at me and Peter, and even Michael McCray, I mean, we a lot of guys had to change their style of what they were playing. In order to get to the defense to be successful. I mean, Mike McRae to give up on getting sacked to replay, he did actually play run defense, Peter had to learn how to play outside linebacker, and learn how to go out there and really practice and get to be able to go out and make plays on Sunday. I mean, a lot of guys who had to mature as players in that as those five years, and we were able to do it for that championship run. And that’s thanks to Marvin, and thanks to Jack Del Rio and a lot of guys. Well, everybody got credit now. Yeah, I would say about that ahead is to get that cut that job.

Nestor Aparicio  11:09

You know, people have been asked me a lot of the New York media come up to me and for quotes or whatever. And so what do you think of Donnie Anderson and I said, here’s a guy here that made the secondary better every year. I mean, whether it was will Demps or whether it was at Reed or whether it was Dwayne Starks whether it’s Chris McAllister or rob Woodson he when you rub up against those guys and they do well you’re gonna get credit just like you do. I mean, you went when you’re surrounding yourself with the Peter ball whereas in Ray Lewis is in a Marvin Lewis’s it makes everybody look good. Don has now taken the next logical step to become an intervention coordinator. What do you think of that?

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Jamie Sharper  11:41

I think it’s great man it’s great for Baltimore is grateful to the defensive staff mean that a lot of guys on the defensive begin jobs and I think Donnie is a guy that made a lot of guys better I think he told me Chris McAllister stepped on to their pro bowl level that he did that he talked about that secondary every time getting pigs I mean, who’s the secondary Coast daddy on hand to shine innocence so I mean Starks got paid this this doc got paid you know, that was for the Superbowl. Yeah, I mean, he’s a good guy. I wish the best to him he’s gonna do some good things in with the Jets. I think it’s good to see how the Ravens will do now they have somebody proven that demons getting pulled away you know, and see how they go fill those positions and fill those position of guys that were there put us to Bull Run and to keep those guys focus for another one. So it’ll be interesting.

Nestor Aparicio  12:24

Jamie sharper joining us here in Houston Superbowl 38. It’s all brought to you by Toyota. All right, let’s let’s get into Houston here and the town and you live here now you’re here. Most of the time

Jamie Sharper  12:34

we play without cables. You have to be here. You have to be here. Yeah, it’s like yeah, if you’re around is that like Baltimore?

Nestor Aparicio  12:40

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Super Bowls done. You know it’s a customer’s galvanized everything to bring that Oilers in Texas thing together. Yeah, this is good fun. I mean to have it here. And have you guys be a part of your three days three taxes. McKinney was by on Monday, David Carr was by yesterday. yearby. Today, we had Bob McNair here the other day, the owners. I mean, I think the taxis are doing everything they can do to get out into the forefront of this thing. But this solidifies this community for football.

Jamie Sharper  13:05

Definitely. I mean, this community loves football. I mean, the random times out of here and old is whatever they were back in the day, but they love football. And I think we talked about what we bring to this team and to this area is the love for hard work. dark caves steals the hardware you got here and you work hard to practice you work hard killing your Sunday. Work hard. And we did that let’s panacea you guys go down with injuries. We’re in every game and guys really did give full effort. I mean, it’s tremendous. Nothing can only help us out for next year. I mean, we get guys healthy guys, a lot of work all four quarters. We gotta win some games. We have to

Nestor Aparicio  13:41

have you folks as your brother. Games in and out mom coming one dad going? Yeah,

Jamie Sharper  13:45

they come out of the game. My father still driving the car all over states. My mother’s rattling right alongside of them sleeping in a car. It’s enjoyable to have them on road trips to have them travel down to Florida. To have them come to Houston stay for a weekend my father to enjoy the nice golf courses in Houston. It’s nice to have your family member supporting you and going to your games. And my brother’s doing well. in Green Bay. You know, they came they came a couple games away from getting to this game that’s hubo but it does a good things up there. As long as they go as far as bet five takes them. That’s all that is a big stretch to Darren. Now he has cornrows we had long here but he does have dreads. Alright, last

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Nestor Aparicio  14:21

thing for you. I’ll let you go after this on the way out the door. You did something that no athletes ever done. You bought an ad in the sun. And you express your love and support and and thanks to the people of Baltimore. And we had a lot of debate about whether it was contrived or whether it was Tony Agnone idea. Tony called in and said that was completely and totally your idea.

Jamie Sharper  14:45

Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t the first guy to do that. I remember. Neil Smith. I think he did it when he was in Kansas City. I think they cut him off of Denver when they cut him I think and he put it out in the paper I think Express No, hi. He loved the fans or what have you. I got it from him. Actually. I’ve seen him do it and then I know when I was in Baltimore the fans loved me so much I love the fans and they were so supportive that I didn’t want to just leave okay, this guy gets traded to expand the draft has never heard of, I want to let them know that I enjoyed their support for me when my all my charity endeavors and, and what they did for me on the field and different things in the area, I just want to show that no matter what show that is in the paper, so that they can hold on to and that’s why I did it and then get to it and set it up and talk to the guy that paid for it and stuff. So it was all me and I got it from Neil Smith. He did it before me, you know, he wasn’t sure

Nestor Aparicio  15:31

if it was ag known or an UnderArmour ad or Jamie sharp or from the heart or combination of all three. I didn’t know what it was. Yeah, it

Jamie Sharper  15:38

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can it could look those ways. But when you look at if you know me as a person, I don’t do anything that somebody else wants to do. My market president he is trying to make me do about 50 more interviews, but I’m not gonna do it. I do it I do it James I want to do to give you new things. I do what I want to do, you know, that’s the type of person I am, you know, and that’s something I had to get back to the fans because it gave so much to me and my five years in Baltimore, and I just had to get it back to him.

Nestor Aparicio  16:01

Well, good, man. You still give him back? Baltimore loves to hear from you like to see you’re doing well. I want to hear more noise in the playoffs last year, man, man, Jay Lou came down and ran run out right?

Jamie Sharper  16:11

Yeah, should they that was kind of bad. You know, I didn’t want to talk about that. But Jalen should have been a lot a lot longer, you know, but uh, he’s gonna make some plays get back to that. Get back to that ACL injury and make some plays with Jack down in Jacksonville.

Nestor Aparicio  16:23

You know, all you guys are always gonna be special to Baltimore. Yeah, the way we when you came in they were talking about Johnny you and letting you know took to my generation 2030 years now. They’re gonna be reunions and dinners and we all hope we live long enough. All right. Jamie sharper. Joining us live down here at Euston. It is super bowl. 38 always good to catch up with some old friends. Seeing the bling bling keeps showing that ravens ring off. We’re back for more from radio row in Houston. It is the Budweiser sports forum brought to you by Toyota