Vernon Sharp Explained

Vernon Sharp
Birth Date:30 November 1906
Birth Place:Nashville, Tennessee
Death Place:Brentwood, Tennessee
Pastschools:Vanderbilt (1926 - 1927)
Currentposition:Center
Highlights:All-Southern (1927)
Weight Lb:181
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
School:Vanderbilt Commodores

Vernon Hibbett Sharp, Jr. (November 30, 1906  - April 5, 1991) was a college football player and coach.

Early years

Vernon Sharp, Jr. was born in Nashville on November 30, 1906 to Vernon Hibbett Sharp and Lorene Seleney Dandridge. His older brother Alfred Sharp was also a Vanderbilt center.

Vanderbilt University

He was a prominent center for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University.[1] He was in the same class as the quarterback to whom he snapped the ball, College Football Hall of Fame member Bill Spears.[2]

1927

Sharp was captain of the 1927 team,[3] which included the nation's leading scorer in running back Jimmy Armistead.[4] Sharp received the second most All-Southern votes of any center, behind Elvin Butcher of Tennessee. Sharp arguably had the better season, but was seen as having been outperformed by Butcher in the Vanderbilt - Tennessee game.[5] Sharp was suffering from a knee injury at the time, including the week before against Georgia Tech and Peter Pund. He was called by coach McGugin the greatest Vandy center since Stein Stone.[6]

Coaching career

In 1936, he coached Vanderbilt's freshmen team.

Notes and References

  1. News: Spears Given Highest Vote in Selection. November 27, 1927. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  2. News: Vernon Sharpe, Vanderbilt Star Center. The Waco News Tribune. 7. October 13, 1927. May 13, 2015. Newspapers.com.
  3. Web site: Vanderbilt Trio of Underclassmen to Captain 2003 Squad; Team Without Senior Captain for First Time Since World War I. June 9, 2003. July 20, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20091126025534/http://www.vanderbilt.edu/commodores/football/pressbox/releases/030609.htm. November 26, 2009. dead. mdy-all.
  4. Book: SEC Football Trivia. Ernie Couch. 30 July 2001. 9781418571788.
  5. News: Four Georgia Grid Stars Voted Places On United Press Conference Team. November 23, 1917. Banner-Herald.
  6. Web site: 1927 Vanderbilt Commodores.