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No matter how difficult the task--running a precision pass pattern, chasing down a fly ball or making the decision to further his education--Carl Sharperson Jr. had the knack for making it look smooth and effortless.
Sharperson attended Spotsylvania High School from 1967-71, when the Knights were attempting to establish themselves against the Battlefield District heavyweights like James Monroe, Stafford and Orange. It was also a time of adjustment as blacks and whites tried to coexist at the recently integrated school.
"I knew kids who were afraid to ride the school bus," said Sharperson, who is now 49 and serves as president and CEO of Sharpersons' Executive Leadership in Clemson, S.C. "My family had just moved from the inner city in Washington D.C. to Spotsylvania County.
"There were two schools back then. I was thinking about going to John J. Wright [the county's black high school], but my parents insisted I attend Spotsylvania."
Sharperson lettered two years in football and baseball and also ran track one year. He also played a pivotal role as the Knights captured the district's baseball title in his junior year.
Spotsylvania's Ernie Pennington and James Monroe's Dennis Dodson were locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel in the sixth inning at Maury Stadium when the Jackets' Jack Cullen drilled a potential extra-base hit down the right field line.
"Carl ran a long way to make a spectacular cross-the-body catch just inside the foul line," recalled Pennington, who serves as the recreation director for Spotsylvania County.
The Knights scored twice in the top of the eighth to capture the late-season contest and assure themselves of the league title.
"Carl was one of the first blacks to play for our team," said Hal Sparks, the Knights' football and baseball coach from 1966-70. "He was a tall, lanky kid who didn't have much of a baseball background, but he had athletic ability. And he had a great work ethic. He would stay after practice to do the extra little things to become successful."
Sharpenson filled the role as the Knights' leadoff batter, had a knack for stealing bases and hit around .350 his junior year.
Sharperson had a high regard for Sparks both as a coach and friend. The two reminisced about their past experiences when both attended Sharperson's 30th class reunion last year.
"Coach Sparks was a lot like Vince Lombardi. He was an emotional speaker," Sharperson said.
Sharperson's baptism under fire on the football field proved to be a gut-wrenching experience. As a sophomore, he was one of several players brought up from the junior varsity team to dress for a late-season game against Woodbridge. The Knights trailed 7-0 until Tommy Luck hauled in a "Hail Mary" pass from Willie McGee late in the contest.
Sparks, who now serves as the president of the Youth Outreach Foundation in Baltimore, showed no hesitation in sending out Sharperson to kick the extra point, and the Knights escaped with a tie.
Sharperson played his senior year for new coach Ken Brown and won all-district honors as both a receiver and defensive back. He also was selected the football team's most valuable player.
Later, Sharperson was one of three Spotsylvania athletes who attended a meeting with a Navy recruiter.
"The Vietnam war was still going on, but I listened to what he had to say," said Sharperson. "I talked to my father and he thought it would be a great opportunity for me. I wanted to go to college and it was the best value for the money."
After attending the Marine Military Academy in Arlington, Texas, to bolster his core curriculum, Sharperson received his appointment at the U.S. Naval Academy and played wide receiver for three seasons under coach George Welsh.
Sharperson witnessed his greatest playing time as a sophomore--the same year the Midshipmen snapped Army's three-year winning streak with a 51-0 victory.
Sharperson enlisted with the Marine Corps upon graduation in 1976, attended Naval Flight School at Pensacola, Fla. and then served on active duty transporting troops by helicopter in the Mediterranean.
Sharperson has held senior positions for several national firms, including Proctor and Gamble, Frito-Lay, Colgate Palmolive and Dunlop golf equipment. Two years ago, he created his own enterprise, that specializes in executive career coaching, productivity improvement and organizational development.
Sharperson and his wife, Jacqueline, have two children: son Carl III, 13, and daughter Casey, 11.
DO YOU KNOW the whereabouts of a former star area athlete--or want us to find one? Contact Kurt Nicoll at The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401,
by fax at 373-8455, by phone
at 374-5441 or by e-mail
at knicoll@freelancestar.com.