William & Mary takes Darren Sharper out of Hall of Fame

The alma mater of Darren Sharper is distancing itself from the convicted rapist.

William & Mary removed the former defensive back from its Athletics Hall of Fame Monday, according to Bruce Rader of WAVY-TV.

Sharper, who was drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Packers, was given a nine-year sentence after agreeing to a plea deal for numerous sexual assault charges in late March.

He played with the Tribe from 1993-96, where he was named to the All-Yankee first-team three times.

The program's athletic director Terry Driscoll released a statement on the action.

After a period of thoughtful deliberation, the decision has been made to remove Darren Sharper from the William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame. 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.