Saints safety Darren Sharper intercepted Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez Sunday and took it back 99 yards for a touchdown, another career highlight for the man who might be the best interception returner in NFL history.
Sunday's touchdown was the 10th pick-six in Sharper's career, and it gives him the second most interception return touchdowns in NFL history. The NFL record book for interception return touchdowns now looks like this:
12-Rod Woodson
10-Darren Sharper
9-Deion Sanders
9-Aeneas Williams
9-Ken Houston
The pick-six off Sanchez was the second time this season that Sharper took one back more than 95 yards; in the Saints' Week 2 win over the Eagles, Sharper scored on a 97-yard interception return touchdown.
Sharper already has 275 interception return yards this season, giving him an excellent chance of breaking the NFL record for interception return yards in a season. The current record is held by Ed Reed of the Ravens, who had 358 interception return yards in 2004.
And Sharper may set another interception return record this season as well: If he leads the league in interception return yards, he would become the first player ever to lead the league in three different seasons. He previously led the league in interception return yards in 2002, when he played for the Packers, and in 2005, when he played for the Vikings.In his career, Sharper has 1,311 interception return yards, the third-most in NFL history, behind only Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders. Woodson's all-time NFL record of 1,483 career interception return yards is definitely within Sharper's reach.
Sharper isn't as flashy a player as Prime Time or as tough and physical a defensive back as Woodson, but he might just be the best interception returner in the history of the game
UPDATE: Sharper added a second interception later in the game.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-04-2009 @ 7:31PM
Pimp Daddy said...
WHO DAT,WHO DAT SAY THEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS?WHO DAT WHO DAT
Reply
10-04-2009 @ 9:58PM
abbienaidanmom said...
WE ARE NEW ORLEANS...HOO HOO HOO!!!!! WHO DAT BABY! 4-0
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10-05-2009 @ 10:17AM
robert said...
Best interception return ever? Please, go back and watch james harrisons return in superbowl 43!
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10-07-2009 @ 12:40AM
Michael said...
Robert can you read? It says returner!
10-05-2009 @ 1:31PM
SHERRY said...
If only we can lose the dead weight...Bush, once again we have this one player who thinks he's all that. He's not! We have a team now an awesome one he dose nothing to better this team, he needs to go we have all the champions we need.
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10-05-2009 @ 11:25PM
cantstopdrinkin said...
Ok 2 things i have on my mind but the first is first and Sherry please back up off Bush. I agree he dances way to much and all that but if u are watching every game you have to have seen the improvement from game to game from season to season. He is getting there and Payton needs to go down the road he keeps looking like he is with playing Bush in the slot and at WR period more. The reason I ask you as a fellow Saints fan to back off (and im not like a huge Reggie fan or anything, just a football and Saints fan) is because he draws a lot more attention on opposing team's defensive schemes then people notice just because they are mostly watching where the ball is. And if we traded him would you really wanna go against whoever we traded him to and those 4 seconds while the ball is in the air when we punt to him and when he gets a little space on a pass/run ? Well i dont. He will get better and in my opinion i think he could be an elite player if used 80-90% at WR. I think Payton is slowly moving him there so it wont damage his confidence to much....
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10-05-2009 @ 11:30PM
cantstopdrinkin said...
... And then the 2nd thing i had to say is about the actual topic... hahaha. Anyways , how about the Saints front office the last 3-4 years???!!! Brees, Vilma, Sharper, Shockey, Thomas, McCray, Greer, and O line. And then the picks - Colston, Ellis, Bush, O line, and Porter. But damn mostly Brees, Vilma, and Sharper ... three bad a$$ players and leaders....
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10-07-2009 @ 6:30PM
Ron said...
Sharper only signed a one year deal. If I was Loomis/Payton, I would try to convince Sharper to sign at least a one year extension. I know he is getting up in age, but the man can play ball. He is becoming to the defense, what Brees is to the offense. What a pairing, Greg Williams and Darren Sharper. Go Saints!!!
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