Throwback Thursday 3.14.13 Jake Sharp (Football) 2006-09

March 14, 2013

As a senior at the University of Kansas in the fall of 2009, Salina, Kan., native Jake Sharp played in 10 games and rushed for 429 yards while catching 34 passes for 266 yards. He left KU with the 10^th-most rushing yards in school history with 2,239. He finished his career with 23 rushing TDs, third all-time.

In 2008 Sharp rushed for 860 yards in 13 games. He was named Honorable Mention All-Big 12. He became the first running back in KU history to record 100 receiving yards in a game when he accomplished the feat vs. Iowa State. Sharp finished his junior campaign with 25 catches for 283 yards.

Currently, Sharp co-owns the Salina Bombers, an indoor football team. He also owns Sharp Performance, a business that has training programs for youth and adults. In addition, he also manages a fitness center in Pratt, Kan., called Blythe Family Fitness.

What was your first experience on the KU campus?
“My first experience was when my roommate-to-be Tyler Lawrence and I came to watch the spring game when we were seniors in high school. We met up with Todd Reesing who came to KU a semester early; we thought he was pretty cool since he was already in college.”

What was your favorite on-field memory during your time at KU?
“When we beat Missouri in the last game of the regular season in 2008. It was the greatest team effort that I thought we put together. Everyone was pretty beat up and we came together to get the win. We were down and drove the field. It started to snow and Kerry (Meier) caught the TD pass from Todd (Reesing) with 27 seconds left in the game.”

What was your most memorable off-the-field moment at KU?
“Working with some of the finest academic advisors in college athletics, Paul Buskirk and Shanda Hayden. If it wasn’t for them, I am not sure I would have gotten through college. They pushed me and I ended up graduating from college with a GPA above 3.0. They reminded me why I was at KU and they were always around to keep me on the right track.”

Did you pursue a professional playing career after college?
“I had always hoped to play after college. Going into my senior season I thought I had a good shot, but we had a disappointing season. I got into camp with the (Chicago) Bears, but that did not work out. I sat out a year and then got into indoor football and played six games with the Wichita Wild. I ended up signing with the Omaha Nighthawks outdoor professional team, but I got cut there too. I then decided to put my career in my own hands and start my own business.”

What are you doing for a career now?
“I have my hands in three different things. I currently own Sharp Performance (sharp-performance.com) which is my business that I run out of an indoor facility in Salina, Kan. We have training programs for youth and adult fitness. I train a lot of high school and college athletes. I train pre-draft athletes and we write online training programs. I run speed camps and football camps for kids with NFL players through Sharp Performance.”

I also co-own the Salina Bombers indoor pro football team. What’s great about this is our players train at my indoor facility and we are trying to get our players moved up to the Canadian Football League and NFL. It’s a big week for the team. Our home opener and first game in team history is this Saturday versus Wichita.”

Finally, I manage a fitness center in Pratt, Kan., called Blythe Family Fitness. I did a speed camp at the grand opening of their facility last year and they liked what I did so they decided to hire me.”

What do you like most about being a team owner?
“I am familiar with the indoor game and professional game as a player so I can offer advice to players. I also saw things I did not like as a player, so I focus on the little things and make sure my players are being treated right. I can’t wait to send a guy from our team to the CFL or NFL; that’s what this is about for me. I will be just as excited as the player when he gets that shot.”

What do you like least about being a team owner?
“It’s hard for me to watch guys play in our league that should be given a shot in the NFL. It bothers me when I see guys in the NFL do all the wrong things, but there are guys in our league that do everything right, but haven’t been given a shot. It’s hard to see guys get overlooked.”