Aaron Sparrow facts for kids

Aaron Sparrow, born on January 27, 1972, is a former American football quarterback. He played professionally for several teams. These included three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL). He also played college football at Norfolk State University.

Early Life and High School Success

Aaron Sparrow grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia. He played high school football at Woodrow Wilson High School. He was a top player in his area. He earned the All-Tidewater Player of the Year award in both 1989 and 1990.

Sparrow also received Parade All-American honors. He helped his team win a state championship. During his high school career, he threw for 78 touchdowns. He also gained 5,182 passing yards.

College Football Career

Sparrow first planned to play for the Virginia Cavaliers. However, he later transferred to Norfolk State University. He played for the Norfolk State Spartans from 1992 to 1995.

During his college career, he completed 617 passes. He threw for 8,758 yards and 79 touchdowns. He was chosen for the All-CIAA team three times. In 1994, he was the CIAA Offensive Player of the Year. He shared this award in 1995.

Sparrow was also named a Division II All-American twice. This was in 1994 and 1995. In 1994, he passed for 3,212 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Norfolk State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

Professional Football Journey

Aaron Sparrow began his professional career in 1996. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was released by the team in June 1996.

Arena Football League (AFL) Teams

In 1997, Sparrow played two games for the Nashville Kats in the AFL. After that season, he tried out for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL.

He then played one game for the Grand Rapids Rampage in the 1998 AFL season. He completed 13 of 16 passes for 171 yards. He also threw two touchdowns. During this game, he hurt his shoulder while trying to tackle a player. He needed surgery and missed the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

af2 League Success

In 2000, Sparrow played for the Augusta Stallions in the af2 league. He had a fantastic year. He completed 335 passes for 4,000 yards. He also threw 78 touchdowns. His passer rating was 122.94. He also ran for 54 yards and scored eleven rushing touchdowns.

Because of his great performance, he was named af2 Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned First Team All-af2 recognition.

More AFL and af2 Teams

Sparrow signed with the Buffalo Destroyers of the AFL in October 2000. He was later placed on injured reserve. He was released by the Destroyers in July 2001.

On November 27, 2001, he joined the Carolina Cobras of the AFL. In the 2002 season, he threw 14 touchdown passes for 595 yards. He was released by the Cobras in November 2002.

In 2003, Sparrow played for the Norfolk Nighthawks in the af2. He completed 239 passes for 3,006 yards. He also threw 51 touchdowns. At this time, he was the oldest player on the team.

His final professional season was in 2004. He played for the Wichita Stealth in the af2 league.

AFL Career Statistics

Stats from ArenaFan: