Jim Scharrer is at ease.
At Saturday's spring scrimmage at Wallace Wade Stadium, the 6-foot-4 280 pound recruit seems like most of the other future freshman trying to adjust to Division I football. But unlike the teenagers of the class of 2005, Scharrer is 24-years-old, and his path to Duke involved six years of playing minor league baseball.
Those years were often frustrating, as his baseball career floundered. But now the congenial Erie, Pa. native is comfortable with his future, finding at Duke a mix of academics and athletics that fits his personality well. "He decided baseball wasn't his future at the national level he had hoped to play at," coach Carl Franks said. "He realized that he wanted to go somewhere where he could play football and come out of here with a degree."
As a star first baseman in high school, such a plan might have been absurd to Scharrer, who appeared to be a lock for the major leagues. His dreams seemed to have been realized when he entered the draft six years ago and was taken in the second round by the Atlanta Braves. Despite being recruited to play football by some of the biggest programs in the country, Scharrer never thought twice about heading straight for baseball. But now that he is at Duke, the benefits of being able to play sports and get an education are clear to him.
"[I played with] guys like [current Braves] Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal, John Rocker," he said. "It was neat, and I do miss that. But I know what's best for me."
The Braves gave him a $250,000 signing bonus, and Scharrer admits that the six-figure bonus and being a second-round pick raised expectations for him to an unhealthy level. Starting out in the minors, his average languished around .200 and the closest he came to making the majors was Double A.
Forced to work odd jobs during the offseason, Scharrer saw himself drop from a top prospect to someone just struggling to maintain his career. The frustration built to a peak in 1998 when, after improving in 1997, he had a season he simply described as "horrible."
Ever since that year, Scharrer had been ready to give up on baseball, but it was not until last winter that such an opportunity arose. It was then that a fortunate visit to his former high school by Duke offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris resulted in a scholarship offer. Since that time, Scharrer has re-established his priorities, which now revolve around excelling in the classroom rather than hitting a curveball.
"I'm older and a little more mature now," Scharrer said. "I know how good it is now to be going to a place like Duke."
Scharrer said maturity has given him an appreciation of what the college experience can do for him in the long run. He hopes to enter the business world in some capacity after graduation, and his first priority in the next four years will be preparing himself in the classroom for this future. "That's totally out of the cards," said Scharrer of any future in professional sports. "I would like to do something with business, but I am not sure exactly what right now."
On the football field, Scharrer will play linebacker, giving Duke some much-needed depth. Although his size and muscle are ideal for the position, he barely touched a football in the last six years, meaning this spring has been especially important for Scharrer in preparing for the upcoming season.
In Saturday's scrimmage, Scharrer showed some room to grow, missing a few tackles that he admitted he should have made. But his ability was evident also, as he showed off his above-average quickness and ability to make big plays.
Appreciative fans got a glimpse of what he can do late in the game, as he came up with a fourth quarter interception. Franks was impressed as well, and said Scharrer has the potential to start this fall depending on how much he improves during the rest of the off-season.
"Coming from baseball, we just didn't know how he was going to adjust to the collision factor," Franks said. "I was very pleased about the way he adjusted out there [Saturday]."
Franks even singled him out after the scrimmage as one of the players who played particularly well, high praise for someone fresh off hitting baseballs for six years. Afterward, Scharrer received the Most Improved Defensive Player award for his performance all spring.
The good start is encouraging for him, but his baseball experiences have taught him to set realistic expectations. A place in the starting squad for the Blue Devils' opener against vaunted Florida State would be special, but the mature Scharrer will not be one to let his head get too big.
"I've got a ways to go," Scharrer said. "In high school, I just ran around and tackled the guys. Here, I've got to be in a certain position on each play, so it's an adjustment."
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