RECRUITING: With football and classroom in mind, Sierra Vista rusher Sharp chooses Princeton

Akil Sharp was a workhorse running back at Sierra Vista, but his hard work didn’t end there.

The senior carries a 4.5 grade-point average and has career interests in biology and medicine.

Sharp will get the best of both worlds by continuing his career at Princeton. He said Thursday he has signed with the Tigers.

“Football is obviously only going to last so long,” Sharp said. “It’s the love of my life, my passion, but after that, you’re done and you’ve still got 70 years of your life to live. That (Princeton) diploma is going to get me any job I want.”

Sharp drew earlier interest from UCLA, California and Stanford. He had multiple offers from Ivy League schools.

Sharp rushed for 1,646 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior for the Mountain Lions, who had a 5-6 record. He also made 60 tackles at linebacker.

The 5-foot-9-inch Sharp, who has been told he will play running back for the Tigers, said he has bulked up from 185 pounds during the season to 205. His goal is to bench-press 405 by next month.

“I’m looking forward to doing really well out there,” Sharp said. “I’m getting pretty big and strong. I’ve been hitting the weight room really hard.

“I’m working hard, trying to get powerful to become the best college player I can be.”

Though Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships, Sharp said he has had discussions with the school about financial aid.

“That’s something we’re talking about with money,” he said. “They pay for however much; it’s just a matter of me going there and seeing how much.”

Sharp said he has the ability to play in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), but the opportunity to play at Princeton was too good to pass up.

“I understand I have the D-I caliber ability, the build,” he said. “But when I took a step back, I realized there are not too many chances of getting into Princeton. The education alone is going to blow everything out of the water.”