| abstract | - Phillippi Dwain Sparks (born April 15, 1969) is a former American football player in the National Football League. Sparks graduated from Maryvale High School in Phoenix, Arizona in 1987. He then attended and played football for Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona from 1987 through 1989. Sparks played a key role on Glendale Community College's 1988 National Junior College Athletic Association national championship football team. He then attended Arizona State University, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He was drafted by the New York Giants as the 13th pick in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played left cornerback opposite Jason Sehorn for six years and formed a talented defensive backfield tandem. He played for the Giants until 1999. In 2000, he was signed by the Dallas Cowboys. Sparks announced his retirement on August 28, 2001, having played for nine seasons. He now resides in New York City. His ex-wife, Jodi Sparks, is an entrepreneur. He is the father of son Phillippi Jr. and daughter Jordin, Grammy-nominated pop singer and the winner of the sixth season of American Idol in 2007.
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