Former NFL star Darren Sharper pleaded no contest Monday to drugging and raping two women in Los Angeles as part of a broader plea deal in four states that will send him to federal prison for nine years. Sharper, 39, acknowledged the crimes in Los Angeles Superior Court after pleading guilty by video link to sexual assault in Arizona. Sharper wearing a striped, light blue suit, said he was entering the plea because it was in his best interest.

He had faced up to 33 years in prison if convicted of all counts against him in California.