Shannon Sharpe (born June 26, 1968) is an American former professional footballtight end who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Denver Broncos. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he ranks third in tight end receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.[1][2][3] He was also the first NFL tight end to amass over 10,000 receiving yards. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.[4]
Sharpe played college football for the Savannah State Tigers and was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL draft. During his 12 non-consecutive seasons with Denver, he was selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pros, and won two consecutive Super Bowl titles. In between his Broncos tenures, Sharpe was a member of Baltimore Ravens for two seasons, with whom he received an eighth Pro Bowl selection and won a third Super Bowl title. Sharpe retired as the NFL leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns by a tight end. Following his retirement, Sharpe appeared as an analyst for The NFL Today on CBS Sports and co-hosted Skip and Shannon: Undisputed on Fox Sports 1 with Skip Bayless from 2016 to 2023.
Early life and education
Sharpe, the younger brother of former NFL star wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, grew up in Glennville, Georgia, where he was an all-state player in three sports at Glennville High School.[5] He once joked, "We were so poor, a robber once broke into our house and we ended up robbing the robber."[6] He commented, "I was a terrible student. I didn't graduate magna cum laude, I graduated 'Thank you, Lawdy!'"[7] At Savannah State University, he played football and basketball, and also competed in track and field. In track, he competed in jumping and throwing events.
Sharpe was a three-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection from 1987 to 1989 and the SIAC Player of the Year in 1987. He was also selected as a Kodak Division II All-American in 1989. He led the Tigers' football team to their best records in the program's history: 7–3 in 1988 and 8–1 in 1989. As a senior, Sharpe caught 61 passes for 1,312 yards and 18 touchdowns, including three games with more than 200 yards. Sharpe finished his college career with 192 receptions for 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns.[8] He was inducted into the Division II Football Hall of Fame in 2009, Savannah State's athletic Hall of Fame in 2010,[9] and the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.[10]
Professional career
Despite his stellar college career, Sharpe was not considered a highly rated prospect in the 1990 NFL draft. In addition to playing Division II college football, Sharpe's size (6'2", 230 pounds) was considered too large for a receiver and too small for a tight end. He was eventually selected in the seventh round with the 192nd pick by the Denver Broncos.[11] After two mediocre seasons as a receiver in which he caught just 29 passes, Denver converted him to a tight end. This quickly paid off, as Sharpe caught 53 passes in his third season.[8] He remained with Denver until 1999, winning two championship rings at Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII in the process.[12] After a two-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, where he won another championship ring at Super Bowl XXXV, he returned to the Broncos. He played there until 2003.[13] From there, he retired to become an NFL analyst for CBS.
Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens' general manager, said of Sharpe during his career: "I think he's a threat when he's on the field. He has to be double-teamed. He's a great route-runner. He's proven that he can make the big plays. That's what separates him. He's a threat." Sharpe was selected to the All-Pro Team four times, played in eight Pro Bowls (1992–1998, 2001) and amassed over 1,000 receiving yards in three different seasons. In a 1993 playoff game against the Los Angeles Raiders, Sharpe tied a postseason record with 13 receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown. In the Ravens' 2000 AFC title game against the Oakland Raiders, he caught a short pass on third down and 18 from his own four-yard line and took it 96 yards for a touchdown, the only touchdown the Ravens scored, en route to a 16–3 Ravens' win. As of 2024, this remains the Ravens' longest offensive play in team history. Sharpe also caught a 50+ yard pass in each of their other two playoff games. He finished his 14-year career with 815 receptions for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns in 203 games.
Sharpe was among the 17 finalists being considered for enshrinement at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. However, he was passed over in his first year in a class that included Bruce Smith, Ralph Wilson, Derrick Thomas and Rod Woodson. On October 23, 2009, the NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame announced that Sharpe would be inducted in December of that year. In addition, Savannah State University also retired Sharpe's No. 2 jersey.[18]
2011 NFL Hall of Famers, including Shannon Sharpe (back row, center), with 2011 NFL Draft Class invitees
On November 28, 2010, Sharpe was nominated as a semi-finalist for induction into the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with Art Modell and 24 others, among them Jerome Bettis, Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk, and Deion Sanders. Subsequently, on February 6, 2011, Shannon Sharpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After his retirement, Sharpe has been a social media staple, going viral for his antics and sports commentary. He is also notably a huge supporter of NBA player LeBron James, referring to him as the greatest basketball player in NBA history.[19][20] He also appeared on the American Dad! episode "The Scarlett Getter", portraying himself.
Sharpe also has multiple podcasts: Club Shay Shay (which he hosts) and Nightcap (which he hosts with Chad Ochocinco Johnson and Gilbert Arenas).[22] The episode of Club Shay Shay featuring Bubba Wallace was selected by the Apple Podcasts editorial team on their "Apple Podcasts Best of 2021" list.[23][24] Both podcasts have been nominated for and won multiple awards for online media.
On February 10, 2023, former NFL quarterback Brett Favre began a lawsuit against Sharpe and fellow former NFL player Pat McAfee, as well as Mississippi auditor Shad White, for making "defamatory charges" about Favre's involvement in a $77 million welfare fraud scheme. A representative for Favre stated that Sharpe and McAfee "tried to enhance their careers by fabricating unsubstantiated defamation charges against [Favre]."[25] The lawsuit was dismissed by the United States District Court for the District of Mississippi and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal.[26]
In May 2023, Sharpe's home was burglarized with over $1 million worth of items stolen, according to several media reports. Obvious signs of forced entry were not found by the police. Sharpe announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.[27][28]
On May 31, 2023, it was announced that Sharpe would soon leave Undisputed after reaching a buyout agreement with Fox Sports.[29] On June 13, Sharpe co-hosted his last episode of Undisputed.[30] He later confirmed that he and Bayless had a falling out following an argument where Bayless compared Sharpe's NFL career to Tom Brady's.[31]
On August 23, 2023, it was announced that Sharpe and his Club Shay Shay podcast would join The Volume, a digital podcast network founded by Colin Cowherd under a multi-year deal.[32] The following day, Sharpe was announced to join First Take as a recurring panelist, beginning on September 4, 2023. He appeared every Monday and Tuesday during the 2023 NFL season.[33] On February 16, 2024, it was officially announced that Sharpe signed a contract extension to remain on the show.[34] In June 2024, Sharpe had officially signed a new multi-year contract extension with ESPN which will also allow him to expand his role on First Take.[35]
On September 11, 2024, Sharpe inadvertently made a sextape by starting an Instagram Live in which he was engaged in sexual intercourse, although only audio could be heard. Sharpe initially denied his involvement in the act, stating his account was hacked.[36] Later that night, he admitted on Nightcap that the video was authentic and apologized for his actions.[37] The following night, Nightcap streamed The Roast of Shannon Sharpe, with special guests including Lavell Crawford, Kai Cenat, Godfrey, Cam Newton, and Snoop Dogg.[38]
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