Shannon Sharpe bats for brother Sterling Sharpe's place in Pro Football Hall of Fame
Shannon Sharpe is, without a doubt, one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. His revolutionary skillset helped to not just lead John Elway and the Denver Broncos to two straight Super titles, but redefine his position as well.
His unique talents and delectable personality helped him get enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2011, but he believes someone else close to him also deserves the nod as well.
On Tuesday, Rob Westerman III, the moderator of the GBP Daily social media channel posted a highlight reel of Sharpe's older brother Sterling, who played wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers before a neck injury forced him to retire at just 29.
He advocated for Sterling's induction, making sure to mention Sharpe in his post:
Your daily reminder that Sterling Sharpe deserves to be in the NFL Hall of Fame. Ain’t that right @ShannonSharpe?!
Sterling Sharpe in 7 seasons with the #Packers:
- 595 catches
- 8,134 yards
- 65 TDs
- 3x All-Pro
- 5x Pro Bowl
#GoPackGo
pic.twitter.com/HjuLc5qkDU
Upon seeing the video, the eight-time Pro Bowler replied:
AGREED twitter.com/gbpdaily/statu…
Does Sterling Sharpe deserve a place in Canton?
Sterling Sharpe has the numbers and accolades that warrant his status as a potential Hall of Famer, even if he played only seven seasons and did not each the playoffs until his sixth.
During his seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Sterling Sharpe amassed 595 receptions and 65 touchdowns on 8,134 yards. From those statistics, he also led the leagoe in various statistics multiple times:
- 1990 - receptions (55)
- 1992 - receptions (108), receiving yards (1,461), and receiving touchdowns (13)
- 1993 - receptions (112)
- 1994 - receiving touchdowns (18)
He also made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro first teams in that short span.
Regarding brevity of career, Shannon Sharpe's Denver teammate Terrell Davis also played only seven seasons, but was inducted in 2017 on his impressive body of work: two Super Bowl titles, including the MVP in the first, a regular-season MVP, and other accolades.
Playoff success also does not have to be taken into account. Detroit Lions legends Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson won just a single playoff game between them, while the Cleveland Browns' 2023 inductee Joe Thomas was often, if not always, one of the NFL's laughingstocks during his 11 years there.
What is Sterling Sharpe doing now?
After his retirement, Sterling Sharpe returned to football as an analyst. He initially started at ESPN before joining the NFL Network, with a stint at NBC in between.
He soon left his analyst job to become a golfer, even attempting to enter the 2017 US Senior Open. He would eventually admit to Sportsnet in 2018:
"I don’t follow football anymore."
Sterling was a senior semi-finalist for the Hall of Fame this year but was not inducted. However, he still has a chance come 2024.