Shannon Sharpe reveals how close he was to being cut before in rookie campaign
Apart from occasionally being involved in NBA courtside scuffles, Shannon Sharpe is known nowadays for his hot takes and humorous comments.
The former Denver Broncos superstar etched out a Hall of Fame career for himself over his 14-year career in the NFL. Winning three Super Bowls and getting multiple Pro Bowl nods along the way, Sharpe established himself as one of the greatest tight ends of all time.
But his storied career might never have taken off. While that idea is difficult to wrap one's head around, it was something that was very close to actually happening back in 1990.
Shannon Sharpe almost got cut before his Hall of Fame career even started 🤯
@ShannonSharpe @tkelce @JasonKelce https://t.co/QRGK2ZYi4y
While appearing on the New Heights podcast hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, Sharpe revealed how close he was to being cut before even seeing out a season in the NFL:
"I was on the board to get cut. I was one of the last 12-14 guys to get cut. I was a seventh-round draft pick. That was my rookie year 1990. I’ll never forget this, we’re playing the Arizona Cardinals and one of the coaches came to me and said, 'Shannon, your name is on the board to get cut. Now you might, you might not but your name is on the board'.' He said, ‘What you should do is go out there and bust your ass."
Sharpe, though, rose to the occasion to put in an outing to remember. He said:
"I didn't get into the game on offense until the fourth quarter. I cut everything to move. I cut the referee. If you moved you were cut... When I hit the line, I was in full speed."
Sharpe set the benchmark for multiple future star tight ends to come, including the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, and Travis Kelce himself to name a few.
Shannon Sharpe trolls LeBron James over his football skills
LeBron James has claimed in the past that teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks had tried wooing him to the NFL. While James politely declined the offer, many were left wondering what impact the NBA star could have had on the league.
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Sharpe too was asked about the same on the Kelce brothers' podcast. His reaction was as blunt as ever:
"Hell no! He don’t know how to get out of press. They gonna press him, you’d be foolish not to press him, because he is going to jump over the top of you and catch it."
Fans can speculate all they want about how LeBron would've fared in the league. But for now, the LA Lakers star has his sights fixed on guiding his side to the NBA finals.