Tight ends in the NFL often have a personality that’s larger than the game. No one embodies this more than Shannon Sharpe. This legend from Chicago made a name for himself in Georgia, Denver, Baltimore, and eventually the rest of the world. There is so much to dissect about his background and the path he took to superstardom. 

Second-best in his family

Shannon Sharpe was born on the 26th of June in 1968 to Mary Alice Dixon and Pete Sharpe in Chicago, Illinois. They had another son named Sterling and the two brothers shared an enduring love for football while they were growing up in Glenville, Georgia.

Despite being so poor, Shannon had an undying love for competition. At Glenville High School, he was an all-state player in track and field, basketball, and football. With the influence of his brother, he elected to enroll in Savannah State University and crafted a name for himself. He was selected thrice to the All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and was even the SIAC Player of the Year in his sophomore season.

By the time his collegiate career was over, Shannon netted a Division II All-American nod and was eligible for both the Black College Football Hall of Fame alongside the Savannah State Athletics Hall of Fame. These recognitions mixed with his charismatic qualities would surely make any NFL team want him, right? Well, not really. Shannon was fairly stout for a tight end as he was listed at 230 pounds at just 6-foot-2. So, he fell mightily in the 1990 draft. His brother, Sterling, on the other hand, was drafted seventh overall just two years prior.

Escaping the shadow

Sterling was always the first person that people thought about when they heard the name Sharpe. Shannon had yet to leave an impact but his journey started when he was picked with the 192nd overall pick by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft. From then on, he cemented himself as one of the greatest tight ends to ever touch the field. From 1990 to 2003, he won three Super Bowls with the Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.

The individual accolades were also not lackluster. Shannon got four First-Team All-Pro nods and eight Pro Bowl selections. He became the definitive versatile offensive weapon of his which netted him a 1990s NFL All-Decade Team honor and a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Career totals of 10,060 receiving yards alongside 62 touchdowns made him a formidable foe and hard to scheme against.

It was also evident that he had such a good game sense and IQ. This made him very qualified to become an analyst and commentator when he hung the cleats up after the 2003 season.

Transitioning to media and earning big digits

A lot of media outlets wanted Shannon to be a part of their NFL coverage. CBS Sports got him alongside James Brown and Dan Marino to host The NFL Today. This stint lasted up until 2014 when Shannon was relieved from the job and Sirius NFL Radio’s Opening Drive. It was not long until FS1 wanted him to partner up with Skip Bayless for Undisputed. His charisma was felt throughout the land and the bits of debating he did with Skip always went viral on the internet.

As of the moment, the Hall of Famer inducted in 2011 is working with Chad Johnson and Gilbert Arenas because of their Nightcap podcast. He also left FS1 and effectively joined ESPN’s First Take. Pizza Hut, Nike, an Pepsi among other large brands have also acquired him to be their endorser. His career earnings have given him a whopping total of $14 million so far.