Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe
By Chris Krier
Congratulations to Shannon Sharpe for being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a 2011 class member. Sharpe and six others will be enshrined on August 6th in Canton, Ohio. The rest of the class includes RB Marshall Faulk, DE Richard Dent, LB Les Richter, LB Chris Hanburger, CB Deion Sanders, and NFL films founder Ed Sabol. Sharpe, who is widely considered as one of the best tight ends who has ever played the game, finally earned his entrance into the most prestigious of football brotherhoods in his third year of eligibility.
Sharpe was born in Chicago and played college football at Savannah State University where he was the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1987. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos and played with them for 12 out of his 14 NFL seasons. He played in 204 total games, caught 815 passes for 10,060 yards, scored 62 touchdowns, and played in 8 Pro Bowls. At the time of his retirement, he was the all-time leader for tight ends in catches, yards, and touchdowns. Sharpe holds the modern NFL record for consecutive post-season victories by a player with 12. That streak includes Super Bowl victories with the Broncos during the 1997 and 1998 seasons and the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. He is also a member of the NFL 1990’s All-Decade Team.
Some of my favorite Broncos memories of all-time involve Shannon Sharpe. Here are a few of them:
- Sharpe celebrating his touchdowns in Mile High Stadium by tapping his fan-made banner.
- His touchdown catch against the Chiefs on December 6, 1998 to win the game and extend the Broncos record to 13-0.
- His sideline rant during the demolition of the Patriots in 1996.
- Dancing around with his horse hat after the second Super Bowl win.
- His 214 receiving yards against the Chiefs in 2002.
- The first down that sealed the win against Pittsburgh in the 1997 AFC Championship game.
What is your favorite Shannon Sharpe memory?
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