Shannon Sharpe was a three-sport star at Glennville, a small southeast Georgia high school that closed in 1993. He was a first-team Class A end in 1985, and was a standout athlete in basketball and track. He followed in his older brother Sterling’s footsteps by going the football route in college, and signed to play tight end at Savannah State. He was a three-time Division II All-American, a three-time All-SIAC selection, the SIAC Player of the Year in 1987 and led the team in receptions all four seasons. As a senior, he caught 61 passes for 1,312 yards and 18 touchdowns to help lead the Tigers to a 10-1 finish. The Denver Broncos selected Sharpe in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played wide receiver his first two pro seasons before making the move to tight end. In his new role, Sharpe earned eight Pro Bowl nods, four first-team All-Pro selections and became a three-time Super Bowl champion. He set an NFL record for the most receiving yards in a game by a tight end (214) against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2002. Sharpe retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in catches (815), receiving yards (10,060), and touchdowns (62) by a tight end and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
