Sterling Sharp

Sterling Sharpe is an NFL Network commentator and former wide receiver in the National Football League. He played for the Green Bay Packers from 1988 to 1994, but his career was cut short due to a neck injury. Shannon Sharpe, a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end, is his older brother. Sharpe was drafted by the Packers in the first round, seventh overall, in 1988, and had an early impact on the squad. He led the league with 90 receptions in his sophomore season, the first Packer to do so since Don Hutson in 1945.

Sharpe and new quarterback Brett Favre linked up a few years later in 1992 to become one of the best throwing tandems in the league. Sharpe was one of only seven players in NFL history to achieve the “Triple Crown” at receiver, leading the league in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receptions all in the same season. With 112 receptions in the 1993 season, he broke his own record and became the first player to catch more than 100 passes in consecutive seasons. His 18 touchdown receptions in 1994 were second in league history. In October 1993, he became only the second Packer since Don Hutson in 1945 to catch four touchdown passes in a single game.

Sharpe’s career as a wide receiver was cut short by a neck injury. Up to that point, he had appeared in the Pro Bowl five times (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994). Because he was unable to continue playing and was not a member of the 1996 Super Bowl-winning Packers squad, his younger brother Shannon presented him with the first of his three Super Bowl rings, acknowledging him as a big influence in his life. Sharpe joined the NFL Network as an analyst after retiring from the NFL.