Life has several windows, and nobody knows which one will open next and what it would be offering. Sterling Sharpe witnessed the exposure of his most vulnerable window at a very unusual time.
Sterling Sharpe, all set to achieve more than the big victory he already had, had to quit due to an injury. In fact, he was at the peak of his career when the dark obstacle arose.
Moreover, he used to be a football wide receiver. He played for Green Bay Packers, a professional football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was associated with the Green Bay Packers from 1988 to 1994.
Similarly, he worked as an analyst for the National Football League (NFL) Network. NFL Network is a sports-oriented pay television network.
The football analysts review and examine statistics within the game to make the audience receive precise details and expert opinions.
Today, we’ll turn towards the lane of Sterling Sharpe’s personal and professional life. This article will give you insights into every necessary detail related to the former football wide receiver.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts:
| Full name | Sterling Sharpe |
| Birthdate | April 6, 1965 |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Current residence | Columbia, South Carolina |
| Education | Glenville High SchoolUniversity of South Carolina |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Father’s name | Pete Sharpe |
| Mother’s name | Mary Alice Dixon |
| Siblings | Two (Libby Sharpe and Hall of fame tight end Shannon Sharpe) |
| Age | 57 Years Old |
| Height | 5 feet, 11 inches (1.803 m) |
| Weight | 94 kgs (207 lbs.) |
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair status | Bald |
| Married or not | Not married |
| Relationship status | Not known |
| Children | A daughter (Sommer) |
| Profession | Football Player |
| Position | Wide Receiver |
| Jersey no. | 84 in Green Bay Packers2 in South Carolina Gamecocks Football |
| No. of games played | 112 |
| Age at retirement | 29 |
| Reason behind retirement | Neck injury |
| Profession after retirement | Broadcaster/Analyst at NFL Network |
| Net worth | $12 million |
| Salary | Not known |
| Affiliations | NFL |
| Social media presence | |
| Merch | Autographed card, Green Bay Packers Jersey, Trading card |
| Last Update | May, 2022 |
Where is Sterling Sharpe from? Early Life, Family, and Education
Sterling Sharpe was born on April 6, 1965, in Chicago, the United States, to parents Pete Sharpe and Mary Alice Dixon. He has two siblings: Libby Sharpe and Shannon Sharpe.
Sterling Sharpe, along with his siblings, grew up in Glennville, Georgia. The Sharpe children were raised mostly by their grandmother, Mary Porter, because of their parents’ unstable marriage.
Top 5 facts you don’t know about Sterling Sharpe
Moreover, their parents got divorced when Sterling was 3.5 years old. Their father died while the Sharpe brothers were minor. They didn’t have an affluent childhood.
Sterling Sharpe and his younger brother, Shannon Sharpe, always knew what they wanted in life. They were passionate and dedicated athletes. Moreover, they spent most of their childhood and teenagehood practicing football.
Education and University Sports
Sterling Sharpe first attended Glenville High School. He played running back, quarterback, and linebacker, while in high school. Further, he had the membership of basketball and track teams.
He then joined South Carolina University. He certainly had links with sports while at University. In fact, he made outstanding records as a wide receiver.
Moreover, Sharpe made school records with 169 career receptions, 77 career touchdowns, and 2,479 receiving yards. He further made another record by receiving 11 touchdowns in a single season. But Sidney Rice broke Sharpe’s record in 2005.
Sterling Sharpe received an exceptional gesture from his University’s side while still playing the game. His No. 2 jersey was retired by South Carolina at the end of 1987, an honor provided to a player.
Sharpe’s University coach and mentor, William ‘Tank’ Black, represented Sterling Sharpe. In fact, Black worked as a manager for Sterling Sharpe. Further, the College Football Hall of Fame enlisted Sterling Sharpe in 2014.
In general, Sharpe holds a rich history with astounding performances and phenomenal records in high-school and college sports.
Finally, the football geek graduated in 1988. However, his graduation subjects were interdisciplinary studies and retailing, nowhere close to what he wholeheartedly loved.
How tall is Sterling Sharpe? Age, Height, and Nationality
The former athlete was born in the year 1965, which makes him 57 years old as of 2022. Likewise, Sharpe shares his birthday on April 6, making his birth sign Libra.
As with many players, Sharpe is quite sensitive to diets and workouts to keep his body athletic and in shape. He does different compound exercises, such as bench press, squats, and power cleans.
Moreover, Sterling stands at an astounding height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m) while he maintains his weight at 94 kgs (207 lbs).
Not to mention, Sterling is blad-headed and has got a pair of black eyes. Likewise, he is an American by Nationality and belongs to mixed (African-American) ethnicity.
Sterling Sharpe | NFL Career
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers approached Sterling Sharpe right after his graduation. In fact, he was the first chosen one among all the members.
He dedicated seven years of his football career to Green Bay Packers, from 1988 to 1994. As expected, he turned out to be the best in Green Bay Packer’s new recruitment history.
In fact, he caught 55 passes and started all 16 games as a beginner in the NFL. Moreover, he, in an interview, mentioned that he could have done much better.
Further, he credited his ability to sustain the same college attitude for his initial performances in Green Bay Packers.
Pro Bowl
The Pro Bowl selected Sharpe in 1989. Pro Bowl is the all-star game for the NFL, which features players from the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).
Again, he was able to catch 90 passes for a total of 1,423 yards. Moreover, he earned five Pro Bowl selections in his career.
Other Performances and Honors within NFL
Sharpe collaborated with fellow NFL player Brett Favre in 1992. The duo did a phenomenal job. In fact, they broke the NFL single-season record made by Art Monk in 1984.
Moreover, Sterling Sharpe stood up as one of the seven players to win the Triple Crown at the receiver position in NFL history.
Sharpe made 112 receptions in 1992. Subsequently, he owned 112 receptions in 1993, breaking the record made by himself earlier.
In fact, Sharpe gained the honor of being the first player to catch more than 100 passes in consecutive seasons. He established the record of most receptions in a single season as well.
Sterling Sharpe had a considerable contribution to making the Green Bay Packers receive victory in their first playoff game of the 1990s. He made a 40-yard touchdown to beat the Detroit lions. In fact, it was his third touchdown in the same match.
Eventually, he became the player to have the most catches in the history of the Green Bay Packers. Further, Sharpe made records, with his 18 touchdown receptions being the second-highest ever in 1994.
His career as an analyst
Sharpe worked as a broadcaster for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN). He analyzed the games for NFL Network’s NFL GameDay and NFL Prime Monday Shows.
Sterling Sharpe | Injuries and the end of Sterling Sharpe’s career
Sharpe’s injuries added a lot of hurdles to his professional life. He was able to win over his toe injury. But the neck injury made him get on his knees.
Turf toe (Injury on the toe)
Turf toe is a condition where there’s a sprain of the big toe. It usually results from injury during sports. In fact, athletes are at high risk of getting diagnosed with this injury.
We can not even assume that Sterling Sharpe performed with turf toe in 1994. Further, the turf toe disabled him from practicing with his team for more than half of the season.
Sharpe’s turf toe was severe hyperextension of his left big toe. Considering the physical difficulty that he had been going through, no honors are sufficient for this great footballer.
He said that his regular shoe size was 8.5 or 9, but he had to wear a size ten on his left foot in an interview with the New York Times.
Further, he expressed grievances about not being able to play and practice. After all, the game is an athlete’s priority.
You can have a glance at Sterling Sharpe’s career statistics on the official website of the NFL and pro football reference.
Neck Injury
Sharpe tried and improvised his game with the turf toe. Moreover, he succeeded in saving his game. But Sharpe had to face a trauma larger than that in the same year.
Consequently, he had to end his career as a footballer. It was a neck injury to the top two vertebrates in his neck. The injury occurred in the seventh season, week 16 of the league.
Sharpe’s team was playing against the Atlanta Falcons when his neck snapped back while blocking a player. In fact, the injury was so severe that it left the footballer on the ground for a few minutes.
Further, the doctor said that he had an abnormal loosening of the first and second cervical vertebrae. His injury required him to undergo surgery that took eight months to recover.
End of Sterling Sharpe’s career
Sharpe believed that he would recover and return to where he belonged. But the risk of the injury made him retire at the early age of 29. In fact, he was at the peak of his career when he had to go through retirement.
Sterling Sharpe | Hall of Fame
Sterling Sharpe would have secured the Pro Football Hall of Fame without a doubt if he didn’t have a career-ending injury. But it is still argued that he deserves the position no matter what.
However, the opposing counsel said that the no. of seasons that he played was not enough. Although, if we look at Sterling Sharpe’s performances and records, he deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
HIS BROTHER SHANNON SHARPE (PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME AND A FIRST-BALLOT INDUCTEE) REQUESTED THE COUNCIL TO LOOK AT STERLING’S NUMBERS AND DECIDE IF HE HAS A HALL OF FAME CASE.
Moreover, if we deduce Sterling Sharpe’s career, he deserves to be one. Besides, the Packers Hall of Fame admitted Sterling Sharpe in 2002. Moreover, he is in the College Football Hall of Fame since 2014.
Is Sterling Sharpe married? Personal life and Daughter
Sterling Sharpe is not married yet. However, he has a daughter, Sommer. She was born in November of 1993. She graduated with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications.
He keeps his personal life out of the media’s reach. Therefore, no precise information regarding his affairs and girlfriends are out.
Relation with Shannon Sharpe
The Sharpe brothers have played football together since childhood. Both of them had a successful career initially until Sterling had to go through a devastating injury.
In his Hall of Fame speech, Shannon Sharpe said that he is the only player in the Hall of Fame who can call himself the second-best player in his own family.
He regards Sterling as his motivation and most significant influence to play. Further, Shannon Sharpe insisted on the Hall of Fame Committee members to check his brother Sterling’s career.
Additionally, he requested them to consider nominating Sterling Sharpe. Shannon showed his gratitude and respect to his elder brother. Hence, the Sharpe brothers exchange a bond of mutual trust, respect, and affinity.
As of now, Shannon Sharpe serves as the TV presenter and co-hosts Skip and Shannon: Undisputed on Fox Sports 1 with Skip Bayless.
Sterling Sharpe | Net worth and Income
STERLING SHARPE HAS A NET WORTH OF $12 MILLION.
Further, he has invested in several businesses that contribute to his wealth. Moreover, he is a part-owner and chief executive officer of an auto purchasing and selling service, Pro Bowl Motors. In essence, he lives a lavish life.
Likewise, Sterling Sharpe’s brother and fellow footballer, Shannon Sharpe, has a net worth of $11.52 million.
You can see an overview of Sterling Sharpe’s career on ESPN’s website.
Social Media Presence:
Twitter: 11K followers
Some FAQs:
Is Sterling Sharpe in the NFL Hall of Fame?
No, Sterling Sharpe is not in the NFL Hall of Fame yet. But his brother Shannon Sharpe has made it to the list.
However, the Packers Hall of Famer and College Football Hall of Fame inducted Sterling Sharpe.
What happened to Sterling Sharpe? Why did he retire?
Sterling Sharpe had to go through a severe neck injury in 1994. He went through surgery as well. However, the injury did not recover. Henceforth, Sterling Sharpe had to retire at the age of 29.
Who is Sterling Sharpe’s brother?
Sterling Sharpe and Shannon Sharpe shared their parents. Sterling is the elder one, while Shannon is the younger one. The Sharpe footballers have a third brother as well, Libby Sharpe. However, Libby Sharpe is not a footballer like his two brothers.
How much is Sterling Sharpe’s rookie card value?
Sterling Sharpe’s rookie card worth $2.95-$54.99.
How fast was Sterling Sharpe in the 40-yard dash?
Sterling Sharpe can run a 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds.
Where does Sterling Sharpe live now?
Sterling Sharpe currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina.
