Shannon Sharpe Career Biography and Statistics

Shannon Sharpe was born on June 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois. He played his college football at Savannah State College (now Savannah State University) where he also participated in basketball and track and field by way of the triple jump. Sharpe was not drafted very high in the NFL, but he ended his career as one of the best tight ends in NFL history.

The Denver Broncos selected Sharpe in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played in all 16 games as a rookie but caught only seven passes for 99 yards. Sharpe began his career as a wide receiver but was switched to tight end after his rookie season and he stayed at the position for the rest of his career. His breakout season came in 1992 when he caught 53 passes for 640 yards and was named to his first of what would be eight Pro Bowls. He recorded his first 1,000 yard receiving season in 1994 and had two more over his career in 1996 and 1997. He also had two seasons with 10 receiving touchdowns. Sharpe was a three-time Super Bowl champion, twice with the Broncos and once with the Baltimore Ravens. He decided to retire following the 2003 season with career totals of 815 receptions, 10,060 yards, and 62 touchdowns.