Sterling Sharpe Bio: Career, Family, Injury & Net Worth

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Sterling Sharpe is a former American football wide receiver for Green Bay Packers in the NFL and is now working as an analyst for the NFL Network. He was associated with the Packers from 1988 to 1994.

Life has several windows, and nobody knows which one will open next and what it will offer. 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. He was at the peak of his career when the dark obstacle arose.

Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe (Source: Instagram)

But life had other plans for him, as he started to work with the NFL Network, 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.

His brother Shannon Sharpe was also an NFL player who now hosts a podcast.

On Jan 16, 2023, Sharpe, in his Club Shay Shay podcast, featured Internet personality and comedian Druski. They talked about Druski’s rise to fame, and collaborations with other celebrities, all while sharing a few laughs along the way! 

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.

Let’s begin with quick facts.

Quick Facts

Full Name Sterling Sharpe
Birthdate April 6, 1965
Birthplace Chicago, Illinois, United States
Current Residence Columbia, South Carolina
Education Glenville High School

University 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 58 Years Old
Height 5 ft 11 in / 1.80 m / 180 cm
Weight 94 kg / 207 lb
Eye Color Black
Hair Status Bald
Married  Not Married
Relationship Status Not Known
Children A Daughter (Sommer)
Profession Former Football Player
Position Former Wide Receiver
Jersey No. 84 In Green Bay Packers

2 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 Twitter
Merch Autographed Card, Trading Card
Last Update March 2024

Early Life, Family, And Education

Sterling Sharpe was born in Chicago on April 6, 1965, to parents Pete Sharpe and Mary Alice Dixon. He has two siblings: Libby Sharpe and Shannon Sharpe.

Sharpe and his siblings grew up in Glennville, Georgia. The Sharpe children were raised mostly by their grandmother, Mary Porter, because of their parent’s unstable marriage.

Moreover, their parents divorced when Sterling was 3 and a half years old. Their father died while the Sharpe brothers were minors. They didn’t have an affluent childhood.
 
The family had to go through massive financial crises, and the Sharpe brothers even had to work on farms to fulfill their basic needs.
 

Sterling Sharpe and his younger brother, Shannon Sharpe, always knew what they wanted. They were passionate and dedicated athletes; therefore, 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 a membership in basketball and track teams.

He then joined South Carolina University, where he remained inked with sports at university. He made outstanding records as a wide receiver.

Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe During The Match (Source: notinhalloffame.com)

Moreover, Sharpe made school records with 169 career receptions,17 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 while still playing the game for the university. 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. Black worked as a manager for Sterling. The College Football Hall of Fame enlisted Sterling Sharpe in 2014.

Sharpe has a rich history with astounding performances and phenomenal high school and college sports records.

The football geek graduated in 1988. However, his graduation subjects were interdisciplinary studies and retailing, nowhere close to what he wholeheartedly loved.

Age, Height, And Nationality

The former athlete was born in the year 1965, which makes him 58 years old as of 2024. 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 compound exercises, such as bench presses, squats, and power cleans.

Sterling stands at an astounding height of 1.8 meters while maintaining his weight at 207 lb.

Not to mention, Sterling is bald and has got a pair of black eyes. Likewise, he is an American by Nationality and belongs to mixed (African-American) ethnicity.

NFL Career

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers approached Sterling Sharpe right after his graduation. 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 was the best in Green Bay Packers’s new recruitment history.

He caught 55 passes and started all 16 games as a beginner in the NFL. Moreover, in an interview, he mentioned that he could have done much better.

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 could 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. 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.

Additionally, Sharpe was the first player to catch more than 100 passes in consecutive seasons. He established the record for most receptions in a single season as well.

Sterling Sharpe contributed considerably 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. It was his third touchdown in the same match.

Eventually, he became the player with the most catches in the history of the Green Bay Packers. Sharpe made records, with his 18 touchdown receptions being the second-highest ever in 1994.

As An Analyst

Sharpe was a broadcaster for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN). He analyzed the games for NFL Network’s NFL GameDay and NFL Prime Monday Shows.

Injuries

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

Turf toe is a condition where there’s a sprain of the big toe. It usually results from injury during sports. 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 over 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 were sufficient for this great football player.

In an interview with the New York Times, he said his regular shoe size was 8.5 or 9, but he had to wear a size ten on his left foot.

Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe (Source: gettyimages.com)

Further, he expressed grievances about not being able to play and practice. After all, the game is an athlete’s priority.

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 football player. 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. The injury was so severe that it left the wide receiver on the ground for a few minutes.

Further, the doctor said 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. He was at the peak of his career when he had to go through retirement.

He was one of three players that made more than 72.6 receiving yards per game on average at the time of retirement. The wide receiver would have made more magnificent records in his career.

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 council said the number of seasons he played was insufficient. 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 has been in the College Football Hall of Fame since 2014.

Personal Life And Children

Sterling Sharpe is not married yet. However, he has a daughter, Sommer. She was born in November 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 is out.

Relation With Shannon Sharpe

The Sharpe brothers have played football together since childhood. Both of them had a successful careers 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 insisted that the Hall of Fame Committee members 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.

Shannon Sharpe serves as the TV presenter and co-hosts of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed on Fox Sports 1 with Skip Bayless.

 In the Ravens’ 2000 AFC title game against the Oakland Raiders, he caught a short pass on third down and 18 from his four-yard line and took it 96 yards for a touchdown, the only touchdown the Ravens scored, en route to a 16–3 Ravens’ win. As of 2023, this remains the Ravens’ longest offensive play in team history.

Against Oakland’s Raiders in the Ravens’ 2000 AFC title game, he caught a short pass on third down and 18 from his four-yard line and took it 96 yards for a touchdown, the only touchdown the Ravens scored, leading to a 16-3 Ravens’ win.

This remains the Ravens’ longest offensive play in team history as of 2023, proving as one of the excellent players.

Net worth And Income

Sterling Sharpe has a net worth of $12 million. In essence, he lives a lavish life.

Further, he has invested in several businesses that contribute to his wealth. Sterling is a part-owner and chief executive officer of an auto purchasing and selling service, Pro Bowl Motors. 

Likewise, Sterling Sharpe’s brother and fellow football player, Shannon Sharpe, has a net worth of $11.52 million.

Social Media Presence

Sterling Sharpe is available on Twitter, where he currently updates his ventures; he is into Golf and posts quite about it on his feed.

Twitter (Thro284): 14.2k followers

Popularity Graph

Sterling Sharpe is a former wide receiver, who had to leave NFL due to neck injury, now acting as an analyst for NFL Network.

Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe Popularity Graph (Source: Google)

The above graph shows Sharpe’s popularity over the past twelve months.

Frequently Asked Questions (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 is worth $2.95-$54.99.

Where does Sterling Sharpe live now? How fast was Sharpe in the 40-yard dash?

Sterling Sharpe currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina. Sharpe can run a 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds.

Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah is an engineer and content writer passionate about sports and athletics. With a background in engineering and a love for all things active, Sanjib brings a unique perspective to the world of sports writing. Whether he is covering the latest trends in sports technology or sharing tips on improving your game, Sanjib's words are always rooted in a deep appreciation for players' hard work and dedication everywhere. In his free time, you can find him hitting the courts or hitting the trails, always looking for new ways to challenge himself and improve his skills.

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Comments

  1. No comment Sterling ? This is your old friend,
    Diane. Please give me a call when you have time.
    My telephone number is 920 609 9714. I am
    still in Wisconsin ! 😇

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