After two years
away from Denver, Broncos’ all-time receiving leader Shannon Sharpe
returns to the city in which he first embraced stardom and helped
the Broncos win back-to-back World Championships. Sharpe re-signed
with Denver as a free agent April 12, 2002 after two seasons with
the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he won his third Super Bowl in 2000.
He left Denver as an unrestricted free agent following the 1999
season, of which he spent the latter portion on injured reserve
because of a fractured clavicle suffered in the season’s fifth game.
The 12-year veteran is the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (692)
and yards (8,604) by a tight end, and has been voted to eight Pro
Bowls (1992-98, 2001) in his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career. He has
caught 51 touchdown passes and three two-point conversions for 312
total points. Sharpe is the Broncos’ all-time leader in receptions
(552) and yards (6,983), and shares the franchise record for receiving
touchdowns (44) with four others, including teammates Ed McCaffrey
and Rod Smith. He has played in 176 games (141 starts), 144 of them
as a Denver Bronco (111 starts), and has also started all 17 postseason
games in which he’s played, adding 57 receptions for 783 yards (13.7)
and four touchdowns. Eleven of those postseason games came as a
Bronco, and he is the club’s all-time leader in postseason receptions
(42), while ranking fourth in yards (474). Sharpe has produced 17
career 100-yard games, three 1,000-yard receiving seasons (tied
for 1st in NFL history by a tight end, with Todd Christensen and
Kellen Winslow) and a franchise-record seven straight 50-catch seasons
from 1992-98, during which he was selected to seven straight Pro
Bowls. The seven straight 50-catch seasons also represents an NFL
record for a tight end, as does his total of nine 50-catch seasons.
Sharpe entered the NFL in 1990 as the Broncos’ seventh-round selection
(192nd overall) out of Savannah State. Here is a look at some of
Sharpe’s more prominent career statistical notes after 12 seasons:
Sharpe became the NFL’s
all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end
during the 2001 season, displacing Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome.
He has caught 692 passes for 8,604 yards in his career.
Sharpe holds the NFL postseason
record for longest reception, with his 96-yard catch-and-run for
a touchdown at Oakland in the 2000 AFC Championship Game (1/14/01).
Sharpe holds the post-1970
NFL record for consecutive postseason wins with 12 (seven with
the Broncos from 1997-98, and five with the Ravens from 2000-01).
Sharpe has played in 144
games (111 starts) as a Bronco and ranks No. 1 in franchise history
in receptions (552) and receiving yards (6,983), and is tied for
the record for receiving touchdowns (44). He also ranks third
in total yards from scrimmage (6,992) and fifth in combined yards
(6,992).
Sharpe shares the club’s
second-highest total for receptions in a game (13) and most touchdown
receptions in a game (3), and holds the record for most receptions
in a postseason contest (13), which is also tied with Kellen Winslow
(1981) and Thurman Thomas (1989) as an NFL postseason record.
Sharpe ranks fourth in
franchise history with 15 games of 100 or more receiving yards
(including one in the postseason), and has 17 total for his career.
Sharpe has played in 11
postseason contests as a Bronco—all starts—and ranks No. 1 in
franchise playoff history in receptions (42) and No. 3 in receiving
yards (474), for an average of 11.3 yards per reception, with
two touchdowns.
Sharpe has been selected
to seven Pro Bowls as a Bronco, tied for third-most in club history,
and with all seven coming in consecutive seasons (1992-98) he
is tied for the longest string of consecutive selections (Steve
Atwater—1990-96).
He is one of only four
tight ends in NFL annals to post more than one 1,000-yard receiving
season (3), and one of four to amass 6,000 receiving yards.
2001:
Sharpe played in 15 games for the Baltimore Ravens and became the
most effective pass-catching tight end in the history of professional
football with his performance. By Week 4 against Tennessee (10/7),
Sharpe had accumulated 8,018 yards receiving, moving past Hall of
Famer and Ravens Vice President of Player Personnel Ozzie Newsome,
who had 7,980 yards in his illustrious career. In Week 10 against
the Browns (11/18), Sharpe made his 663rd career reception to best
Newsome's record of 662 career receptions. He finished the season
with 73 receptions, which was tied for the NFL lead among tight
ends, 811 yards and two touchdowns while starting all but one game.
His performance earned him a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team, his
eighth selection to the squad. In two postseason games he totaled
nine catches for 79 yards with a long of 27. In a 20-3 Wild Card
victory at Miami (1/13/02) he caught four passes for 23 yards. The
following week at Pittsburgh (1/20/02) he made five receptions for
56 yards in a 27-10 defeat. In the final game of the regular season,
on Monday Night Football at PSINet Stadium, Sharpe caught two passes
for 51 yards with a long of 37 in a 19-3 victory over the Vikings
(1/7/2002) to clinch a playoff berth. At division rival Jacksonville
in Week 11 (11/25), he caught six passes for 55 yards and one touchdown,
whch came with nine seconds remaining in the game as he grabbed
a 3-yd. pass from Elvis Grbac to put Baltimore in the lead. At home
against the Browns (11/18) came Sharpe's record day. His first catch
of the game, a 29-yard pass from Elvis Grbac was the 663rd reception
of his career to give him the record for a tight end. Despite a
27-17 loss, Sharpe made seven receptions for 78 yards. He caught
his first touchdown pass of the season in Week 8 at Pitt. (11/4),
on a 13-yard pass from Randall Cunningham in the second quarter
to put the Ravens up 7-3. Against Jacksonville (10/28) in Week 7
Sharpe caught seven balls for a season-high 89 yds., a week after
his only non-start of the season, at Cleve. (10/21), when he caught
six passes for 61 yds. He broke Newsome’s record for career receiving
yds. by a tight end in Baltimore’s Week 4 matchup with Tennessee
(10/7), finishing the game with three receptions for 57 yards, surpassing
Newsome's previous career record of 7,980 yds. At Denver in Week
3 (9/30), Sharpe had five receptions for 50 yards in his first game
back in the Mile High City since leaving after the 1999 season.
He posted a season-high eight receptions in Week 2 at Cincinnati
(9/23), for 84 yds. after catching four for 34 in the opener vs.
Chicago (9/9).
2000:
Sharpe signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an unrestricted free
agent Feb. 22 and went on to help lead the franchise to its first
Super Bowl win, as Sharpe won his third World Championship in the
past four seasons. He played in all 16 games and started 15, leading
the team with 67 receptions for 810 yds. and five touchdowns, while
also adding six more receptions in four postseason games for 230
yds. and two scores. Sharpe ranked fifth among NFL tight ends in
receptions, and was voted a first alternate to the AFC Pro Bowl
squad. His 96-yd. touchdown reception in the AFC Championship Game
at Oakland (1/14/01) is the longest pass reception in NFL postseason
history, and came on a 3rd-and-18 play to help propel the Ravens
to the Super Bowl. He also caught a game-winning touchdown pass
from Tony Banks in Week 2 of the regular season vs. Jacksonville
(9/10) to give Baltimore its biggest come-from-behind win, having
trailed by 17 points. Sharpe caught one pass for five yds. in the
Ravens’ 34-7 win over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, and had a 56-yd.
catch to set up a touchdown at Tennessee (1/7/01) in an AFC Divisional
Playoff game. In a Wild Card matchup with his former team, Denver
(12/31), Sharpe caught a then-career-long 58-yd. touchdown pass
that began as a screen pass to Jamal Lewis, but bounced off Lewis’
hands, as well as a Broncos defender, before Sharpe plucked it from
the air and raced down the sidelines for the score. On the day he
caught three passes—all for first downs—for 73 yds. He posted his
17th career 100-yd. receiving game (regular season) vs. Dallas (11/19)
with five receptions for 101 yds., including a 59-yarder for a touchdown
that was the third-longest regular season touchdown of his career
and his fourth-longest catch overall. It was Sharpe’s 49th career
touchdown reception, tying him with Keith Jackson for fourth place
all-time among tight ends. He came up big at Tennessee (11/12) in
a Baltimore win, catching a game-high eight passes for 92 yds. to
give the Titans their first lost ever at Adelphia Coliseum. In the
contest he recorded his 600th career catch and surpasses his brother
Sterling’s career total of 595. Sharpe posted his seventh career
two-touchdown game at Cin. (11/5), among his seven receptions for
66 yds., and moved past Ozzie Newsome into a tie with Raymond Chester
for fifth place on the all-time tight end scoring list. He recorded
his first 100-yd. game as a Raven vs. Tennessee (10/22), as he hauled
in eight passes for 104 yds. Sharpe’s only non-start of the season
came at Jacksonville (10/8) as Baltimore opened the game in a four-wide
set. Four weeks earlier vs. Jacksonville (9/10), Sharpe surpassed
the 7,000-yd. mark for his career, including the game-winning reception
with 41 seconds remaining on a 29-yd. pass from Banks. In the opener
vs. Pitt. (9/3) he was held without a reception for the first time
in a game in which he started and finished since Sept. 24, 1995,
at San Diego.
1999:
Sharpe started the first five games of the season for Denver and
caught 23 passes for 224 yds. (9.7) with a long of 24 before fracturing
his left clavicle in the third quarter of Denver’s 16-13 win at
Oakland in Week 5 (10/10). He was originally expected to be sidelined
8-10 weeks, but suffered a setback in his rehabilitation in late
November, and was placed on injured reserve Nov. 30. Sharpe became
Denver’s all-time leading receiver in Week 3 at Tampa Bay (9/26),
surpassing Lionel Taylor’s previous standards of 543 receptions
and 6,872 yards. Sharpe finished the season with 552 receptions
for 6,983 yards.
1998:
Sharpe turned in another spectacular season, being selected to play
in the Pro Bowl for the seventh straight year, and his third in
a row as a starter, as well as being named first-team All-NFL by
the Associated Press (5th time; 4th as first-teamer), The Sporting
News, USA Today, Pro Football Weekly, College & Pro Football
Newsweekly and Football Digest, and All-AFC by Pro Football Weekly
and Football News. He started at tight end in all 16 games for the
second straight and caught 64 passes for 768 yards (12.0) with a
long of 38 (TD) and 10 touchdowns. Sharpe led all NFL tight ends
in receiving yards, and ranked third among his peers in receptions.
He shared the AFC lead (T6th NFL) in receiving touchdowns and tied
for sixth in the AFC (T13th NFL) in total touchdowns, and posted
his seventh straight 50-catch season, a first by a tight end in
pro football history. The seven total and seven straight also represent
new franchise records in both categories. His first touchdown of
the year came on a 12-yd. scoring toss from Elway in the first quarter
of the season-opener vs. New England (9/7) to give Denver a 10-0
lead. His 51 yds. in that contest gave him 6,042 for his career,
making him just the third Bronco to surpass 6,000 receiving yds.
(L. Taylor—6,872; S. Watson—6,112), and only the fourth tight end
in NFL history to do so, joining Ozzie Newsome (7,980), Jackie Smith
(7,918) and Kellen Winslow (6,741). Sharpe missed most of the second
quarter after sustaining a mild concussion while leveling a crushing
block on Patriots linebacker Chris Slade to free Howard Griffith
on a screen pass at the beginning of the period. He returned to
the game after halftime. Sharpe posted his fifth career multi-touchdown
game in Week 2 vs. Dallas (9/13), hauling in 23- and 38-yard touchdown
tosses from John Elway in the first half to help Denver mount a
35-17 lead at the break. Those two touchdowns moved him past Steve
Watson (36) into a tie for fourth on the club’s all-time receiving
touchdowns list. In that game Sharpe (6-97) also moved into second
place on Denver’s all-time receiving yardage list, passing Watson
(6,112), and finished the year with 6,759. Sharpe caught six passes
for 46 yards and a touchdown vs. Philadelphia (10/4) to move into
sole possession of fourth place on Denver’s all-time receiving-touchdowns
list, breaking a tie with Vance Johnson (37), and added his 39th
(5th of ’98) a week later at Seattle (10/11) on a 19-yd. pass from
Elway in the first quarter. Sharpe caught his 500th career pass
in Week 9 at Cincinnati (11/1), on his last of 3 receptions for
35 yds. The milestone catch came on a 2-yd. pass from Elway just
before halftime, which, incidentally, will go down as Elway’s 4,000th
career completion. Sharpe became one of just three tight ends in
NFL history with 500 receptions, joining Ozzie Newsome (662) and
Kellen Winslow (541), and he and his brother Sterling form the the
only brother combination in pro football history to record 500 receptions
apiece. Sharpe caught three passes for 31 yds. and a TD at San Diego
(11/29), his seventh of the year, and the 41st receiving TD of his
career to tie Riley Odoms (1972-83) for third place on the Broncos’
all-time list. Sharpe moved into sole possession of third place
on Denver’s receiving TDs list vs. Kansas City (12/6), doing so
in dramatic fashion with a 24-yd. fourth-quarter scoring reception
from Elway to give Denver a 35-31 win. It was Sharpe’s only catch
of the day, and his eighth TD catch of the season to help Denver
tie the all-time league record of 18 consecutive wins (regular and
postseason), set by four other teams. Sharpe finished the season
on a high note vs. Seattle (12/27) with his sixth career multiple-touchdown
game, hauling in two from John Elway as part of a 6-catch, 68-yard
performance. The two TDs gave him 44 for his career to tie the franchise
record (Lionel Taylor, Haven Moses), and moved him into a fifth-place
tie (Taylor, Riley Odoms) on the franchise list for total TDs. He
also moved past Sammy Winder for fourth place on the Broncos’ all-time
career list for total yards from scrimmage, finishing the season
at 6,759. Postseason: Sharpe started at tight end in all three games
and caught nine passes for 78 yds. (7.8) with a long of 14. He became
the Broncos’ all-time leader in postseason receptions (42), and
remained third in postseason receiving yards (474). In the AFC Divisional
Playoff Game vs. Miami (1/9) Sharpe caught a team-high five passes
for 38 yds. (7.6), and followed that showing with two catches for
14 yds. in the AFC Championship Game vs. the Jets (1/17). He caught
two passes for 26 yards (13.0) in Super Bowl XXXIII vs. Atlanta
(1/31) before leaving the game with a knee sprain. His 14-yd. reception
to the 1-yd. line set up Denver’s first touchdown, but he was upended
by Atlanta’s Ray Buchanan on the play, resulting in the injury.
Sharpe returned to game but left after one more series, missing
the game’s final three quarters.
1997:Sharpe started all
16 games and was selected to his sixth straight Pro Bowl, named
All-NFL by the Associated Press for the fourth time in his career
(third time as a first-teamer), and also named first-team All-NFL
by The Sporting News, USA Today, Pro Football Weekly and College
& Pro Football Newsweekly. He was also named second-team All-NFL
by Football Digest and All-AFC Pro Football Weekly. Sharpe ranked
second on the team with 72 receptions for 1,107 yards (15.4; career-best)
with three touchdowns, posting the third 1,000-yard season of his
career to tie Todd Christensen for the NFL tight end record. He
began his milestone pursuit in Week One by moving into third place
on the Broncos’ all-time receiving list, catching four passes to
raise his career total to 397. The second-quarter 15-yard catch
moved him past Riley Odoms, and also made him the leading pass-catching
tight end in franchise history. Two weeks later vs. St. Louis (9/14)
he caught two passes for 20 yards in the first quarterto top the
5,000-yard career mark before a twisted left ankle forced him from
the contest. He returned to the starting lineup a week later vs.
Cincinnati (9/21). Sharpe’s 11th regular season 100-yard game came
the following week in his return to his native Georgia to take on
the Atlanta Falcons (9/28). He caught six passes for 119 yards on
the day, including a then-career-best 65-yard touchdown from John
Elway on the fourth play from scrimmage in Denver’s 29-21 win. Sharpe
had 93 receiving yards by the half, and his three first-half receptions
put he and his brother Sterling at over 1,000 receptions for their
careers, a first by a brother combination. His one TD reception
tied Al Denson (32) for sixth place in all-time touchdown receptions
by a Bronco. Sharpe passed Vance Johnson (416) on the Broncos’ all-time
receptions list at Oakland (10/19), catching eight passes for 94
yards. His highest yardage output of the season came in Denver’s
34-0 shutout of Carolina (11/9), as he caught eight passes for 174
yards, the second-highest total of his career, topped only by the
180 he had in Week One of 1995 (vs. Buffalo, 9/3). It was also his
second eight-catch game of the season. This was the 13th 100-yard
receiving game of Sharpe’s career and the 12th such game in the
regular season, third most in franchise history behind Lionel Taylor
(24) and Steve Watson (15 regular season). He also moved past Haven
Moses (5,450) for fifth place in club history in receiving yards
during the contest. The next week at Kansas City (11/16), he caught
three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown in Denver’s 24-22 loss.
The TD was the 33rd of Sharpe’s career, moving him into sixth place
in franchise history, passing Al Denson. In Denver’s 31-3 Monday
Night Football win over Oakland (11/24) he caught 10 passes for
142 yards, the fifth 10-catch game of his career, one off the NFL
record for tight ends (Kellen Winslow). He also became just the
second player in franchise history to record six total and consecutive
50-catch seasons, joining Lionel Taylor (1960-65). He closed the
regular season vs. San Diego (12/21) on a high note with eight receptions
for 162 yards and a 68-yard touchdown, the longest of his career.
It marked his 15th career 100-yard game, the 14th in the regular
season. He and his brother Sterling have now combined for 99 career
touchdowns, the most ever by a brother combination. In the postseason
Sharpe finished in a tie for the team lead in receptions with 12
for 149 yards (second on team), for a 12.4 average with a long of
23. In Denver’s 42-17 Wild Card victory over Jacksonville (12/27/97)
Sharpe moved into sixth place in postseason receiving yards by a
Bronco, passing Ricky Nattiel (251) and Michael Young (255). He
also passed Mark Jackson (21) for third place in postseason receptions
by a Bronco. He added two receptions for 33 yards (long of 22) in
Denver’s 14-10 Divisional Playoff win at Kansas City (1/4/98). In
Denver’s 24-21 AFC Championship victory at Pittsburgh (1/11/98)
Sharpe caught three passes for 49 yards, including an 18-yarder
on third-and-six with 2:00 remaining in the game to all but wrap
up Denver’s fifth Super Bowl appearance. During the game he passed
Haven Moses (314) for fifth place and tied Steve Watson (358) for
fourth place on the Broncos’ all-time postseason list for receiving
yards. In the Broncos’ 31-24 victory over Green Bay in Super Bowl
XXXII (1/25/98) Sharpe was Denver’s leading receiver, reeling in
five passes for 38 yards with a long of 12. He also did a magnificent
blocking job on Green Bay LB Seth Joyner, enabling teammate Terrell
Davis to rush for 157 yards (the team ran for 179) and earn MVP
honors. During the contest, Sharpe moved past Steve Watson (358)
for fourth place and Steve Sewell (375) for third place on the teams’
all-time postseason receiving yardage list. He also passed Sewell
(31) for second place all-time in postseason receptions by a Bronco.
1996:
Sharpe — selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and named first-team
All-Pro by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting
News, Pro Football Weekly, Football Digest and College & Pro
Football Newsweekly — started 15 of the 16 regular season games
at tight end, missing only the season finale at San Diego (12/22)
when he was declared inactive to rest a sore ankle for the playoffs.
He was also named All-AFC by UPI and Football News. For the year
he tied for eighth in the AFC in receptions (80; 16th NFL) and was
ninth in receiving yards (1,062; 15th NFL) for an average of 13.3
yards per catch with 10 touchdowns (T8th AFC/T13th NFL), establishing
a new career high. His 1,062 receiving yards also represented a
career high, topping his 1,010-yard effort in 1993. Sharpe led all
NFL tight ends in receptions, receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns.
With his 10 touchdowns Sharpe joined Terrell Davis (15 TDs) to give
Denver two players with double-figure touchdowns in the same season
for the first time in franchise history. Sharpe had a seven-game
stretch early in the year (9/22-11/10) in which he topped the 100-yard
mark three times and was over 90 twice, for an average of 107.6
yards per game. His four-catch, 21-yard, one-touchdown performance
vs. Seattle (12/1) gave him career single-season bests in receiving
yardage (finished at 1,062) and receiving touchdowns (10; previous
best was nine in ‘93). Sharpe’s longest reception was a 51-yarder
vs. Chicago (11/10), and he also had a 46-yard touchdown to his
credit, vs. Kansas City (10/27). He, along with Davis and quarterback
John Elway, made the Broncos just the fifth team in NFL history
to have a 3,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard rusher and a 1,000-receiver
in the same season. Sharpe’s 1,000-yard effort was the second of
his career, making him one of only four tight ends in league annals
to have more than one 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He left the
season-opener vs. the Jets (9/1) in the third quarter with a mild
ankle sprain after recording four receptions for 55 yards and a
touchdown, but was well enough to start at Seattle a week later
(9/8). In Week Four at Kansas City (9/22) Sharpe had his first big
breakout game of the season, hauling in a game-high nine passes
for 131 yards, followed by a game-high six passes for 60 yards and
one touchdown the following week at Cincinnati (9/29). The next
week vs. San Diego (10/6) Sharpe had a career day, hauling in a
franchise-record (tie) 13 passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns
in Denver’s 28-17 come-from-behind victory. The three touchdowns
tied his previous best, which he shares with several other players
as the franchise record. Sharpe’s touchdowns came on passes of 20,
20 and 3 yards from John Elway. In the game, Sharpe also moved ahead
of Al Denson (4,150) into eighth place on the Broncos’ career receiving
yardage chart, and moved into seventh all-time on the touchdown
reception chart, surpassing Mark Jackson, Bob Scarpitto and Rick
Upchurch. He was named the Miller Lite/NFL Player of the Week for
his performance. Versus Baltimore (10/20) Sharpe caught a game-high
nine passes for a season-high 161 yards, with a long of 32 yards,
his longest of the season. It was his third 100-yard game in the
past four outings. The following week vs. Kansas City (10/27) Sharpe
continued his midseason onslaught by catching a game-high six passes
for 99 yards, with two touchdowns. Both scores came in the first
quarter: the first a season-best 46-yarder and the second a 10-yarder
in Denver’s 34-7 win. Against Chicago (11/10) he caught five passes
for a game-high 92 yards, and hauled in his ninth touchdown pass
of the year to tie his previous career high set in 1993. Two weeks
later at Minnesota (11/24) Sharpe caught four passes for a game-high
90 yards to move ahead of Mark Jackson (4,746) into sixth place
on the Broncos’ all-time receiving yardage chart. He took a vicious
blow under his chin in the second quarter from Orlando Thomas, but
remained in the contest and helped lead Denver to a 21-17 come-from-behind
win. The next week vs. Seattle (12/1) Sharpe moved past his previous
single-season yardage best of 1,010 set in 1993, and topped his
previous single-season touchdown best of nine (also ‘93). His one-yard
touchdown reception in the first quarter put Denver ahead 7-0 en
route to a 34-7 win. Two weeks later vs. Oakland (12/15) he was
hit hard after making his one catch on the day and sustained an
injury to his lip that kept him out of the rest of the game. In
the regular season finale at San Diego (12/22) Sharpe missed his
only game of the year when he was declared inactive to rest a sore
ankle. In Denver’s AFC Divisional Playoff vs. Jacksonville (1/4/97)
he started at tight end and caught two passes for 31 yards, including
an 18-yard touchdown from John Elway to put Denver ahead 12-0 in
the first quarter.
1995:
Sharpe, who was selected as a Pro Bowl reserve (fourth straight
Pro Bowl), played in the first 13 games and started 12, despite
continuing to be bothered by sore ankles. He was named second-team
All-Pro at tight end by the Associated Press. Sharpe’s 63 receptions
were the 12th-most in the AFC, while his 756 receiving yards ranked
16th, despite missing three games entirely, and playing sparingly
in three others due to injury. He was second among all NFL tight
ends in both receptions and receiving yards. In the season opener
vs. Buffalo (9/3), Sharpe made a magnificent 1995 debut, tying a
regular season career best with 10 receptions, and establishing
a new career high with 180 yards, fourth-most all-time by a Bronco
in a single game. It was the seventh 100-yard game of his career,
and the most receiving yards by a Bronco since Steve Watson accumulated
183 on 10 catches at the L.A. Raiders on 12/12/82. Sharpe suffered
an ankle sprain against Washington (9/17) and missed the final three
quarters of that game, but was back in the lineup — though not at
100% — the following week at San Diego (9/24). His first touchdown
reception of the year came at New England (10/8). Sharpe’s second-best
game of the year came vs. San Diego (11/19) when he caught a game-high
eight passes for 137 yards and one touchdown, with a long of 40.
Sharpe’s fourth and final TD of the season came Dec. 3 against Jacksonville,
before he took a blow to the face and suffered an orbital fracture
to his left eye in the second quarter. He underwent surgery on the
eye Dec. 7, forcing him to miss the final three games of the season
(against Seattle, 12/10; at Kansas City,12/17; and at Oakland, 12/24),
but he was not placed on the injured reserve list.
1994:
Sharpe was selected to his third straight Pro Bowl as he posted
career-best numbers in receptions (87) and yardage (1,010), though
he did not play in the Pro Bowl game because of ankle and knee injuries.
His 87 catches were the most by any Bronco since 1961 (Lionel Taylor,
100) and the third-most all-time for a Denver player. He ranked
fourth in the AFC and eighth in the NFL in receptions. His 1,010-yard
total was second-best on the team as well as ninth in the AFC, and
gave Sharpe his first 1,000-yard season after just missing with
995 in 1993. He joined Anthony Miller (1,107 yards) to give Denver
two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season for the first time in
franchise history. He scored four touchdowns and had six or more
catches on eight occasions. He and his brother Sterling (Green Bay
Packers) remain the only brother combination to lead their teams
in receptions in the same year, as they have now done for three
straight seasons. Sharpe matched his career high with 10 receptions
(95 yards) in Denver’s dramatic overtime victory at Kansas City
(12/4), and followed that a week later with nine catches for 89
yards at the Raiders (12/11). His career high in yardage came in
game seven at San Diego (10/23) when he gained 121 yards on six
catches, including a 44-yard pass from Elway for his longest reception
of the year. Sharpe played in 15 of the Broncos’ 16 games and made
13 starts. After an outstanding opening day (9/4) on which he caught
nine passes for 97 yards against San Diego, he was placed on the
inactive list for game two at the N.Y. Jets (9/11) because of a
knee injury suffered in the opener. He was expected to miss up to
five weeks, but returned for spot duty the next weekend at the L.A.
Raiders and went without a catch for the first time since Nov. 30,
1992. He returned to the starting lineup in game five at Seattle
and stayed there the rest of the season, playing through the pain
of aching knees and ankles. He did not practice at all the week
of the Cleveland game (10/30), but showed up on Sunday to lead the
team in receptions (9) and yards (85).
1993:
Sharpe was named to his second straight Pro Bowl, along with being
named to virtually every All-NFL team. He led the Broncos in receptions
with 81, which ranked third in the AFC and eighth in the NFL. His
81 receptions ranked fourth in Bronco history, and were at the time
the most since Lionel Taylor’s 85 in 1965. Sharpe was also on the
receiving end of nine TD passes, which tied for second in the AFC.
He accounted for at least two receptions in every game in 1993,
with his season high coming against Kansas City (12/12). In that
game Sharpe recorded 10 receptions for 65 yards and three touchdowns.
His best game yardage-wise came in the season finale at the L.A.
Raiders (1/2) when he accounted for 115 yards on six receptions
with two touchdowns. The next week in the wild card matchup with
the same Raiders (1/9), Sharpe tied a playoff record with 13 receptions.
1992:Sharpe led all Denver
receivers in 1992 with a career-high 53 receptions for 640 yards
and two touchdowns. Shannon and his brother Sterling of the Green
Bay Packers became the only brother combination in NFL history to
lead their respective teams in receiving in the same season. Sharpe
had two 100-yard receiving games in ’92, catching seven passes for
109 yards at Buffalo (12/12) and nine for a career-high 118 yards
vs. Kansas City (10/4). He also had nine receptions at Washington
(10/12) and had seven in the season finale at Kansas City (12/27).
Sharpe, who was in the starting lineup 12 times in 1992, also set
a new career high with a 55-yard reception at Cleveland (9/27).
1991:
Sharpe was converted from wide receiver to H-back in 1991 and had
a fine season, catching 22 passes for 322 yards and a touchdown
and also gaining 15 yards on a reverse. He made half of his receptions
in the final three weeks of the campaign, with 11 catches for 159
yards. Sharpe established new career highs at Cleveland (12/8) with
four receptions for 59 yards, and had four catches the following
week vs. Phoenix (12/15). On special teams he posted a team-high
12 tackles, with five assists and two knockdown blocks. Sharpe appeared
in Denver’s starting line-up nine times during the regular season.
He closed out the postseason with six catches for 60 yards, with
three for 20 against Houston (1/4) and three for 40 at Buffalo in
the AFC Championship Game (1/12).
1990:
Denver’s seventh-round draft choice in 1990, Sharpe saw more playing
time as the season progressed and closed out the year with seven
receptions for 99 (14.1) yards and a score. He had his top receiving
game at Kansas City (12/9) with three catches for 41 yards and his
first professional touchdown. Sharpe was also one of the Broncos’
top special teams performers, netting 16 total tackles, six knockdown
blocks, and a forced fumble.
COLLEGE:
Sharpe had a tremendous career at Savannah State College, where
he was a three-time All-American, All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference, and all-state selection, as well as the three-time conference
Offensive Player of the Year. Sharpe closed out his college play
with 192 receptions for 3,744 yards, a 19.5 average, and 40 touchdowns.
He ended his career with appearances in the East-West Shrine and
Blue-Gray all-star games. Sharpe set school records for most consecutive
games with a reception (39), with a touchdown (14), and for most
games with over 100 yards receiving (17). As a senior he caught
61 passes for 1,312 yards and 18 TDs, and had three games with more
than 200 yards receiving and one game with four touchdown catches.
Sharpe was a criminal justice major.
PERSONAL:
Sharpe hails from Glennville, Ga., where he was all-county, all-region
and all-area in football at Glennville High School. In addition
to four letters in football, Sharpe lettered three times in basketball
and four times in track, setting a Georgia state Class A record
in the triple jump (48’-3”) as a junior, and breaking that mark
as a senior (49’-5”). He won the regional triple jump title three
straight years and the regional discus throwing title twice. Shannon
was also a two-time all-area selection in basketball, scoring more
than 1,000 points in three seasons, and averaging 30 points and
15 rebounds as a senior. He once scored 52 points in a game and
once grabbed 27 rebounds in a game. His brother Sterling was an
All-American at South Carolina who earned All-Pro status in five
of his seven NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Sterling is
now a reporter for ESPN television, and a studio host for the network’s
award-winning NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown programs.
Shannon has several cousins who played college football, and he
lists his hobbies as fishing, basketball, weight lifting, and his
two Rottweilers, Kane and Killian. Shannon is single and makes his
home in Glennville, Ga.
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS: Fumbled once,
1990; rushed once for 15 yards and recovered one fumble, 1991; rushed
twice for -6 yards and fumbled once, 1992; returned one kickoff
for 0 yarfds and fumbled once, 1993; fumbled once, 1994; fumbled
once, recovered one fumble, 1995; fumbled once, 1996; fumbled once,
1997.
