About Sterling Sharpe: A Story of Talent, Triumph and Tragedy

Who is Sterling Sharpe? Former professional American Football player Sterling Sharpe was born in Chicago, Illinois USA, on 6 April 1965, making Aries his zodiac

Daniel Wanburg

Who is Sterling Sharpe?

Former professional American Football player Sterling Sharpe was born in Chicago, Illinois USA, on 6 April 1965, making Aries his zodiac sign. He’s remembered best for the time he spent playing for the Green Bay Packers of National Football League (NFL) as their wide receiver, although he had begun attracting attention while playing college football.

Sterling had a promising career in football, however, a serious neck injury forced him to stop playing.

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Education and early life

Sterling was raised alongside his younger brother Shannon Sharpe in Glennville, Georgia by their mother Mary Alice Dixon and father Pete Sharpe, however, not a lot is known about Pete and Mary because their sons respect their privacy. Shannon was once a professional Football Player; he played most of his 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos of NFL, winning three Super Bowls with them, and was selected for eight Pro Bowls; he’s today rated one of the best tight ends in the history of football.

Sterling became interested in football while attending Glennville High School, and his brother Shannon mostly became interested in the sport because he looked up to him. Sterling played three positions while at Glennville: linebacker, quarterback and running back – he also played basketball and was on the school’s track team.

He matriculated in 1983, and then enrolled at the University of South Carolina, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1987; Sterling set various football records while attending the university, including for receptions (169) and receiving yards (2,497), while his record for career touchdowns (17) has since been broken. Sterling’s record for single-season receiving touchdowns (11) was broken by American former professional Football Player Sidney R. Rice in 2005.

Upon graduation, Sterling’s No. 2 jersey was retired by the University of South Carolina; his coach and mentor William ‘Tank’ Black quit coaching the South Carolina’s Gamecocks so that he could work as Sterling’s manager.

Career as a professional Football Player

Sterling was the seventh overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft, selected by the Green Bay Packers. His skills immediately impacted the team, as Sterling started all 16 games and caught 55 passes; he numbered 90 receptions in his second year with the Packers, more than any other player in the league.

The Packers welcomed new quarterback Brett Favre in 1992, and he and Sterling teamed up and became the best passing duo in the NFL; Sterling numbered 107 receptions in the season, which broke the NFL’s previous record set in 1984 by American former professional Football Player James Arthur ‘Art’ Monk. Also in 1992, Sterling held the season’s record for receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards, thus becoming the fifth player in the history of the sport to win the ‘Triple Crown’, while three more players have since achieved the feat.

The year 1993 saw Sterling have 112 receptions, breaking his former personal record, and the following year saw him with 18 touchdown receptions, the second-most in NFL history, as Jerry Rice performed 22 in 1987. Sterling caught four touchdown passes in a single game on 24 October 1993, becoming the first to achieve this since Don Hutson in 1945.

Sterling’s career ended abruptly in 1994, as he suffered a neck injury and had to quit playing football; the Packers went on to win the 1996 Super Bowl. Shannon gave his brother Sterling the three Super Bowls rings that he won, thus thanking him for his influence.

Since his retirement, Sterling’s been working for the NFL Network as their analyst.

Most popular YouTube videos

Although not active on YouTube, Sterling’s still quite popular on the video sharing service because many users have uploaded video featuring him onto their channels, in some of which he can be seen playing football and giving interviews. We’re going to cover three most popular videos amongst these, which’ve contributed to his popular on the internet.

His #1 video “NFL Brothers Shannon & Sterling Sharpe | EPISODE 1 | CLUB SHAY SHAY” was uploaded by Club Shay Shay on 22 September 2020, and has since been watched close to three million times; it features Shannon interviewing Sterling for his show.

Sterling’s second most popular video “No one meant more to Shannon Sharpe throughout his career than his brother Sterling” was uploaded by New Heights on 13 April 2023, and has since been watched more than 500,000 times, while it’s amassed over 30,000 likes; it features Shannon speaking about how much Sterling meant for his career.

His #3 video “Shannon Sharpe Gave His Brother His Super Bowl Ring” was uploaded by SHOWTIME Basketball on 21 September 2022, and has since been viewed nearly 500,000 times, while it numbers nearly 30,000 likes; it features Shannon talking about giving Sterling his Super Bowl ring.

Love life and daughter

Sterling avoids sharing the details of his love life with his fans, and thus not a lot about it is known.

One thing that’s widely known is that Sterling’s daughter Sommer was born in November 1993, and that she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and mass communication in 2016, however, the name of Sommer’s mother remains undisclosed, and it’s widely believed that she and Sterling split when Sommer was still a baby. He was still highly involved in Sommer’s upbringing, and is still today close to his daughter.

Sterling’s yet to mention other women whom he’s dated, he seems to be unattached as of April 2023, hasn’t married, but has a daughter from a previous relationship.

Interesting facts and hobbies

Sterling has an Instagram account, but has posted only three pictures onto it, and only a few over 120 people are following him on the social media network.

He’s still a huge fan of NFL and his work’s still related to it, while Sterling also often travelled around the US to watch his brother play.

He was physically highly active during his career, and besides football also had five to six training sessions at the gym every week, however, Sterling stopped going to the gym following his neck injury.

He’s a philanthropist, and has donated money to a number of charity organizations.

Sterling’s a lover of animals, and his favorites are parrots.

His favorite actor is Morgan Freeman, while some of Sterling’s favorite films include “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Yes Man” and “Invictus”.

Height, eyes and wealth

Sterling’s age is 58. He has brown eyes and is bald, his height’s 6ft (1.83m) and he weighs around 210lbs (94kgs).

Sterling’s net worth’s been estimated at over $2 million, as of April 2023, and his brother Shannon’s at more than $14 million.

Daniel Wanburg

As the Managing Editor at The Legit, I direct a dynamic team dedicated to creating rich content that profiles the lives and accomplishments of influential figures. My commitment to detail and storytelling drives the production of biographies that truly engage our audience. I manage all aspects of the editorial process, from conducting thorough research to crafting vivid narratives, all while ensuring the accuracy and quality of our work. At The Legit, our goal is to offer our readers comprehensive profiles that provide deep insights into the realms of business, entertainment, and more. Through diligent research and engaging storytelling, we highlight the exceptional journeys and achievements of those who both inspire and intrigue us.

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