Call from Canton

Former Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 31, 2025, in Canton, Ohio, as the 29th member of the Packers to be elected. A first-round pick (No. 7 overall) out of South Carolina in 1988, Sharpe played seven seasons with the Packers and was a three-time first team All-Pro selection and five-time Pro Bowler. Sharpe retired as the Packers' all-time leader in receptions (595) while ranking second in receiving yards (8,134) to James Lofton and second in touchdown receptions (65) to Don Hutson, both Hall of Famers themselves.

"On behalf of the entire Green Bay Packers organization, I want to congratulate Sterling on his long overdue election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He left an indelible mark as one of the greatest players of his generation, while also directly contributing to the revival of the Packers during the 1990s." - Mark Murphy, Packers President/CEO

Brotherly Duo

On July 31, 2025, Sterling Sharpe will take his rightful place among the game's greats when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And standing right beside him, as always, will be his brother Shannon - celebrating history, family and a dream fulfilled. Sterling and Shannon Sharpe will become the first brothers to be enshrined in Canton.

The brothers began their journey in rural Glenville, Ga., living with their grandparents in a small, 1,000-square-foot cinder block house, with no indoor plumbing and a leaky tin roof. Their grandparents instilled a strong work ethic in them on the family farm, teaching them the sense of purpose and perseverance that ultimately became the hallmarks of their career.

"Outside of my professional career, this is THE PROUDEST moment of my life. No question. Everything I've done has been influenced by you, Sterling Sharpe. Three years apart, but I can truly say you've been a father figure to me. I would have given my jacket long ago to see you in the Hall. Your hard work stood the test of time and finally you get your own. Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Bro!" - Shannon Sharpe after telling Sterling Sharpe he had been selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Denver Broncos selected Shannon Sharpe in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft out of Savannah State, a Division II college. He retired 14 season later as the all-time leader in catches, yards and touchdowns by a tight end. Sharpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. During his induction speech he said this: "My big brother, Sterling, I'm the only player of 267 men that walked through this building to my left that can honestly say this ... I'm the only pro football player that's in the Hall of Fame, and the second -best player in my own family." Now, 14 years later, Sterling joins Shannon in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sterling Sharpe was drafted by the Packers in the first round (No. 7 overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft and started all 112 regular-season games he played for Green Bay, appearing in all 16 games each season of his career.

Razor Sharpe

"Every NFL defensive coordinator thought all they had to do is take away Sterling Sharpe and they could beat the Packers. But you know what? They could never take Sterling away." - Ron Wolf, Packers Pro Football Hall of Fame General Manager, 1991-2001

Sterling Sharpe was one of the very best wide receivers in the NFL during his seven seasons. His 595 receptions from 988 to 1994 were the most in NFL history to that point by a player in his first seven seasons. Sharpe also ranked No. 2 behind only Jerry Rice for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by an NFL player in his first seven seasons. In his final three seasons, Sharpe was dominant, and his remarkable achievements were record-breaking.

In 1992, Sterling Sharpe set a then-NFL record with 108 catches and let the league with 1,461 yards and 13 touchdown receptions, accomplishing the rare receiver triple crown. (His 1,423 yards in 1989 broke James Lofton's single-season team record from five years prior.) Sharpe then broke his own mark with 1,461 yards in 1992, only to have that eclipsed by Robert Brooks the year after he retired.

"The more times Sterling touches the ball, the better chance we have to win." - Jon Gruden, Packers Wide Receivers Coach, 1993-1994

A year later, Sharpe had another jaw-dropping season. He broke his own record with 112 catches, accounting for 1,274 yards and 11 touchdowns, although he was bothered by Achilles and turf-toe injuries that prevented him from practicing for most of the second half of the season. His NFL single-season record of 112 receptions in 1993 was broken the following year by Minnesota's Cris Carter, also a Hall of Famer, but it stood as the Packers' single-season mark for 27 years until it was surpassed by Davante Adams in 2020.

"I thought he was one of the best receivers I'd ever seen. Sharpe was kind of our whole offense. Instead of running the ball, we just threw him slants." - Ted Thompson, Packers General Manager, 2005-2007

Sharpe posted 18 touchdown receptions and led the league in his final season in 1994, tied for No. 3 in NFL history. It broke the previous record of 17 held by Don Hutson, which had stood for 52 years, and it still ranks tied for first in team annals, having been matched by Davante Adams in 2020. In the final six weeks of that 1994 season, Sharpe caught 13 touchdown passes - in his last 6 career games!

Hall of Fame Honors

"When you review what he accomplished, it's truly legendary. He was the only offensive weapon we possessed yet the opponent's defense couldn't stop him." - Ron Wolf, Packers Pro Football Hall of Fame General Manager, 1991-2001

Sharpe is one of only three players in NFL history with 575-plus catches, 8,000-plus receiving yards and 65-plus receiving touchdowns in his first seven seasons. (Marvin Harrison, Larry Fitzgerald)

Sharpe led the league in receptions three times (1989, 1992, 1993) over a five-year period.

Sharpe finished his career with three consecutive seasons of 90-plus receptions.

In 1992-1993, he became the first player in league history to record 100-plus receptions, 1,250-plus receiving yards and 10-plus receiving TDs in back-to-back seasons.

He posted four seasons with 11-plus TD receptions, including his final three seasons. (12 in 1989, 13 in 1992, 11 in 1993, and 18 in 1994)

Sharpe only got to play in the playoffs once in his career, in the 1993 season. But he mad the most of it with 100-yard games in both of the Packers' playoff games. He registered 11 receptions for 229 yards with four touchdowns in the two playoff contests. In the wild-card win over Detroit, Sharpe became the ninth player in league history to have three touchdown receptions in a playoff game.

Unstoppable 

"He was an unstoppable, remarkable receiver." - Ron Wolf, Packers Pro Football Hall of Fame General Manger, 1991-2001

Sterling Sharpe was a running back in wide receiver's cleats. That's not to say he wasn't as gifted as most of the other outstanding wideouts in the current age of fastbreak football; it merely means that Sharpe had a unique skill set that allowed him to be on of the best after-the-catch receivers in NFL history.

Compared to his Pro Football Hall of Fame contemporaries, Sharpe wasn't as rangy as Dallas' 6-foot-2 Michael Irvin and couldn't match the Raiders' Tim Brown's 4.35 speed coming out of college, but neither of those two could fight off cornerbacks and bust tackles like Sharpe, and they never carried the offensive load that Sharpe did, either.

What launched Sharpe's career into a new rarified stratosphere was the arrival of Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre in 1992. Holmgren's West Coast offense, focusing on a ball-control passing game, was a perfect match for Sharpe's skills, along with Favre's playmaking ability. 

Sharpe was a rare combination of strength and quickness. He was most effective inside the hashmarks and inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He was fearless. he had a special feel for finding open spaces with plays broke and Favre abandoned the pocket. And, more than anything, tackling Sharpe anywhere on the field was challenging for defenders. He was virtually unstoppable. 

Sterling Performance

Game: Nov. 5, 1989
Score: Packers 14, Bears 13
Lambeau Field
Stats: Two receptions, 19 yards, one touchdown

One of the most rewarding victories of the 1980s happened for Sterling Sharpe and the Packers in what will forever be remembered as the "Instant Replay Game." The win would end an eight-game winning streak by the Chicago Bears over the Packers. The call also led to the NFL killing instant replay for seven years during the 1990s.

Trailing 13-6 in the fourth quarter, quarterback Don Majkowski led a 14-play, 73-yard drive that climaxed with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Sharpe with 32 seconds left - although not until after coaches, players and 56,000-plus fans waited more than four minutes with baited breath. the Majik Man had scrambled right on fourth down and thrown what turned out to be a disputed touchdown pass.

"I was just praying some serious prayers." - Brian Noble, Packers Linebacker, 1985-93

On the field, line judge Jim Quirk had thrown his flag from half a field away, believing Majkowski had delivered the pass beyond the line of scrimmage, nullifying the touchdown. Upstairs in the press box, replay official Bill Parkinson rewound the tape over and over, trying to determine if Majkowski's arm and hand - not his feet - were beyond the line when he released the football. 

The wait seemed eternal, the score seemed surreal, until finally Parkinson overruled Quirk and pandemonium erupted. Ignoring the deafening, nonstop roar of the crown, Chris Jacke kicked the game-winning extra point for a 14-13 win.

Game: Sept. 27, 1992
Score: Packers 17, Steelers 3
Lambeau Field
Stats: Two receptions, 93 yards, one touchdown

Quarterback Brett Favre made his first career start against the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers, the beginning of the longest consecutive-starts streak in history for an NFL quarterback. Favre went 14 for 19 for 210 yards and two touchdown passes in a 17-3 victory.

One of the touchdowns was a 76-yard bomb to Sterling Sharpe in the second quarter, giving the Packers a 10-3 lead that they would not relinquish. Favre used a pump fake and Sharpe used a stop-and-go move to blow past Pittsburgh's star cornerback Rod Woodson for the huge play. Sharpe, who earlier caught a 17-yard pass to make if 59 straight games with a reception (a then-Packers record), sucked Woodson in with a clever move. After catching the pass at about the 40, he outran everyone for the 76-yard score. 

At the time, Rod Woodson was one of the best corners in the NFL. During that 1992 season, he was first team AP All-Pro at cornerback. He would win AP Defensive Player of the year the next season in 1993. Woodson was a member of the 1990s All-Decade Team, was named to the Pro Bowl 11 times and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

"I pump-faked to Sterling and Sterling just went past him. It was nice to air one out." - Brett Favre, Packers Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback, 1992-2007

Game: Jan. 8, 1994 - NFC Wild Card Playoff
Score: Packers 28, Lions 24
Pontiac Silverdome
Stats: Five receptions, 101 yards, three touchdowns

The Packers and the Detroit Lions had just played the week before, resulting in a 30-20 Packers loss that determined the division crown and home-field advantage for this rematch in the opening round of the playoffs. In that game, Sharpe broke his own NFL record for receptions in a season with 112.

The score would bounce back and forth in this exhilarating playoff matchup. The Lions took a 3-0 lead on a Jason Hanson 47-yard field goal. Then Sharpe caught an absolute rocket from Brett Favre between two defenders for a  12-yard touchdown pass and a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. 

The Packers had fallen behind, 17-7, in the third quarter when Favre drilled a pass perfectly between two defenders and right into the hands of Sharpe for a 28-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 17-14.

With the Lions on a 74-yard drive to the Packers' 5-yard line, safety George Teague guessed right, intercepting Lions quarterback Erik Kramer and racing 101 yards down the sideline for a then NFL-playoff-record touchdown return to give the Packers a 21-17 lead. But the Lions regained the lead at 24-21 in the fourth quarter.

Green Bay started the game-winning drive at its own 29-yard line with 2:26 to go in the game. On the play before Sharpe's spectacular touchdown, he was hurt and attempted to get off the field. Sharpe had been dealing with a turf-toe injury so severe that he hadn't practiced in eight weeks. He caught a short pass for 6 yards and was rolled on as he was tackled. Sharpe was in serious pain after the play, but the Packers lined up quickly, and so he lined up for the snap.

Lions cornerback Kevin Scott fell back with Sharpe for several steps, but then let him go believing he would have safety help in the zone coverage. Sharpe was running in the clear when Favre bolted out of the pocket on a helter-skelter scramble. He escaped pressure while rolling left, then suddenly spotted Sharpe breaking free on the right sideline. Favre launched a rainbow across the field, as he threw back across his body in a pass estimated to travel 75 yards. Sharpe caught the dramatic 40-yard touchdown bomb with just 55 seconds left.

The play was absolute high drama, a breathtaking moment that led to a 28-24 playoff win over the Lions and was instrumental in securing the lone playoff win of Sharpe's career. A neck injury would tragically cut hat career short the next season.

"It was the play of the year. It's just a wonderful, wonderful feeling. We worked so hard to get this one." - Mike Holmgren, Packers Head Coach, 1992-1998

Career Cut Short

"I don't care how long or short his career was. He was a dominant player in his era. Period. He's as good a football player as ever wore the green and gold." - Ron Wolf, Packers Pro Football Hall of Fame General Manager, 1991-2001

Sterling Sharpe was forced to retire from the NFL due to a neck injury at the age of 29 and after only seven seasons. Near the end of the 1994 season, it was found that he had a neck abnormality that needed surgery, including two loose vertebrae at the top of his spinal column. In the second-to-last regular-season game, Sharpe had experienced temporary paralysis in both arms following a collision and then a week later endured a burning sensation in his right warm after sustaining another blow. He missed the Packers' two playoff games that season after being placed on injured reserve. Sharpe underwent surgery for a neck fusion of his top two vertebrae in early February 1995, and less than a month later was forced to end his NFL career.

Due to his injury-shortened career, Sharpe's Hall of Fame candidacy had been challenging. Then running back Terrell Davis and safety Kenny Easley were both inducted in 2017, along with offensive tackle Tony Boselli in 2022. All three of them played just seven seasons like Sharpe. Despite their short careers, these transformative talents were finally honored with the ultimate recognition.

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