“I Never Wanted to Be in the Hall of Fame”: Sterling Sharpe Opens Up to Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson

Shannon and Sterling Sharpe made NFL history on Thursday evening when Sterling was named an NFL Hall of Famer. Sterling, a 2025 inductee, and Shannon (2011) are now the first brothers to earn busts in Canton. The best part? Shannon had the pleasure of delivering the news to Sterling.

The siblings discussed Sterling’s accomplishment on Nightcap following Thursday’s NFL Honors gala. Sterling informed the show’s live audience he didn’t anticipate ever earning a Gold Jacket. But now that he has, he’s walking on air.

“I never wanted to be in the Hall of Fame. I never expected to be in the Hall of Fame. This is not something I asked for… this is not something I prayed for, because when I left the game, the only thing anybody ever talked about is what I didn’t do… so I never had any expectations… today is kind of interestingly surreal.”

Sterling played his entire NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. He’ll now reside beside his main quarterback, Brett Favre, in the Hall of Fame. He also finally holds his rightful place alongside some of the most notable wide receivers to ever grace the gridiron.

Stephen A. Smith: Sterling Sharpe was “sensational” and “big time”

Stephen A. Smith joined Shannon, Sterling and Chad Johnson on Nightcap yesterday. The infamous ESPN personality has never minced words and didn’t do so on this new platform.

He praised Sterling for being one of the best wideouts the NFL has ever seen. He put the new Hall of Famer on the same level as Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. At the same time, he reflected on the appreciation and gratitude Shannon has shown Sterling at every turn.

“Your little brother loves you, man. When he talks about you, he talks about the only man he [has] ever hoped to be, to measure up to, [because] he knows he couldn’t do it… anybody that knows you [two] knows how he feels about you… me personally, you know how much love I’ve always had for you… [you’re] a sensational wide receiver. [You] were big time.”

The stats back Smith’s assertion. Sterling never recorded fewer than 791 yards in his NFL career. He made five Pro Bowl appearances, earned three first-team All-Pro nods and led the league in receptions three times across seven seasons (1988-94). Had he not suffered a serious neck injury at age-29, he’d own some of the most prolific numbers in NFL history.

Sterling posted 94 receptions, 1,119 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final professional campaign. Incredibly, 13 of those touchdown grabs came in Weeks 11-17, the Packers’ final six games of the 1994 season.

Wilder than that, Sterling played Week 17 after hurting his neck in Green Bay’s Week 16 contest. He played his final NFL game through a career-ending ailment! And in that last contest, he posted nine receptions, 132 yards and three touchdowns. It was a Hall of Fame-caliber performance. Now, 31 years later, it officially came from a Hall of Fame player.