Shannon Sharpe might be known as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, but the road to his current glory wasn’t an easy one. The former NFL star shared an incident detailing discrimination in the early years when he had shop owners refusing to show him products and women clutching their purses upon seeing him.
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On his podcast, ‘NightcapShow’, Unc shared how he was taken by surprise when a showroom worker actually treated him with respect. It was also when Sharpe bought his first-ever Rolex.
“I walked into the store; ‘can I look at that watch?’ He took it out from behind the counter, set it down on the thing said, ‘Go ahead, try it on.’ I looked at him because all the other places they never did that.”
Co-host Chad Johnson couldn’t believe Sharpe’s words and conjectured that the worker must have recognized the tight end. However, Sharpe denied the possibility and continued about how he went on staring at the worker, dumbfounded.
“I was like, ‘You trust me?’ He (shopkeeper) said, ‘Yeah. Judging by your mannerisms, it never even crossed my mind that you were gonna try to take off running.”
Sharpe opened up about how he was moved by the unbiased gesture, considering the racism he had encountered in the past. He revealed that many shop owners would stereotype him and not allow him to check out the products.
“But it’s nice to know that you know hey I’m a black man in a high end you know store ’cause I’ve had people, you know, not wanna show you anything,” he recalled.
The NFL legend also noted how some women would ‘clutch’ their purses in prejudiced fear of theft. In response, Sharpe humorously remarked, “I’m like, little do know, lady I’d buy you!”
The three-time Super Bowl champion has certainly come a long way since his first Rolex purchase of $15,500.
Shannon Sharpe’s kingdom of millions!
In his 14 years of playing in the league, Sharpe has built a legacy for himself. His NFL salary, media career, and numerous brand deals have contributed to his net worth of $14 million, as per CelerbrityNetWorth.
Sharpe grew up in a humble household but established a stronghold in sports wing to his unparalleled skills and athleticism. The ex-Detroit star earned $22.3 million as football salary in his 15-year-long career as a pro, as per Spotrac.
On top of that, the analyst enjoyed multiple endorsement deals with big-name brands like Pizza Hut, Pepsi, Reebok, and Coors Light. Moreover, Sharpe has been part of numerous media deals as an analyst on Fox Sports and hosts his own podcast, ‘Club Shay Shay.’
He is basically a prime example of an underdog breaking stereotypes — building a kingdom in football legacy and amassing wealth all on his own!
