Sterling Sharpe was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his illustrious career with the Green Bay Packers. In just seven seasons, he led the NFL in receptions three times and touchdown catches twice. He also made five Pro Bowls, three All-Pro first teams, and even earned MVP votes in a couple of seasons. But while he was racking up all those numbers, Sharpe never saw it as work.
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Playing in the NFL is a job, sure… but it’s not like most jobs regular folks have. For starters, the players are literally playing a game, performing on a big stage every week to entertain fans. And the paychecks? Let’s just say they’re a little better than your average gig.
Of course, that comes with the flip side: players are constantly under the microscope for everything they do, both on and off the field. Imagine if your everyday 9-to-5 came with that level of scrutiny. Still, while some might argue that makes it “work,” Sharpe doesn’t see it that way, and he’s got a pretty strong case to back it up.
“Playing football, lifting, running, that ain’t work,” Sharpe asserted on Club Shay Shay.
It’s an eyebrow-raising statement. One that many current and former NFL players would probably dispute. After all, it’s not easy laying your body on the line every Sunday for the entertainment of fans.
But the former Packer quickly elaborated, pointing out that there are many tougher jobs in the world than catching a football. That, in his view, is what qualifies as real work.
“Work is when you got your shirt off and all you see is 720 bales of hay. It’s 16,000 degrees out, and you got to throw the hay on the truck. That’s work,” Sharpe said.
“Work is when you’re in a tobacco field in blue jeans and a long-sleeve shirt with an undershirt, and it’s 17,000 degrees. You see the waves of the heat. You’re in the field from 7 am until that barn is full. That’s work,” he added.
What the Hall of Famer described sounded like a farmer, which is a thankless job that hardly anyone wants to do. Farmers face extreme weather, exposure to pesticides, and grueling physical labor, making it an incredibly tough way to make a living.
Then there are the truly life-threatening jobs, where people put their lives on the line every day, like firefighting, policing, paramedics, and construction, to name a few.
“Playing football, lifting, running, that ain’t work. Work is when you got your shirt off and all you see is 720 bales of hay. It’s 16,000 degrees out and you got to throw the hay on the truck. That’s work. Work is when you’re in a tobacco field in blue jeans and a long sleeve… pic.twitter.com/DjrYJySQtZ
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) August 4, 2025
All in all, it’s a good thing to keep in mind. Although, it just seemed like Sharpe was trying to downplay his career accomplishments to stay humble. Which is a great thing to practice. Everyone likes someone to be humble and not cocky.
Being in the NFL may not be like other intensive labor jobs. But it’s not like it’s an easy job either. There’s a lot of pressure to perform on a 53-man roster, and it can be hard to earn playing time because of it. Sharpe never really faced that issue, though.
As the 7th overall pick in the 1988 Draft, he didn’t have to fight for his spot. This is something most players can’t say, and a big source of stress for those fighting to stick around in the big league.
