Shannon Sharpe was born to her parents, Peter Sharpe and Mary Alice Dixon, in Chicago, Illinois. Sharpe was three months old when her parents divorced.
While in eighth grade, his father, Peter, tragically died of lung cancer. Due to the terrible situation of the family, he worked on a farm and a tobacco field to meet his daily needs.
Sharpe has a brother Sterling Sharpe who he has an incredible bond with. He started his career after attending Savannah State College. He first started playing football and basketball.
Shannon also started competing in track and field, recording the best long jumps of 6.73 meters and 14.73 meters in the triple jump. Shannon began working with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1987 and continued there until 1989.
In 1987, he won the SIAC Player of the Year award. He was also selected in 1989 as a Division II All-American by Kodak. Because of these accomplishments, he was inducted into the Division II Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Savannah State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
Shannon Sharpe’s brother, Sterling Sharpe, is a former football receiver
Sterling Sharpe, Shannon’s brother, is a former American football wide receiver and NFL Network analyst. He played running back, quarterback and linebacker. Besides football, he was a player in the basketball and athletics teams.
The Packers selected Sharpe in the first round, seventh overall, in 1988, and he made an immediate difference for the group.
He started every game in his first season and had 55 assists. Sharpe was renowned for having good hands, being a tough receiver, and being willing to run through the middle to make tough catches in congested areas.