The selection of tight end Shannon Sharpe to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame brings to 22 the number of former Bronco players (and one owner) represented within INVESCO Field at Mile High, and Sharpe’s entry probably precedes by just one year his eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
If ever any player were a virtual lock for Canton honors, it is Sharpe.
There are seven tight ends in the Hall of Fame right now–Ozzie Newsome, Kellen Winslow, Jackie Smith, Mike Ditka, Dave Casper, John Mackey and Charley Sanders.
What each of those illustrious players has in common is that none of them has a single stat to match those of Shannon Sharpe.
His career recption total of 815 is higher than that of any of the others.
Ditto his 10,060 reception yards and his 62 career touchdowns.
But it is a team game, and the biggest stat of all is being a great player a leader on three Super Bowl teams, the back-to-back championship Bronco teams in 1997 and 1998, and one other crown while on sabbatical with the Baltimore Ravens, between his Bronco stints.
Just for good measure, Sharpe was named to the Pro Bowl eight times, and Charley Sanders comes the closest with seven, none of the others having more than five.
I remember when we drafted Sharpe, the first thing I noticed was that he caught so very many passes at Savannah State.
Big school or small, performance counts. They were trying to cover him there just as much as if he had been at the biggest school in the country, and Sharpe would not have caught all those passes if he had not had the ability to do so.
He was a locker room leader two ways, by an unflinching example of hard work, and also verbally, always quick to express his views and tell a teammate what he thought. Shannon would set things straight if he felt the need.
Sharpe’s work in the weight room is well documented.
But the little details are what separated him from others. When everyone else was eatling the team meal at our headquarters on a Wednesdsay or Thursday, Shannon was eating what he brought from home: broiled chicken, no skin, green vegetables, small portions. Very little variation. He told me if it was not boring, it probably was not very good for him.
He is the only player I have even seen on his hands and knees with one of those mini, hand-held vacuum cleaners, vacuuming out the bottom level, the shoe compartment, of his locker.
Neatness counts. Preparation is everything.
It is not uncommon even today for Sharpe to have a book of philosophy close at hand. He can hit you right between the eyes with blunt football talk one minute, and in the next quote a philosopher like Confucius or Fredrich Nietzsche.
There have been naturally great players, players upon whom greatness has been thrust by situation, and those who took what they had and just made themselves great players.
Shannon Sharpe took his ability and intellect and made himself a great player. He simply would not be denied, and he would not let his body deny him.
The Broncos have two world championship trophies in large part because of the contribution of Sharpe, a natural pass receiver who MADE himself a blocker good enough to anchor his end of the line in one of the greatest running games the NFL has ever seen.
He works just as hard preparing for his television work on CBS, and it shows on the air.
A great player and natural leader, Shannon Sharpe is a great addition to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, and they might just as well start working on that bronze statue in Canton as well.
Tags: Ring of Fame, Shannon Sharpe
All tied up at 65
That’s not what I meant. You gave a score that was before half time. It was already in the 3rd qrtr when you posted that score?
No, 66-65
my bad read the score wrong earlier
Carmelo is pretty sick, already has 30 pts
GO NUGGETS
L.A.’s big guys are in foul trouble.
Trevor Ariza and Bynum both have 4 fouls!
Lakers up 70 to 68 damn it!
plus Odom has 3.
cry baby Kobe got a technical
Kobes losing it, ha, ha.
I beat you this time Dave! haha
Nuggets up 73 to 72
Funny when Kobe gets mad
My messages aren’t posting?????
Am I the only one thats noticed that Kobe has a weird shaped head?
DID YOU SEE CHRIS ANDERSONS SCREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
End of 3rd Nuggets on top 76 to 74
Must have been from all those rubber hose beatings by the Eagle sheriff’s redneck division, lol.
ladies and gentleman, get ready for an amazing 4th quarter of basketball.
This blog is now the property of the baketball division (for 1 more qrter). At least it’s Denver news, ha, ha.
Basketball, I meant.
this is what I think of Kobe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ059Av2JJk
Ha, ha, that was funny!
Anderson is an ANIMAL!
Smith is MIA tonight.
MIA?
yea whats MIA
Missing In Action (military term).
Yes Nuggets up, it is close I think it will go right down to the wire
89-82
91-87 Nuggets up
Still in front with 5 to go come on!
96-92 Denver.
We won’t be doing this during the Broncos games, ha, ha. I’ll be too busy holding a beer to type. Besides, I won’t be at home.
99-97 Nuggets, this is a close one 1 min. left, this is intense
99-99
35.5 seconds left. Lakers ball. 99-99. Sheesh.
like i said right to the wire, oh damn to close to till.
Denver needs to hit a 3
101-99 lakers, intense
Denver blew it.
Game 1 goes to lakers
All over no way they can win now.
Well, I’m out of here guys. It’s been real, been fun, just not real fun.
im out, laters guys
Yeah me too, talk to you guys later. Damn Nuggets blew it……
lol
So you guys talking about basketball now? lol Go LAKERS!! They’ll win the series in 6 games max!
First of the Nuggets didn’t blow anything. They kept Kobe in check, they kept the whole team in check as far as that goes. Nuggets will come back and tie the series and then they will have home court advantage for the next two games.
Now as far as the Original Blog goes: Wtg Shannon!!!! Very proud of you and really a huge contributor to the team the whole time you were here tyvm! I put you up on the same pedastal as John Elway from a Denver Native Point of View!!!
My thoughts about Canton and the HOF were changed this year when you were denied, In fact I have lost all respect for the Commisioner and the HOF Voting Board. It is sooooooo Obvious that the voting is very Bias and I could careless from this point on who goes into it anymore. It is a very disturbing that players who are obviously part of an organization that changed the way teams would prepare for a game, ie Zone Blocking, TE moving into motion creting mismatches and obviously coming away from a career with the stats to prove it be denied for the HOF is proposturus!!!!!
As far as Pat Bowlen goes it is obvious that he is nowhere close to losing his mind because he was the only one to step up to the plate and give credit where credit was due!!!!! Welcome to the best HOF in the US and that is the Denver Broncos ROF more prestigeous in my book!!! TY Shannon for the great memories you brought to Denver!!!!!!!
Sincerely BroncosRockdaRockies
It was a really stupid coaching move to have Anthony Carter in on an offensive possession that they needed for a tie.
I want to bring up the fact that even though the Nuggets get a lot of calls, the CRY BABY Lakers get calls where there is just good defense. I mean it doesn’t matter what happens, if they miss the shot then they start crying to the refs. Did you guys see the play where Fisher took a three with no one around him, and he started flayling around as if he was fouled? You have to be kidding!
Anyways Billups will step it up in Game 2, this was just the wake up call the nuggets needed, having a week layoff.
I know a lot of you are going to get mad at me for even posting this next remark but hear me out. Michael Vick just was released from prison today at 4 AM in Kansas today. The guy has paid his debt to society and deserves the right to provide for himself and his family. He deserves another shot at the NFL. I know we have 3 quarterbacks under contract and I know J MAC comes from the patriots where they love character guys but they did bring Randy Moss’s career back from the dead. What do you guys think about bringing Vick to Denver to compete?… And please no comments about killing dogs… we all know what he did… we know it will be a PR nightmare for awhile… But remember Ray Lewis didn’t miss a game when his posse killed a human being. In other words, there a lot of criminals in the league… I would even venture to say their are criminals on every team. Give me your thoughts Bronco fans.