Luis Sharpe, a longtime offensive tackle for the Cardinals who later became an advocate for addiction recovery, has died at the age of 65.
(File/Getty Images)
Sharpe’s wife, Tameka Williams-Sharpe, announced his passing in a social media post over the weekend. A cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Sharpe moved to the United States and played high school football in Detroit before starring at UCLA. The Cardinals selected him with the 16th overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft. He went on to spend 13 seasons with the franchise, protecting quarterbacks through three name changes and two cities: the St. Louis Cardinals, the Phoenix Cardinals, and eventually the Arizona Cardinals.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection (1987-89) and two-time second-team All-Pro, Sharpe also spent a season with the USFL’s Memphis Showboats in 1985. Known for his athleticism and durability at left tackle, he appeared in 189 career NFL games, all with the Cardinals.
Sharpe’s post-playing life was marked by personal struggles, including drug and alcohol addiction, multiple arrests, and prison sentences. He was also shot twice during drug-related incidents. In recent years, however, Sharpe found sobriety and purpose.
In 2024, Sharpe revealed he had been sober for eight years. He partnered with his daughter, Rebekah, to share their story of redemption and recovery, traveling the country as ambassadors for Hall of Fame Health, an initiative connected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I was a four-time loser,” Sharpe said last November. “I went to prison four times, I was shot twice, I was called a football-hero-to-crackhead-zero. And now here I am, traveling with my daughter… watching her educate the audience and tell our story.”
Sharpe is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.