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Shannon Sharpe expressed his pride for his brother Sterling Sharpe after his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Sterling Sharpe was inducted on Aug. 2, 14 years after Shannon’s own 2011 induction
“This is the proudest moment of my life,” Shannon shared on Instagram, adding, “Not because of the history— But because my story is now (HIS)story”
In the wake of his split with ESPN, Shannon Sharpe is reflecting on what he’s calling “the proudest moment” of his life: when his brother Sterling Sharpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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“Last week, history was made,” Shannon, 57, wrote on Instagram on Monday, Aug. 11. “Two brothers from Glenville, Georgia became the first brothers to ever be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Shannon, who was inducted in 2011, continued, “But long before that moment, two brothers beat the odds. Two brothers graduated grade school. Two brothers graduated college. Two brothers made it to the NFL. Two brothers built beautiful families.”
“Two brothers stayed close. Two brothers trusted God,” he wrote. “Two brothers gave back. Two brothers led with love.”
Late last month, the Nightcap podcaster said he apologized to Sterling, 60, about the timing of his enshrinement, which came days after Shannon was fired from ESPN.
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“Really the only thing I asked was like, ‘Guys, could we wait until Monday? My brother’s going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,’ ” Shannon told his podcast co-host, fellow retired NFL star Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
Shannon continued, “I really want it to be about him and I want it to be about my family. This coming out would overshadow everything that he’s worked his entire life for. And unfortunately, you know, it didn’t happen that way.”
Tony Tomsic via AP
Sterling and Shannon Sharpe
But Sterling took his brother’s career news in stride, Shannon recalled.
“He said, ‘Bro, stop apologizing. You don’t have to apologize. I’m your big bro, I’m gonna love you regardless. We all make mistakes,’ ” Shannon said.
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Shannon’s firing came less than two weeks after he settled a $50 million rape and sexual assault lawsuit that was filed against him earlier this year. He joined ESPN as an analyst in August 2023, but had not been on the network since the lawsuit was filed in April.
For Sterling, a neck injury sidelined his own career in the NFL, curtailing his success after seven years in the league. Yet on Saturday, Aug. 2, the former Green Bay Packers star earned his gold jacket — becoming one of only 11 players who played seven years or fewer to be inducted.
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All of which was not lost on his younger brother.
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“This is the proudest moment of my life,” Shannon wrote in his Instagram post. “Not because of the history — But because my story is now (HIS)story. 🙏🏾”
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