It’s happening: Gamecock great Sterling Sharpe elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
For the first time, a University of South Carolina alum is a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Legendary Gamecocks wide receiver Sterling Sharpe was inducted on Thursday night, finally earning a spot in the Canton, Ohio shrine as a senior finalist.
Every year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame takes five finalists among seniors, coaches and contributors and elects a minimum of one and a maximum of three — with 80% of the vote needed to earn the coveted gold jacket.
Sharpe has always been honored at South Carolina. One of the greatest wide receivers in Gamecock history, he finished his USC career in 1987 as the school’s all-time leading receiver after catching 169 balls for nearly 2,500 yards and 17 touchdowns.
His No. 2 jersey was retired in 1987 — while he was still active at the school.
Now, 30 years after his NFL career ended, Sharpe finally became a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
His candidacy was always hard to judge given his lack of longevity. Drafted seventh overall by the Green Bay Packers in 1988, Sharpe played just seven seasons — becoming a three-time All-Pro while catching 595 passes for over 8,000 yards and 65 touchdowns.
But his career was cut short after sustaining a severe neck injury during the 1994 season. While he stopped playing football, younger brother Shannon went on to become a Hall of Fame tight end after an illustrious 14-year career.
During his Hall of Fame speech in 2011, Shannon got emotional talking about Sterling, saying that he was the only man to ever be elected to the Hall of Fame who could honestly say he was “the second best player in my own family.”
