“I couldn’t believe it!”: Shannon Sharpe REFLECTS on being picked in the 7th Round of the 1990 NFL draft
Many know Shannon Sharpe as an NFL pundit who discusses the latest news with Skip Bayless on the Undisputed show. He was also previously a football analyst for CBS Sports for their NFL shows.
However Shannon Sharpe has also had an illustrious playing career and was a tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. Additionally he was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Shannon Sharpe talks about his NFL draft and being picked late by the Denver Broncos
Shannon Sharpe attended school at the Savannah State University which is a historically black school. His numbers there were very impressive with him in his final season catching 61 passes for 1,312 yards. But he knew that playing for a lesser known school it would be tough to get recognition.
One of the other issues that NFL scouts had with Shannon Sharpe was that he was a tweener. He was a little too big and not quick enough to be called a wide receiver and he was not technically a tight end as well. However Shannon Sharpe remained positive and wanted to emulate his stars Walter Payton and Jerry Rice.
Sharpe was backed by many to be picked up in the second or third round of the 1990 NFL draft as he was ranked as the #24th best player in the country. Unfortunately things didn’t go as planned and he was not drafted in from round 1-6 on the first day.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Sharpe had said. “I was sitting on my bed all night, just shocked that I wasn’t picked yet. I didn’t know what was going on. I know I was from a little school, but I had big numbers. To this day, I’m still surprised I went so late.”
Shannon Sharpe was picked up by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round and the rest is history. He went on to win two Superbowls with the Broncos and later on another one with the Baltimore Ravens.
“He [Broncos scout Ron Hill] told me I was a Bronco,” Sharpe said. “I told him, he wouldn’t regret it and that I’d be a steal. I knew Denver was getting a good deal in the seventh round.”
“After the draft, I heard [Ring of Fame head coach] Dan [Reeves] on a radio show talk about me,” Sharpe said in 1997. “He said I was a project and he didn’t know if I was a wide receiver or tight end. But he saw something special in me.”
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