NFL Brothers Shannon & Sterling Sharpe | EPISODE 1 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

hello welcome to club shay shay i'm your. host shay sharp. also known as shannon sharp for my very. first podcast there was no question who. my very first guest was going to be. it's the guy that's inspired me that. made me the person that i became today. being on the field and off he made me a. better sports player he made me a better. man. he made me a better father he made me a. better tv personality. so he really doesn't need any. introduction but i'll give him one. anywhere. my brother sterling shot all my life. been grinding all my life.

sacrifice hustle pay the price wanna. slice. got the roll of dice that's why all my. life i've been grinding all my life. all my life then running all my life. sacrifice. plus we'll pay the price wanna slice got. to roll the dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life. bro how you doing this hey give me a. little update what's going on with you. where are you right now in life what's. going on with you. beautiful columbia south carolina is hot.

humid sticky outside. so i'm just with the car you know with. covert 19 i don't get a chance to play. any golf on the road so i'm just. enjoying playing them and. playing here uh at the house with my. friends playing your home course huh. yes sir let me i think the thing uh you. and i talk when we talk often. and i think the biggest thing that we. get is people like man when your. brother's on television and he's telling. these stories. how much of that is real how much of. that is uh uh a fiction how much is.

him embellishing so let's just start. give us a little background. because people because when i run into. people people don't think i'm telling. the truth because people say man you're. talking like you grew up in the 40s and. the 50s. and you you grew up in this you know. late 60s 70s and 80s. so how can you say when you're eating. this and how you live. give the people a little background on. how we grew up in rural south georgia. well we were we we grew up in uh well. basically in the 60s 70s and 80s but we.

were definitely raised old school. uh 30 40s and 50s um you know it was. a time that that's just what we knew and. so when you repeat things that our. grandmother or grandfather. uh said it's actually kind of comical. because it takes you. you know even in 2020 it takes you back. to 1974 takes you back to 1979. it takes you back to 1983. so uh i. you know i tell people all the time i. said yeah that.

barney porter or mary porter definitely. said it and i'm just shocked that he. remembered because he was a he's younger. than me i'm shocked he remember. and he's repeating i think that's the. biggest thing because uh. olivia our older sister uh we call the. libya real let me share we call olivia. book. you and i both have dropped maybe. basically called a buck now. like shannon how do you remember that. when you were saying i'm eight years. younger than she is i'm three years. younger than you you're five years. younger than she is. and she said how do you remember that.

and when i tell people. i can remember everything that my. grandfather ever said in my presence. i can tell you every time granny was. upset at me. and i lived and i was 43 when she passed. i can remember that stuff because it was. so impactful on me. you know it's one of those things that. and i tell people this i try get people. to understand this all the time about. memories and i'm like. what you remember about my playing. career what i remember about my playing. career is totally different.

right um and so what you remember is i. mean. you know in hindsight once we left. glenville you know to go to college and. and to go on to the nfl it was amazing. that how many. instances or situations we found. ourselves in. where we could hear our grandmother or. grandfather's voice in our head so. while it may seem surprising to a lot of. people i'm not surprised because. mary and barney said a lot of profound. things in ways. that weren't just blatantly teachable.

like when you you know we would be. riding in the car with him and he we. would see a car on the side of the road. and he would say that car has not enough. has too many drivers and not enough. fixtures. and you know it took me forever to. realize that he was saying that the only. person. in charge of fixing that car is the. driver the rest of the passengers don't. care whether he gets it fixed or not. because they just don't get with another. friend so. he he just made it uh i had a habit of. saying things that were teachable. moments to us. that may not be teachable to other. people who may have heard.

did you think at the time because when i. tell people and we don't i don't talk. about this a whole lot. my grandfather was in the war world war. he got drafted to world war ii. although he didn't go overseas and fight. he was there and he was very. militaristic he was very disciplined it. was it was very. matter-of-fact you did not have to uh uh. assume where you stood with barney you. did not have to assume. what he was thinking he told you exactly. what he was thinking. at the time you were going through that. like i said you know you know my grand.

papa passed in 1977 um you were 12. um about to be 12 i was about to be. about to be nine. um did you think at the time that. man this joke was really tough on weeks. and we just they were just kids we're. not grown men. no that was all we knew um remember. we didn't go spend time at other friends. houses. we didn't get a chance to see how the. other family dynamic of our friends. worked we we only were around uh.

barney porter who was the head of our. family uh and our aunts and uncles and. so. basically everybody was like him. and so it was interesting that we it was. it was definitely not a democracy it was. definitely. a dictatorship and. but the thing about being in that. situation is we didn't know anything. different so. you know if he said uh uh if he said you. know. i really wish i'd get this trash out of. here he wasn't basically saying he would.

hope somebody would find it in. themselves to go take it out. whoever heard his voice he wanted to. trash take it out he wanted to take it. out right then. so no i i tell you what and i said you. know it wasn't. hard uh growing up that way because that. was the only way we knew. did when people when i tell people how. we live. in the the thousand square foot's in the. block home yeah hey hey. let me let me wish you would stop. telling that story too by the way.

buck gets very upset when we tell the. story about the thousand square. foot cinder block home with no indoor. plumbing uh. a ten roof that you could actually lay. on your back and you could see the sky. from the bed that's correct and i told. the story in my hall of fame speech. but growing up in that environment what. [Music]. because when i also spent you know we. tell when i tell people. i've never spent the night at a friend's. house. i dressed tonight at a family member's. house and people can't believe that.

correct i and that the first time i. stayed away from home i went to. 4-h camp at that uh uh cherokee. i think it was yeah i think then god i. was a. senior it was it was a rock eagle rocket. rock eagle. yeah you're a member of the cherokee. tribe i couldn't remember what it was. because it was so long ago but yeah. um the thing is is when you grow up that. way and that's the only way you know. you don't have anything to compare it to.

because yeah we saw our friends every. day at school and. some at church but you had nothing to. compare it. to so guess what it was our norm and our. norm. was you know what god i i wish the roof. didn't leak. you know i wish we didn't have to get up. you know monday through sunday and. you know herd hogs or pick tobacco or. grind feed or you know i i wish we. didn't. but that's what we knew and. you know you and i used to talk all the.

time about the only thing we wanted to. do was play football and we knew we were. going to never get the chance. uh to play football because we were. always working so. when you know that's all you know there. is no. i'm going to make it better because. you're going to make it better how all. you know is farming so. that was all we knew did you think when. we were working the hours and i always. use the term can't decant. and people like what does it can't mean. can you explain the people that's going. to be watching this. what can't it be uh you you see what you.

you you working from the time you can't. see when you get up until you can't see. at night it's it's dark to dark and it's. it the job is never done. it's just you got to go home and get. some sleep it's not like you know. it's a nine to five or i finished my. work i'm gonna. get off early we never got off early. there was no such thing as. you know what we're finished picking. this tobacco and you know what we're. going to do we're going to take the rest. of the day off. no that that never happens so but like i.

said shannon you know. it's easy in hindsight to go back and. say how tough we had it. and it's easy in hindsight to try and. make our upbringing. so much different from everyone else by. going you know living in a house that. didn't have running water. rain you know looking at the stuff we. could lay in bed and watch the sun rise. uh that kind of stuff you know what it. did it it didn't make us stronger it. just made us. we were like if if it was to be we were. gonna have to do. and we were always like that from our.

our playing days. is hey we were great teammates i'd like. to think but. if there's an opportunity to make a play. coach put it on me. because i can accept the success but i. can also accept the failure. if it doesn't go our way and i think. that's strictly because of. how we were brought up and i say this to. people. and and i used to say it to young people. when i spoke more all the time. it ain't by accident that two guys from. glenville georgia. not only graduated from college but made. it to the nfl.

that ain't by accident but it's not by. design either. i mean i just think that you know and i. tell people you learn a lot about guys. if you tell me how they were raised and. tell me what their experiences are i. could tell you who they are. and how we were raised uh we had similar. experiences from the time we left. glenville until the time you got into. television our lives were pretty much. mirror images of each other even though. we're you know we. we're three years apart in age but we're.

two years apart in athletics. when give people some background of. kind of some of the jobs that you and i. had when we were growing up. because i think the thing is because a. lot of times like i said when i'm on. television. and people automatically assume yeah if. you get on television. you're embellishing it you're balancing. yeah make yourself look good. five six seven years old so give the. people a little backdrop of kind of some. of the jobs you and i had. well well we we had a family remember it. was our grandmother grandfather be you.

and our sister not to mention our aunt. jane our aunt sherman dean. all right gladys and sometimes all right. marinelle living in that thousand-foot. cinderblock house too. correct it wasn't like there was a lot. of room but our jobs. also tricked my our nephew was. there. so guess what it wasn't like we had. chores and we could finish our chores we. definitely had to go to school in church. those two things were a must. correct we were at school we were at. church. but then there was the tobacco picking.

and the. uh you know planting my grandmother's. garden. there's also the moving and the. situating of the the hogs that we had. grinding of the feed so when. hogs got out it wasn't like you know hey. we got we lost a hog oh well. we got to go search for it so we were. going through hell in high water. in situations where i am to this day. i am still amazed that none of us ever. got bit by a snake and none of us ever. died because of snake bite. because i can remember our times.

wrapping our hands around tobacco stocks. and there will be eight foot rattlesnake. wrapped under sitting under a leaf. or we were walking through swamps in the. dead of summer and never got bit by. moccasin. i'm amazed but we had and not to mention. and i'll talk just about you and i. when we were in heights when i was in. high school you would have been in. middle school. we would get up and go to school go and. go to practice. go home and as soon as we got home from. practice we had to get in. uh earl bacon or our uncle james's truck.

to go catch chickens where we were. making a dollar a thousand. and we would you know it's hard. so you for every thousand chickens that. were in that house each individual got. paid. one dollar so imagine working from. eleven to two. catching uh uh. fourteen thousand chickens you made. fourteen dollars. ten thousand chickens you made ten.

dollars right so you get home at three. and you had to clean yourself up try to. get as much sleep as you can because. uh seven o'clock and on the way to. school what's happening the next day so. it. and like i said as tough as it seems or. sounds. now wasn't that bad back then because. guess what we. we got to be with our friends or our. cousins right uh. we were making money so it was a good. deal for us. well the school was the easy part it was. the summer. when you had to work in tobacco and then.

you come home remember we would come. home. not only did we play during the lunch. break we would eat play basketball. graham's like boy come in here y'all. gonna have a heat stroke and i'm like. hold on. you're saying it's too hot to play. basketball but it's not too hot to work. in the field. and we were in a long sleeve shirt we. wearing a long sleeve shirt and blue. jeans in the field it wasn't like we. were dressing cool right. we got a long sleeve shirt and blue. jeans on dressing in that tobacco field. so yeah it was. those were were some definitely. different times. uh for us growing up but i definitely.

believe. it definitely helped shaped how we were. uh from the time we left glenville until. the time we got to television. about to tell the story about how like. we were working to battlefield. and then we would play and then we had. to get ready to get on that chicken. truck. that night so we were working and i. remember. i remember because you at uh at the time. i was making five bucks a day you. remember you remember when i told granny. i was making five bucks a day literally.

ready. hold on let me know granny. that lady and i landed our first cousin. and shannon did was play what did granny. tell me. is if he making five bucks a day is too. much. it's too much she said it was too much. money and i. i agree because all you and lanny were. buying were diet cups and honey buns. anyway okay. let's tell the story let's tell the. story mr joe who was our boss at the.

time joe tatum he just passed recently. he set us up uh our line of credit at. the at the convenience at a convenience. store. yeah and so we could go and then get. anything we want. on credit knowing that mr joe is going. to bring us in there we're going to cash. our check. and we can pay so when mr joe said he. was going. going to the going to the town going to. the store. what would i always get i was probably. six or seven years old 300 bucks. you get 300 bucks and three cokes three. sodas.

i'm like he couldn't get one and one. this is joe bring me three honey buns. and three coca-cola. that every time he had to go it was. three or three. it was it was three it was three and. three but. three or three but do you remember also. mr joel he had he had a farm. and he had cattle and cattle eat hey. somebody had to bail that hate mr had. he had watermelons uh we had the uh uh. uh broader second year he had okra he.

had tomatoes. we had to pick up pecans for the dashes. that's correct. we had a lot of jobs and the thing was. is we would have done even more. just to put money in our pockets to. lessen the loan. on granny at the time she was the only. breadwinner for the most part in the. house or in libby. right so we would have done anything to. buy our own. clothes buy our own shoes buy our own. basketball our bet on. basketball shoes football shoes track.

shoes we would have done just about any. and everything and as you remember. i mean there were sometimes during the. summer when we would have you know. training camp basically where we were. practicing at night that we had to make. a decision whether we were going to. practice. or we were going to catch chickens. because if we didn't go make money we. didn't have any money for the. away games or to eat before games and. that kind of thing. so and and i don't like telling the. story because it's hard to understand.

in to now day and age but but you. touched on joe and miss you know miss. joanne just passed. about a month ago and joe tatum and miss. joanne and i say this to people all the. time. i think we have a better understanding. of. white people and race because of how. uh joe joanne tiny and their family. treated us. because we could have gone either way. but the way the tatum brothers treated. us and their families.

uh definitely made sure that i. understood that all white people weren't. evil. it made me understood that you know what. when you get to know someone. is easier to get understanding from that. person. so i i say in this you know this. difficult. racial time that we live in i feel a. certain way. uh about it because of our relationship. and experiences uh with with definitely. mr joe and miss joanne tatum. when did you know you were good at.

sports. i never knew um. i never really knew that i was good at. it because remember the first time i. ever touched the football. in an organized game i was on kickoff. return i ran it back for a touchdown. it got called back and the team had to. re-kick it they kicked it off and i ran. it back for a touchdown. but i just thought okay why did the. first tell the story why the first. touchdown got called back. celebrated before i got in the end zone. and and so it was a 15-yard penalty to.

re-kick. and so when they kicked it off again i. ran it back for a touchdown and i was. too tired to celebrate or i might have. gotten that one call back. but i never really. looked at myself being good i always. looked at it like i looked at. uh riding a tractor or picking tobacco. or. or shelling peas or you know cutting. onions. there's a job to do and i got this. amount of time to do. and i did not play high school football.

to go to college. i played high school football because i. wanted to play high school football. i didn't play college football to go to. the nfl i played college football. because i wanted to play college. football. and i did those two you know high school. and college until it was time to move on. and when i finished with college it was. time to move on. and you were with me when i got drafted. and you were highly disappointed i might. tell america. he was highly disappointed that the. green bay packers drafted me. because he didn't want me to go to green. bay because i wasn't going to win any.

games and they weren't any good. instead of looking at it as hey i got. drafted in the first round. going to green bay but i just looked at. it as i wanted to play that's the only. thing in my life i've ever wanted to do. was play football i didn't have a. contingency plan. you know if i if i go to college and i. don't make it then i'm going to open up. a business. no it was just i'm going to college to. play football and whatever happens after. that. i'll attack that the same way i attacked. playing football well.

i played football because i thought if i. played football that would get me. outside of my chores. but you play football. you still go cutting the grass you gotta. get stuff to do. so it didn't get me out of anything all. it did was give me an opportunity. to get involved in an activity but i. still had work to do when i got home. since we're airing all our dirty laundry. i figured we'd as well tell america as. much as we can. remember our competition before we. started playing organized sports was. who could cut the grass the fast.

i mean we we got a pushing lawnmower and. we're trying to see. who could cut the grass the fastest and. the best that was. our competition and and so we. basically learned competition through. you and i cutting the grass for the. fourth sunday. second sunday get-togethers with our. cousins where we divided up into teams. and did whatever whether it's basketball. or. softball or whatever the case was great. grace. sack races running back flips arnold.

you remember when you left to go when. you left to go to south carolina. the road that we lived on was still dirt. yes no. no no no no no no because remember our. grandfather said. he would never live to see this road. paid. right and he died and it as a matter of. fact when they brought his body by the. house it was paid. it was paid are you sure yes. i'm 100 sure because that was the.

biggest thing is he said. i will never live to see this road and. he didn't. i'm i'm gonna just i'm gonna disagree. with you and you know i don't like to. disagree with you. but i'm gonna have to disagree because. you remember when my senior year. obviously you were already gone the bus. didn't come by the house. i had to walk to the end of the road yes. and in the process of me walking to the. end of the road i walked on the side of. the road. because the road wasn't paid i'm almost. certain. i'm almost certain that it was. definitely done before.

uh well it was done at before we got we. got a little wait we got a little wage. on that. all right all right okay. what did our obviously when papa died in. 1977. the dominant male figure the head of our. family was gone. okay now you're the dominant male voice. in the house. for me got a little brother so what. what was going through your mind about. how do i. make sure i'm the man of the house but.

also make sure. that i take care of my little brother i. knew you were watching. and we learned a lot of what we learned. remember we learned how to drive by. watching. other people drive correct so it was. easy for us to drive when it was our. turn because we had been watching. you know our grandfather would tell us. to get on this tractor and follow him. and don't hit anything and you're like. wait what. you've been watching me you should know. how to do it right really so that's how. it's done. yeah he didn't tell you how to he didn't. tell you about but but never took. the gears or anything like that he said.

you watched me long enough. you should be able to do it never showed. you how to do things you don't want to. learn by watching uh. the thing i thought shannon was this is. that it wasn't that. that i didn't know right from wrong it. wasn't that. i needed to step up and say okay i'm not. a man of the house. it was we always learned by watching. right mary porter was still in charge. mary porter was still in charge and the. thing was. let's do everything in our power to make.

sure. what she has to do or say to us is as. minimal as possible. we're not going to cause her any. problems we're not because guess what we. already know what we're supposed to do. and so when we got and you know and i. tell people all the time we got to play. football because our grandfather passed. that's how we got to play correct. because other than that we would have. never had a chance to play because we. would have still had to work on the farm. and he made it abundantly clear because. we would yeah. our uncle remember thurman broke his. collarbone james broke his broke his leg.

yeah right so we would never get to play. because his sons got hurt so we weren't. gonna ever get a chance to play. right but i never looked at it as as. something we needed to. change or do i just looked at it as i. got a job to do and my job was. you know finished seventh grade get on. to the eighth grade. and uh and and to that was the so it. wasn't like it was. and i i i try not to make this. comparison but i do. it's not it's like being a leader.

everybody thinks that the team leader is. the guy that says the profound. thing at this time or does the profound. thing. sometimes the leader of the team says. very little. and does probably the most uh. and i tell people all the time i played. with two of the best kickers in nfl. history. uh in chris jackie and max and day house. but they never called a team meeting. because nobody nobody's kicker is gonna. call a team meeting so. i just didn't think there was anything. that needed to change except for.

we're going to get a chance to play. football and we need to do everything we. can to lighten the load on mary porter. do you remember um as you mentioned like. once papa pass but do you remember papa. having a conversation with us. and asking us what we wanted to do uh. about. and he says i don't care what you do but. all i care about do you. finish what he told us well that i mean. that that list is long. because you know he was big on you know. whatever you do is your life there gonna. be a lot of lives like that.

and and i i you know this is my life. there are many like it but. this one is mine and whatever you do. just make sure you do it to the best of. your ability or. you do your job better than anyone else. does anything. else and so you know what i i in all. those conversations where he would throw. stuff. at us it was just a matter of. i don't ever want you to do something. looking for someone else to say job well.

done. correct when you do something you do it. to the point to where. you look at it and you say you did a. good job which is how. you and i learned to cut the grass and. have those conversations. look at how i cut look durian i didn't. leave a strand standing nowhere look at. my lines are straight you know. that kind of thing so it's just a. combination of. watching and i think that's one of the. biggest things that is missing from. today's society is. we don't have any more apprentice we. don't have people who. learn to do a job before they get to do.

the job. now everybody gets the job and you learn. on the job right. we learned you know we he was the he was. the master. and we learned pretty much everything we. do. say and did we learn from him i just. remember him saying he says boys i don't. care what you become in life. just never have to look me and your. grandma in the eye and say i'm sorry. and that that stuck with me so no matter. what as long as i didn't have to. apologize for something that i'd done.

that i. because like you said he was big on. personal responsibility. yeah oh better you know wrong incorrect. anyway so for me that was the whole that. was the whole thing and once he passed. and people like well. and i tell people i was like i would. really never went out in high school. because once i got no we did i got. after you had gone to college so that. was my whole thing. was to make sure i didn't cause granny. and.

no problems yes and that was the thing. is. i'm like you know our job was to make. her life. easier and if she didn't have to worry. about where we were. who i knew we had a game but what time. are we coming home and. you know granny never told us what time. to come home no we never had a curfew. i'm like i tell people all the time when. we wanted to go hunting we didn't have. to ask. for a gun we grabbed one and went and i. mean we had. six eight ten to choose from we could. grab anything from a 30 off six to a 30.

30. to a 22 rifle we didn't have to ask can. i borrow the. we grabbed the gun and head out the door. and you know arnold and eugene had their. 410s. and what would you think about what was. unique about all those guns. every last one of them was what. loaded available. all all the time every single one of. them from the. 16 shot 22 to the 9 shot 30 30 to the. 8 shot 30 aux 6 when they were in the.

house. every single one of them was loaded. and we never we never had an incident or. an accident because did it ever dawn on. you. just to be playing with the gun no no. no because you know when if you got a. chance to play basketball or two-hand. touch or tag or whatever. playing with a loaded gun was nowhere. near in our. our future so we basically we you know. what it was. we understood everything that a gun. could do we weren't afraid of them but.

we had tremendous respect for them. okay your college your you you know. going to college was a lot different. scenario than mine. did that was your fault really that's. your fault because but go ahead. you did well in school not so much i. wanted to fool around you know i was the. class clown. and so my experience of getting into. college and doing that. was a lot different than yours tell the. people about the conversation and what. you told me when you left the university.

and you came back home and you slapped. me down and what'd you tell me. which part about the time when you. weren't gonna go to savannah state. when you thought your abilities was. bigger than savannah state and i was. like oh no. that and i would go go to the military. you were going to go to the army. yeah it was just you know the thing was. is that was like. a lot of your life most of your life or. all of your life had been. watching those of us in front of you and. it was i tell people i said you know i. didn't realize i was older than my.

brother until it was time for me to go. to college. because then it was like oh my god you. got three more years of high school. really. you know so it it's like but the thing. was is i didn't want to. father you i wanted you to be like look. trust me. if you go to savannah state and you stay. there for a year. get your do what you supposed to do i. will do. everything in my power to get you over. at university of south carolina with me. because i knew what kind of person you. were i knew what your work ethic could.

be. i just knew that you were afraid to be. different at the time. because you had to be the class clown. because that was your way in because you. weren't the best looking dude in high. school so you weren't gonna get. a whole lot of dates so you had to you. figured out your way to get in was to be. funny the problem was that you were. trying to be funny all the time. and so when the test was handed out you. were being funny and making some. unfunny efforts so i just wanted you i.

knew what kind of person you were what. kind of work ethic you had so. but i just didn't want to i i i didn't. want to. word you to death i wanted you to be. like look. this is still your life i will help you. but i want you to understand this is. still your life. so i go to savannah state things go okay. and we have a conversation um after my. sophomore year. yes i had an all-american i'm a player. i'm a conference player of the year i'm.

all there some black college. all-american i'm on the map. and i'm like man i want to go to the. university of miami. and you tell me nah no. they didn't want you i didn't want you. when they had a chance to get you for. nothing. right and now you don't put this blood. sweat and tears. in bill davis's system and you on the. map and now all of a sudden what. you proved to him you could play what. did you do that was different. you didn't do anything except for you. got the opportunity and you took. advantages of the opportunities you were.

given. to be like now hey the nfl you can you. can stay here the nfl will find you. and they found you they they found me. now. i mean you made it you made it very. conducive for me to stay cuz you say i. got a little package buddy. but you need to come get it yeah. i i i i you know where i was driving a. pickup truck. when i was in school my little brother. drove her. mercedes 300 e with 18-inch.

chrome wheels and a whale tail on the. back. but that was the first one what was the. first what was the first car you got me. off my sophomore year. the blue the blue three zx. you know where i was wearing my south. carolina university of south carolina. football sweatshirt class. my brother was wearing eyesight shirts. with the matching red socks with the. dark side of shoes yeah. yeah yeah and the crease blue jeans. because you know what.

i and i i said this uh that my. my college speech is that i always you. know early on. i played for an audience of one and i. said you know everything that i did in. football i wasn't trying to impress. anybody there's one guy who knew what i. was capable of and i was trying to do. that. to show show him and i say i've only. been yelled at. in athletics one time i've only had a. coach tell me. i wasn't performing one time and they go. who was it. i go my brother i said we were playing.

southeast bullock we'd never beaten them. i'm the starting quarterback i got devon. duran says my. my tail back i got pat lewis on my right. and you came up to the fence to say hey. man what are you doing you for you. scared. you know you got you you ain't playing. like you supposed to play. was the only time i've ever been talked. to about. my performance on the field and i was. like. from that moment on that's never going. to happen to me again only because. of course i know better of course i.

understand who i was. being a quarterback at glenville high. school and being the type leader i. wanted to be but to have. your younger brother come over and tell. you're not a coach. not a teammate somebody standing outside. the fence come over to the fence and. tell. you look you ain't doing what you're. supposed to do was very eye-opening and. convincing and helping me in my athletic. career. so i thank you for that did appreciate. that did you think. that once you went to the league okay.

i'm a junior. you're in the league your first round. draft pick did you think. that you know what i wonder if he's. gonna slack off now is he still gonna be. as hungry. now that we that i've made it we've made. it because it was always we it was never. you. it was never me it was weak did you. worry about me slacking off not doing. what i was gonna what i was capable of. doing. now that i felt that we've had success. uh. no because you were always the person. that was like. okay let me see it let me understand it.

let me get it now let me exceed what you. have done with it. so whatever i did excuse me whatever i. did i always knew that you were like. let me learn how to do it okay let me. try it. okay let me put my spin on it okay now. let me do it better than you so i always. knew that whatever i. did you were going to try or you were. going to attempt. to do it better than i did so no i never. worried about once. once once i got you to savannah state.

i was done i i was like this is going to. be easy because. once i got you to savannah state and. then once i. showed you how we work out once i showed. you how. we conditioned once i showed you how we. watch film once i. talk to you about this is what i see. it was done because i was like okay he's. gonna get it he's gonna learn. and then once he puts his spin on it. he's gonna do it better than i did. i mean here i am an all-american and.

doing all these wonderful things at the. university of south carolina and then. all of a sudden. they got a guy savannah state who's. averaging scoring a touchdown every. three catches you go wait a minute. how do you score a touchdown every three. catches and then i went and watched you. guys play savannah state and i think the. score was like 98.96. but i'm like this dude's running up and. down the field so i. i just i never really concerned myself. the biggest scare or. fear factor i had pertaining to you was. before when you were like i'm not going.

to savannah state. because at that moment i was like okay. he. he's he's embarrassed he is. he's broken he's embarrassed he's. humbled. and all i know is is if i if i can. if i can convince him to go and i wasn't. convincing i knew if i said go you were. going to go if i said yeah go to the. army you're going to go to the army. if i just said guess what we're going to. sell drugs you would have sold drugs i. just thought that. we were connected that way so it was an.

opportunity for me to go. let's hold off on the army let's go to. savannah state and see what happens. of all the things that you've done in. your life what's the hardest job you've. had. wow that's a good question um. i really and truly don't think i've had. one shannon to tell you honestly got. true i mean because playing football is. what i wanted to do. uh but when you do something that you. want to do. you have to always be prepared to quit.

and i was. always prepared to quit and i. i remember when the doctor told me i was. not gonna play in the nfl anymore. uh i flew back from indianapolis and i. knew if i could go to sleep. i'd be fine i knew if i could go in the. room and go to sleep i would be fine. and i was able to do that and i i've i. have never. been prepared for the next step the next. step has always happened to me so.

like when i left high school i wasn't. prepared you know i wasn't like okay. what am i going to do now. hey you're going to go to college okay. you finish playing college okay what am. i going to do now. you're going to go to the nfl okay the. nfl uh. you don't go to you know after the nfl. you go okay i'm in a neck brace what am. i going to do now. i i was lucky and fortunate enough to. get the job at espn from espn nfl. network so. i've never really been prepared for the. next step but i've always been prepared. for whatever the next step was going to. be.

did well for me football is the easiest. thing i've ever done. um because i guess because it's. something that you know god gave us. ability we were able to cultivate that. ability and i think all the other things. uh the cropping of the back of the. clipping of the uh the. onions and pulling peanuts and loading. watermelon unveiling hey. i think all those made it really easy. for us to play football. for the simple fact we were spending. eight nine 10 hours a day in the sun. well if you can do that and make five.

dollars a day make ten dollars a day. you mean to tell me you can't spend. three hours in the sun today and make. a hundred thousand two hundred thousand. dollars a year yeah. yeah well i you know and i say this and. that's the thing is. how you were raised and what your. experience our sense experiences are. says a lot about who you are. and i think our how we were raised in. our experiences. definitely prepared us to be in a. position to succeed at whatever it was. uh we ended up doing i mean.

i i'd like to think that i worked hard. but i definitely didn't work any harder. than you or. or jerry rice or michael irvin or. i you know what i did what my body and. mind and. what i was able to do i mean some of the. best years of that i had in the nfl is. when. you know me you and harold greene lived. together and worked out together and ate. together and swam together and. those were some of the best years. because you were surrounded in that.

bubble. by people who eat sleep drink and. believe. what you eat sleep drink and believe and. i just think that when you're surrounded. by. that kind of energy that that's what's. going to happen so i've always been. surrounded by people who. felt the same way i felt and saw the. same things i saw but. the thing about with you and i is is our. the way we were raised in our. experiences definitely made. i don't think we ever went had a uh ever. went to work because even.

you know before we knew what work was it. was just something we had to do so i i i. can't say that i really had a hard job. i really can't so. you're obviously you're in the nfl i'm. still in college. and i was like you have all the nice. cars you got the 911 slant nose. white convertible with the navy interior. you got the red stroke you got the m3. you got all these cars and i just say. bruh you know. i need to fly a little bit you know i. need to hook it up.

why were you so comfortable letting me. have access to a hundred thousand two. hundred thousand dollar car. and here i am in college and you know i. only wanted it for the sole purpose. the honeys need to see your boy they. needed it yet because you were an ugly. dude and you wanted to be seen i knew i. i. hey i was just trying to help you out. you know the thing was is that's. how we were we shared everything i mean. you know we. we never it was never we had something. that was. hours growing up so and having something.

you know what if you know my here's my i. i'm driving this you know this uh nissan. 300 z okay you have you take it uh. you know it was just that we had always. shared. everything so it wasn't like i had. arrived or. made it and was like okay now i'm you. know i got this. you know hundred and sixty thousand. dollar porsche and guess what you know. you can't drive that or. i got the first 300 e.

uh coupe uh sl coupe in. south carolina and you can't i know. you're going to go down to the beach and. wreck it i already know. i know. i i wanted you i wanted you to have. the same experience from day one i've. always wanted you to have the same. experience. i had but you got to hear you what you. wasn't supposed to tell that well okay. but since you. this you already went there i.

i need a convertible mercedes go down. to daytona black college beach week i. thought. you said okay you good. okay i get it i call you about friday. night. you don't answer the phone i'll leave. you a message. what was on the what was the voicemail. hey bro i just called and let you know i. junkyard. card man i was like wait what does. junkyard mean did he.

i'm like wait what does junkyard mean. you were you were looking around. and i i want to say who was with you. were you by yourself it was interesting. i want you all with me uh got one of. your boys from savannah state yep. yep and looking around at the huntings. and drove up on somebody's trailer hit. you ripped the grill out. i did i did yeah that was uh but no that. that was the thing though. is it was like whatever my experiences. are. i want him to have the same you know. it's like my friends in golf now i play.

golf. i don't want them to be great at. tournament golf i want them to play. every day like i play and enjoy playing. whether it's a 68 or. 78 because it's a fun game and i'm not. going to win at it i'm going to play it. and so i just wanted you to have the. same experience as i had. you get to the nfl and what people don't. know is that i know is that you're a. talker but for some reason. something happened in green bay early in. your career as you mentioned you were.

the first you were first-round pick the. seventh pick in the draft you're the. second receiver. behind tim brown tim i think if i'm not. mistaken with six. you went seven and i think my living. with eighth or ninth eleven. yeah yeah but what transpired in green. bay. that says you know what i'm out. you know the thing was is i was never. asked a question. for me that i could answer. i was always asked loaded questions for. instance.

lindy anfani was my head coach and they. would always say. well coach simpani said this and. i would have to respond instead of. asking me what am i going through. and so i was like and and you were with. me that off season i was like yeah. they're going to want to talk to me. and i ain't gonna have anything to say. so it kind of was twofold. it was kind of they never asked me. they were always asking loaded questions. hey lindy coach ivani said you're too. big. i was 219 when you drafted me and all of.

a sudden i'm too big now. and so you know what am i going to say. you know so i was like if coaching. finally says i'm too big i'm going to. you know i need to get down to whatever. coaching funny. says i need to get down to but and then. i was like you know what i'm going to. make them want to talk to me. and i'm not going to talk and it just so. happened. that the next year i was fortunate. enough with some really good quarterback. play from don mckowski. and an outstanding defense i was able to. lead the league and catch his yards and. touchdowns. which made everyone take notice and be.

like oh my gosh he's having this kind of. year. and he won't talk so it started out kind. of as a. twofold thing and but then you know what. it did what it did. it worked for me because the biggest. thing that it helped me. is i didn't have to as a first round. draft pick in the small fishbowl of. green bay wisconsin. i didn't have to defend how i played. i didn't have to explain what my. learning curve was i didn't have to go.

through. the you know oh i want to do this but i. can't. it helped me so much and watching the. first round picks. you know by the time i was there they. were constantly being. scrutinized to or having themselves. scrutinized their own play. and i thought it hurt them because they. had to defend themselves. each and every day whereas i didn't have. to. i remember uh my draft experience was a. lot different than yours. um i'm at your pl at your house and.

remember at that time. the draft was on a sunday yes so i come. up i come up that saturday. and i'm spending the night with you uh. i'm at your house hal green. also was in that draft and so i'm. looking and i know. i hadn't really heard from anybody so i. thought the first round was likely off. the table. but everybody had a grade on me. somewhere between the first and the. third round. we we we definitely talked about two. between two and three we've got two and. three. that is correct and then all of a sudden. the day how.

harold gets a call hal gets drafted in. the second round. he's going to cincinnati and all that. corey miller goes in the sit in the. fourth. fifth round of new york something like. that sixth round yeah yeah. and so i don't get a call and. i go up and i go upstairs and i remember. you coming in the room. what what did we talk about we talked. about that guess what. all you want is a change all you want is. a change. and that was sunday night yes uh.

remember the other few rounds were the. next day on that monday. correct and so i was like look man i. know you're disappointed and you're like. man i've done this and i was like look. i know you're disappointed but hey it. doesn't matter where you get drafted. all you want is a chance you go home you. go to bed you go to sleep we get up the. next morning. eat breakfast we go over to the stadium. to work out. you get a call from dan reeves who by. the way is a game.

fellow gamecock dan reeves calls. i'm going to dinner well i thought you. going to denver you now in the nfl i. thought that was a great thing. i didn't realize you going to denver. being in the nfl i was still paying all. your bills. so i it was kind of a two-fold thing for. me because i'm like. how is he in the nfl and i'm paying all. his bills and he in the same place that. same league i mean. but no it was a i thought that was.

it was different in the fact that when. you left high school. you were one of the considered one of. the best athletes as a senior in the. state of georgia set a triple jump. record. in the state of georgia which i think. still stands it does when. when you left college you were one of. the most dominant. whatever division you guys were in at. the time college wide receivers. in the history of the sport i think. those two things along with the fact. that.

i was in front of you and i already had. a measure of success had you go. i know i can do it because he's doing it. and i've done everything he's done. so i know i can do it but way to they. get a load of me. because they're getting ready to see. somebody that. got no pride and i always say that's the. most dangerous person the person has no. pride and no ego. you need to be real careful about them. and of course the rest. of your career's history i think that uh. and you were proud.

obviously you were proud that i got you. know i i decided to take your advice and. go to savannah state. you were proud that the uh the broncos. gave me an opportunity. but i think the proudest you've been is. when i called and told you i had made. the pro bowl. because because i i was like you know. what i'm not going to another provo. i had been to two or three it was a trip. to hawaii. it was like okay you know i'm not going. and what was really great is you called. and said. you made the pro ball one of my best.

friends. at the time who played with me in south. carolina harold green had made the pro. bowl. but it was really ironic that we all. made the pro bowl. and had like our better years was the. year we all. lived together ate together talked watch. movies went to movies. we did everything together that off. season so it was kind of. gratifying and surprising that we all. had that success. uh in 1992 was it. yep in 1992 uh where we had the success.

that we had where we all were over in. hawaii. and uh actually that was the first year. in nfl history that a set of brothers. had led different teams in the same. season. yeah it was uh 1992 was my first year. with mike hungry. uh i had gotten brett favre after game. three. uh after don mukowski got injured we. were a football team that. was in search of an identity and mike.

brought a system in that just allowed. my abilities to to go to the next level. with a quarterback that had a. strong arm that was fearless. so it allowed my career to take. a turn in a direction where i you know. in 92 i led the league in. catches i did again in 93. uh i led the league in touchdowns in 94. uh someone showed me something the other. day.

that since 1994 there's only one guy. who's caught more touchdown passes than. i ended with 1994. and that's randy moss's 23 i think it. was. so my 18 is the second most since 1994. which is kind of. silly impressive as much as they throw. football around but. yeah i was i was i was real happy and. proud. of the fact that you know what hey my. little brother made the pro bowl. yeah i i'm still paying all this.

why won't making no money there you know. they got your. [Applause]. you mentioned that when. the doctor you flew to indy and the. doctor advised you he said. if you were my son i'd advise you not to. play again. and i remember you calling me. and we're having a conversation. and you cried yeah.

you cried that i couldn't play anymore. yeah. i uh i it was one of those situations to. where. i had an idea it wasn't like it was a. complete shock. you know i had an idea and i just think. that you know. what was disappointing was where my team. was at that time. right where you were in your career at. that time. uh we had just played uh denver had just. come to green bay and we had played a.

sunday night game i think it was. 93 that was actually that was 93 that we. came there came there in 93 so it was. our careers were kind of on the same. finally you decided to play some good. football and join your brothers one of. the best players. in the league took a while but you. finally got there so it i think that was. the disappointing thing was is my team. was getting so much better. and you were starting to establish. yourself. as one of the best not in the afc but in. in football and i think that was.

disappointing because. you know finally we had gotten to a. point in our careers. where our careers could mirror because. if you look at it. your team was getting better like my. team was getting better. uh uh your team. uh was headed in that direction and. doing some things in the exact same. office. so you and i could talk uh about. offensive philosophies because. mike shanahan was the offensive. coordinator for mike hombre.

uh and learned you know at san francisco. and learned my congress system so. it was it was just disappointing because. my teams had gotten better and you were. playing. at a at a pro bowl level tight end and. your team was getting better. and it's not ironic that a few years. later your team and my old team met the. super bowl. i remember um calling you earlier in my. career. in training camp and not getting a whole. lot of opportunities. and i remember you having a conversation. because i was very plus i was very. frustrated.

i didn't i didn't see i didn't look at. it like i'm a seventh-round draft pick. and. you know okay you know vance and mark. jackson ricky matteo michael young. they had just come off the super bowl i. didn't look at it like. okay you know these guys are veterans. they've been here they're gonna get. first crack i just like okay i want to. get an opportunity. and i remember calling you and and i was. very down and he. and you told me something you're like. bro don't be down they say john elway. is going to call your number one day and. when he calls your number. just make sure you're ready and you.

weren't. you you weren't ready he called your. number and you would go in motion and he. would turn around and be like. run a corner and you would go in but. he'd run a slant i mean. my defense to my defense i was playing. wide receiver. i didn't know that during the week they. would go move me to tight end. so i was struggling just getting i was. just. starting to get my wedding and have an. idea that's your story. that's that's the story you're going to. put out on the internet.

okay let's go with that one there but no. and that was the thing. is is i knew because i had seen a lot of. guys that that had come to green bay as. free agents or higher you know. six seven twelfth round draft picks and. i i was just. i seen that you know what all you need. is a chance you just got to keep looking. at. i need a chat i'm not asking for a. handout just a hand. and so when you get that opportunity and. and hey look you should have been cut. six or seven times but the thing.

was i remember you you i remember you. calling me frustrated you may not. remember this. because my college quarterback also went. to denver that year. yeah and you remember what i'm doing. like your college quarterback about to. get me cut. back it was both cut i said man you. how how you put up all these numbers. with him. and and that's a true story i called you. i said bro that was the funny. yeah you and my college quarterback yeah. but uh the thing was is you all you. needed was.

you just needed to stay the course. before the waters come and. you were able i i think that's probably. the best thing about our relationship is. i've always been able to say. the sake of saying hey shannon it's time. to go and and you were like. okay let's go uh you never fought me on. yeah but i'm putting up all these. shannon just just. just say just take a deep breath look. man you're gonna get an opportunity. john's gonna call your name what you. don't want what i see here.

is when guys want the football they. always seem to get it. and then they drop it because they like. they want it but they weren't expecting. it. but i was always able to talk you off. the ledge so to speak. and and that's that's just a combination. of growing up and knowing one another as. well as we do. we win as in 1997. we go to pittsburgh we i mean we have to. go we're a wild card team so we have to. go on the road and beat kansas city. who had just beaten us three weeks. earlier to win the division so now we're.

going to be the wild card. yeah beat kansas city in kansas city now. for the afc championship. we got to go to three rivers the old. three rivers stadium and played the. steelers. who had just ram shackled us about six. weeks earlier. and winning that game and we're going to. the super bowl. and we have a conversation that night. you know about what the expectations. although you had never been. and i just remember hearing the. adulation in your voice. like i'm like somebody i really really.

know somebody that i grew up. is going to play in the super bowl yeah. that was the only thing. it didn't dawn on me at the time. when you and i were talking that oh wait. your team. is playing my whole team in a super bowl. it was like. finally someone i mean i had done. a lot of work done been in a lot of. battles with the brett favre. and the robert brooks's and the edgar. bennetts and the dorsey levins we had.

been teammates. and i i had an idea of what it took for. them. to get to you know get that team in the. super bowl because they just won one the. year before. but with you it was different because it. was like. okay he should have met he he was going. to the army. uh to start off with and then he ended. up going to savannah state. all right and then he wasn't getting. drafted and then he. ends up going to denver in the seventh. round and then. my old quarterback is not throwing him.

the ball in positions that he catches so. my old quarterback is about to get him. and shannon cut. so everything is starting to look like. you know what. this is this is supposed to happen this. way and i think the only time. i left since i left the nfl that i ever. went. what if was what if. i was playing for my team and he's. playing with his team. playing in this super bowl that would. have been something else that's the only. time.

i have ever missed uh. playing in the nfl that's the only time. not one time since i left. except for that time did i ever miss. playing in the nfl i don't think mama. and buck could have handled it. no because now you got to make it i. don't think but i don't think buck could. handle it. mom would have been fine because mama. would have a jersey with you know. have green bay have denver she'd enjoy. that okay at least. but but couldn't have took it my sister. would no she wouldn't handle that very. well. i wouldn't have gone over very well you. know because you know the thing is is.

they liked you better anyway. because i and i say that like this. we ain't worried about what he gonna do. he gonna go and do but the little one. that look oh that little one he gone oh. god he's. we just hoping he don't end up in prison. because there ain't no telling what that. little one is. tell the story what what my grandmother. used to tell me at least once or twice a. week somebody gonna hit him and his. old glob of mouth that could see that's. what's gonna happen. or or i'll go in where was i gonna end.

up. i can't even say it because it's not. right but yeah she thought. she thought for sure you're gonna end up. with chris but i mean but the thing was. is. you know i i think she kind of knew and. she never. said hey you need to talk to him or you. need to do this i think she kind of knew. that he he knows that there's a line. and he knows he can't cross it but he. likes to live right up next to it. i like looking over the line he's the.

guy that's standing like love standing. on the edge of a cliff now he got no. intentions on jumping. and he really hope nobody pushes him but. he loves standing on the edge of the. cliff looking over that you've always. been that guy. i i have i i think the things make i. think for granny. is that what people don't understand is. that i slept with granite until i was 15. years of age. and you slept with papa and i slept with. granny and even after papa died. i didn't sleep with you i still slept. with grant i didn't actually sleep in my. own bed.

until you went to college 1983. so here i am 15 years of age and i'm. still sleeping with my grandmother. so there was a closeness there that you. know. for me i i i was listening to what she. said. but i wasn't hearing what she was saying. and she didn't say a lot but she didn't. say a lot though no. and you didn't i mean it's not like you. were. it's not like your your juvenile record. had to be expunged we. talked about that guy right it was just. that you you know what.

there were some things that needed to be. done in history english. and maybe geometry that you didn't do. right but other than that. it wasn't like you were a bad kid you. just. you just it was hard for you to be. planted where you to bloom where you. were planted. because you always wanted to be some you. were always doing this i got i got to. get the last word here. you know he's like stop she had to quit. shannon stop shatter. you know what somebody gonna hit that. boy in his mouth one day. and let's go yup.

let's talk let's talk about you let's. talk about your career. obviously you retire at the 29 years of. age. seven years in the season and there have. only been two seasons. in which someone has caught more than 18. touchdowns. jared rice in 1987 had 22 randy moth. broke that record in 2007 with 23. if you look at what you've done uh up. until the point you retired nobody had. that many that many catches any uh.

to start a career like you have um. your last season and what people don't. understand about this. in your last six games only one person. in history. has had that many touchdowns over a six. game stretch. your last six games of your career you. had 13 touchdowns. only jerry record-breaking season he had. 14. and he did that during the strike so his. is pretty impressive yeah he did. he did that during the strike short. season yeah and your last game.

you had nine catches above 33 above 32. and three touchdowns and when. you see the hall of fame and i know it's. something that's something that you. don't talk about and you don't politic. four. but do you believe looking at your. resume. and looking at the guys that you. competed against the michael irvins the. jerry rice the chris carter's. the hermann andre reeves andre reid. andre rising tim brown. and four or five of those guys are in. the hall do you believe your resume.

for seven years since sterling sharp. should be in the pro football hall of. fame. because it's you i'm gonna answer the. question normally i wouldn't answer the. question because i'm like. i i can only get in based on what i did. but because it's you i'm gonna answer. the question and i would say. if if the hall of fame is for what you. did everybody always talks about with. me what i didn't do and they go. if he would have played longer and i.

always say well if you collect rocks. and if i collect rocks for three years. and you collect rocks for seven years. there's a good chance you're gonna have. more rocks than me. correct and so when i look at the hall. of fame. in my seven years i led a receiving. category either catches yards or. touchdowns. i i did that a lot and i did that in. green bay wisconsin and i did not do. that with hall of fame quarterbacks i. got some catches in there for bud keys.

and mike norset the mike tomzack and. blair keel. and anthony dillwig i got some catches. from those guys. um but i just think that everybody goes. everybody is in love with what they see. and i you know i i'm a firm believer in. randy monson. and tara owens and i'm a firm believer. in heinz ward. i'm a firm belizer and ike bruce i i. mean i i got no problem with nobody was. in but i'm like if. you're saying i needed to play longer.

then you're punishing me. because those guys played 12 13 14 years. so if you if it took them 12 13 14 years. to do what i did in seven. then are they hall of famers and i'm not. knocking anybody i'm just making an. argument so. i don't think about it don't talk about. it i was like. if me getting in the hall of fame would. make me feel. better than i feel right now because my. brother's going in the hall of fame i. don't want to go. because that was a great that weekend. was a great weekend being there with me.

you. uh libby uh that was a great weekend. and so i i i don't think about the hall. of fame but the argument is. well he didn't do they always talk about. what i didn't do because. not many people saw what i did and. with the coverage that we got in green. bay is not like. the coverage that you have in. professional sports right now. but i i'll take my seven years. and you take any receivers best seven. years just take their best seven years.

i i like the way my numbers stack up. it's not my. you know it's not my fault that i only. played seven years sorry. that hall of fame but for me getting. into the hall of fame and you were there. every step of the way because you were. there in 09. when i didn't get in uh that was. probably the lowest i'd ever seen you. two. yeah that was worse than i'm going to. the army. and that was worse than i didn't get. drafted on day one. that was the worst because i think.

you allowed yourself to let your guard. down and say. i had done what others because i think. at the time it was you ozzy and john. mackey you know hey. who's the better john kelly big killer. yeah i'm kevin so it was you ozzy. john mac because they're like john. mackey so kellen he can go stand up and. play wide receiver. ozzy he's not a dominant blocker but he. blocked for a dude durant for 2.

000 yards so he knows what he's doing. you know john mackey just a crafty rock. runner so. i think you allowed yourself to look at. your numbers and say. definitely and just just icing on the. cake. i've been a three super bowl yeah you. can say yeah you won two super bowls but. you played with. with john elway and tyrell davis hey. look i went to baltimore. and you know we didn't have john elway. trent dilfer. and and we won a super bowl right and so. when you didn't get selected that first. year i think.

that was probably the lowest i'd ever. seen yeah i was disappointed because i'm. saying to myself. if you didn't like my numbers this year. it's not like i can add to it next year. and if you don't like them next year. it's not like i add to them on the third. year. and so for me i thought okay i thought. it was about winning. well no tight end at the time had won. more games than i had won. very few tight ends had had the the the. career that i had. with the eight pro bowls true with the. pro with the all pro selections. the 50 catch seasons the thousand yard.

seasons. nobody had ever done that first tied in. with 700 catches 800 catches. with thousand nine thousand ten thousand. yards and i'm like wait a minute. so what do you need what so. so i thought it was about winning and. then it was like. come to find out winning only matters if. they want you. not to if they want you to get in. then it and then they come i don't. believe you should come up with a reason. to keep somebody out.

well they if if you're looking at what. someone didn't do. right okay then they then fine i'm never. gonna get in and i'm gonna be fine with. that. but if you're looking for a way to or. are you looking for a way to keep. someone. out of the hall of fame you know because. it's. you know other than where is jimmy hoffa. and amelia earhart the only other. the most difficult question to ask is. what's the criteria for getting into the. hall of fame. the nfl hall of fame because it's the. most secretive that no one knows.

and that's the thing is you go i i'm. just looking at. what i was able to you know and i'm. sorry but i didn't draft the guys i got. to play with. you know i didn't set the schedule up i. didn't go. this is what i did i'm like so if. shannon sharp is going to get in the. hall of fame because he played in three. super bowls. you you're penalizing me for not having. john elway and tyrell davis on the team. you know so. i i just look at it like i say you know.

what i like my numbers and. my numbers and it's funny playing you. know playing travel golf now i get a. chance to be around a lot of hall of. famers. i have a lot of friends who don't like. being around. those guys they don't feel comfortable. and i feel comfortable they. you know the marcus allen's and the. jerome bettis's of the world. uh the eric dickerson's uh have always. treated me. wonderfully and they'll make me feel. like hey i'm not. a hall of famer and so i i'm like. i think that's because i i i'm i'm happy.

about the way i played i get i played as. hard as i could. for as long as i could and if i wouldn't. hall of famer eight years ago in my hall. of famer today. you know am i am i a hall of famer at 92. you know and i i you know the other. argument i say is if you put people in. an arena. like the hall of fame if you do it every. year you're going to have some people. that shouldn't be in you're going to. have some people that's not going to get. in. and so i'm like i i like my numbers and.

i said you just take the top. seven wide receivers pick any seven and. you take their. best seven years and you stack their. seven years up against my only seven. and let's see where we are yeah i mean. that's. that's a very compelling point but for. me man you know what when i think about. it. it's the one thing that i really and. it's a great honor. i mean i was two i think i was 267 they. got into the pro football. hall of fame they're well over 300 i. think they're in the 350s now. but for me it's something that i really.

don't think of and i get. you know when skip refers to me as a. hall of famer i kind of get uneasy. because i'm like because yeah it's me. i get the gold jacket but so many other. people. played a part in me getting this gold. jacket. and so for me i get uncut like super. bowls. that's the whole team because everybody. on the team got a ring. yeah you know obviously and so that's. something in that. when i went to pro bowl when my first uh.

my first time out with the north pro. i got all the offensive linemen uh. rolexes. and that very few very few that's. something running backs normally do. quarterbacks normally do but i was just. like so appreciative that. i wanted to thank them because i really. thought they blocked a little harder. when they knew the ball was going to. come my way. so i kind of get uneasy and that's how i. am there are guys. like i don't like get around someone. who's like oh i'm in the hall of fame. you're not. or you this and that that's not how i. look at it because i know.

and i know when we played you guys i. know what wade phillips was saying. and i know what the db's were saying and. i know what other. go talk to dion sanders and rod woodson. and nia williams and daryl green. guys that are in the hall of fame at the. cornerback position. and ask them i know what they tell me. about sterling shark. so all that other stuff is fine and good. and the people that vote they vote. but i know what the guys that played. said about my brother. all i wanted was when a guy saw me in a.

super. market or grocery store or in church and. he was sitting next to his kid and he. would say. that guy played in the nfl and i played. against him and he was a son of a gun. that's. all i've ever wanted was the respect of. the guys i played against that's all. i've ever won. i didn't even know that they had a hall. of fame or a pro bowl when i first. started i. i didn't i didn't know that they had an. nfl record for. you know leading the league and catches. three times the leading league in yards. watching leading league.

and touchdowns twice you know i didn't. even know that so you go wait a minute. you play seven years and you led the. league in a receiving category how many. times. i don't know what that means but during. a whole lot of guys that can say that. right you know and so i'm just like yeah. if if you need me to play six more years. well i'm sorry but that's not gonna. happen i i i agree that's not gonna. happen and. and me not being in is gonna be fine but. if you take. the guys who are in and i'm not saying. the guys who just take the guys who are. in and take their best seven years and.

stack them up against my only seven. and you tell me what you think bro i. really appreciate that. i know we don't get an opportunity to. talk like this in depth. here in carolina and playing golf and. i'm i'm here out in california doing. undisputed every day so we don't get an. opportunity. uh but this is my very first podcast. and when we put this thing together i. said there's no question who i know the. first person. gonna be on my podcast is gonna be. because it's the person that. although he's my brother he's more like.

a father figure. and a lot of what you see a lot of the. the player that i became the man that i. became. the values that i that i have was. because of him. and so bro i really appreciate you. taking the time to sit down with me. and talk to me and and give people a. glimpse into how we. how yeah early and shannon sharp came to. be because a lot of times i think people. see. and hear me say things on television and. they want to know just how much of that. is real how much of that is true. and for you to come on here and. basically echo the things that we were.

how we were brought up and things that. my grandfather and my grandmother. instilled how they talked to talk to us. and the discipline. the determination and dedication um that. really means a lot so i appreciate it. you know there isn't anything that i. wouldn't do for you. no doubt as long as as long as i got. life. you got life as long as i've got as long. as i got a dollar. you got 50 i got 50 cent well i was.

gonna ask you to send that whole dollar. but we'll get back to that a little bit. later. i mean you know we get back to that no. you know we've always been. there's no telling what a man can do nor. how far he can go as long as he doesn't. mind who gets the credit and we've never. cared you know and i i say to people all. the time everybody used to think shannon. followed me around and i was like you. did and i followed him. i'm like and the thing was is our lives. are so parallel considering we're. i'm three years older than you and it's. it's like it. you couldn't script it because you know.

you ended up in college. you ended up in the nfl you ended up in. tv and i'm like it you couldn't script. it. and i said you know doing this today and. i will tell america this doing this. today. is the first time i i i've been in. television i had never asked to do a sit. down with my brother. because i was like i didn't want people. to feel like oh this is a. or how it was going to come across at. the time but you know doing this and. getting a chance to reminisce about our. days in glenville and talking about mary.

and barney and. it definitely uh reminds us. that you know what god life was easy. when you just. just follow your path it's when we get. off path. is when we start to make mistakes and i. i'm i'm grateful for the way we were. raised because. that definitely helped us get to this. point it did and i should have charged. you more when you cut me with that knife. i should have charged you more than what. i actually charge you. because now that i think about it.

i got the scar i got the scar right here. where you cut me bro i got the same scar. hey. see i got the same scar because if i. didn't let you cut me you were gonna go. turn me in. like he did when you set the field on. fire. what we was trying to do we was trying. to build something. you told me you say go tell papa. somebody somebody somebody okay. i got it to the house i said papa. somebody set the field on fire.

he interrogated me he said was no one. down there. but you two boys i said he did. it i don't understand what you expected. me to tell. there was a choice and at that very. moment i had to make a choice. i either had to save myself right from. punishment beyond punishment. oh i just want to i just want america to. know this the same guy that said if i. have a dollar you have 50 cents. yeah yeah but here's the thing.

if i had told him i did it i would have. been around to give you that dollar. so that was that i had the fact that all. that it had to work. all the good old days man but i. appreciate you having me on your first. podcast. uh i got to see a good friend of mine. who's working with you now that i got a. chance to raise at nfl network cj that's. always good. i i tell people the world is small man. it's really small and you don't know. where you're gonna run into people down. the road but it seems like cj's doing. well. so i'm glad that the shay shake the club.

shay shea. er podcast is is is going to make it. happen for. we need to do some work on that sign but. the next podcast i think it's gonna. probably be blue or green so i like it. i like it yeah just sort of show up a. little bit better you know i can't tell. whether you're wearing sunglasses or you. got boxing gloves on. but but it's a good looking sign. regardless. i appreciate that bro all the best love. you man yes sir i'll talk to you. all my life grinding all my life.

sacrifice. hustle pay the price wanna slice got the. roll of dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life look all my life. been running all my life sacrifice plus. will pay the price. wanna slice got to roll the dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. you know what to do hit the subscribe. button to become an official member of. club shay shape. where we always do something before.

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