Mike Shanahan has no problem voicing his opinion on Shannon Sharpe’s place in history. In a conference call with reporters this week, Sharpe’s former coach offered his pronouncement without even being prompted for it.
“[He was] everything you look for in a tight end,” Shanahan said. “In my opinion, the best in the game. Ever.”
Big words from the former head coach of the Denver Broncos. He’s biased, sure, but as of this Saturday, he’ll officially have an argument. Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.
“He’s just a natural leader—very smart, very poised,” Shanahan said of Sharpe. “He worked at everything he did. He took care of himself in the offseason. He took care of himself during the season. He’s just accountable in every area. He took care of his body, took care of what he ate.”
When Shanahan coached Sharpe in Denver, his teams were consistently one of the top rushing teams in the NFL. The current Redskins head coach credited Sharpe’s ability to run block and catch passes as a reason for that success.
Sharpe, whose outspoken personality complemented his sterling reputation as a tight end, never saw a camera or a microphone he didn’t like. That loquaciousness continues in his current role as an NFL analyst on television.
During Super Bowl XXXII week, when the Broncos prepped to play the Packers, Shanahan told Sharpe to “keep a low profile” and focus on football. After the third day, he said, “Mike, this is killing me. I’m not sure I can do it.” Shanahan responded, “Oh, you can do it. You always put the team first.”
“And he did,” Shanahan said. “And obviously, the rest is history.”
Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who trusted Sharpe to come up with big plays in the clutch, often targeted his star tight end when the chips were down. Showing a steely resolve shared by his fellow busts in Canton, Sharpe continued this big-time playmaking ability in Baltimore, where he won a third Super Bowl to go with his pair as a Bronco.
“There are so many different plays that he made with Denver to get us to the next level, to get us to go to the Super Bowl,” Shanahan reflected. “At that time, not a lot of people used the tight end in multiple formations. Usually the tight end was a little bigger, more of a run blocker. But we had Shannon. He got himself in the 230-pound range and not only could he block like a tight end, he could catch like a wide receiver.
“Anytime he went against a safety, he knew how to set the safeties up and he had the ability to run away from the safety as well.”
Sharpe was a mismatch for defenses because he had the ability to come up with a play regardless of how the defense played him. In some ways, he revolutionized the tight end position. Many teams have tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to find his prototype: an athletic tight end that can run like a receiver and block like a lineman.
“You are always looking for a guy like Shannon Sharpe,” Shanahan said.
Now that Canton has come calling for Sharpe, the Hall of Fame is where to find him.
