For the first time ever, a South Carolina Gamecock is heading to Canton, Ohio for a gold jacket.
Gamecock legend and former wide receiver Sterling Sharpe was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the senior category late Thursday night during the NFL Honors awards show.
Sharpe was the lone finalist of the seniors, coaches and contributors categories elected for the 2025 class. The senior selection is chosen separately from the modern-era inductions. Under hall of fame bylaws, one to three people from those categories can be inducted on any given year. To be eligible for the senior category in 2025 you must be a player that has played no later than the 1999 season.
Sharpe is joined by tight end Antonio Gates, defensive back Eric Allen and defensive end Jared Allen as members of the hall’s class of 2025. The four-person class is the smallest since 2005 and is the 19th class ever of three or four members.
Sharpe played for the Gamecocks from 1983-87, where he totaled 169 receptions for 2,497 yards, finishing his career as the program’s all-time leading receiver. His best statistical season came in 1986 where he caught 74 passes for 1,106 yards. Both numbers led the NCAA that season and were school records at the time.
Sharpe also previously held the school record for career (17) and single-season (11) receiving touchdowns, before having them broken by former Gamecock wide receiver Sidney Rice in 2005. Sharpe became the second Gamecock to have his jersey number retired in 1987, while he was still with the program. No player has worn Sharpe’s number 2 jersey since his departure.
After a four year career with the Gamecocks, Sharpe was drafted by the Green Bay Packers as the 7th pick in the 1988 NFL draft, where he spent his entire NFL career.
Sharpe was a three-time first team All-Pro member and five-time Pro Bowl member in his short seven-year NFL career. He caught 595 passes for over 8,000 yards and 65 touchdowns and led the league in receptions three times, receiving touchdowns twice and receiving yards once. Sharpe’s career was cut short after a severe neck injury ended his 1994 season and he never returned to the field after.
Sharpe's induction sees him join his younger brother Shannon Sharpe, making the two the first brother duo in the hall's history.
Sharpe will officially be enshrined into the hall on Aug. 2 at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame stadium in Canton, Ohio. You can catch Sharpe being delivered the news of his enshrinement on Saturday during a 30-minute special at 10 p.m. on the NFL Network