Sterling Sharpe: What Might Have Been?
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Ever since Kelsdad wrote his terrific article on what Tony Conigliaro could've accomplished had he played an entire career, I had been trying to think of another player whose promising career ended tragically early, thus hindering what could've been one of, if not the, best career in the history of his sport.
I should've thought of him earlier, but it didn't hit me until this past weekend, when Michael Irvin was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I began thinking of my childhood and remembering how much I thought Sterling Sharpe was a much better receiver than Irvin.
Sharpe was taken a pick after another great receiver (Tim Brown) in the 1988 NFL Draft out of the University of South Carolina and five picks before Irvin.
He made an immediate impact. How could he not? After all, James Lofton was traded to the Raiders two years earlier and the team was in need of a go-to receiver. He led the team in his rookie season with 55 receptions for 791 yards but only one touchdown.
In 1989, with his team's quarterback situation solidified behind Don Majkowski, Sharpe caught 90 passes for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns and earned himself a spot in his first Pro Bowl.
The next two seasons didn't yield the greatest results for Sharpe, with Majkowski battling injuries and Anthony Dilweg and Mike Tomzcak not being the gunslingers off which a top tier wide receiver thrives.
Nonetheless, Sharpe caught 67 passes for 1105 yards in 1990 and 69 passes for 961 yards in 1991. He earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl in 1990.
But it wasn't until a young third-string quarterback that had been cast off by the Atlanta Falcons showed up that Sterling Sharpe became one of the best year in and year out.
With Brett Favre firing passes to him, Sharpe broke the single season record for receptions with 108 in 1992, a record that would only stand a year before he broke it again with 112 catches. He also racked up 1,461 yards receiving in 1992 and 1,274 in 1993, making his third and fourth trips to the Pro Bowl. In 1992, he also became just the seventh player in NFL history to complete receiving's "Triple Crown" by leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Sharpe's career was still on the rise in 1994, during which he caught 18 touchdowns, which still stands as second all-time to Jerry Rice's 22. He also finished the season with 94 more receptions for 1,119 yards.
But during the season, Sharpe suffered a serious neck injury that forced him to wear a strap that connected his helmet to his jersey so that the strain would not worsen. It still did.
After playing every game for his first seven seasons, Sharpe never played another game in the NFL. He missed the Packers' Super Bowl championship by two years and watched as his own brother faced and beat the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII, after which Shannon gave his Super Bowl ring to Sterling in honor of his guidance.
Although the Super Bowl title following the 1996 season softened the blow felt a few years earlier after Sharpe's retirement, he will live on as one of the greatest receivers ever to strap on a Packers uniform, and with Don Hutson and Lofton in that category already, it's saying quite a bit. But let's take it one step further.
Sharpe ended his seven year career with 595 receptions, 8,134 yards and 65 touchdowns in just 112 games.
In 159 career games, Michael Irvin caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns.
If you project Sharpe's numbers over 159 games, he would've caught 845 passes for 11,547 yards and 92 touchdowns. (The 92 touchdowns would've already put him ninth all-time after just 159 games, which makes Terrell Owens' 114 after only 158 games and Randy Moss' 101 after 132 games that much more impressive.)
Sharpe's numbers after just 159 games is magnified when you compare those statistics to Lofton's career numbers of 764 receptions, 14,004 yards and 75 touchdowns in 233 games.
Want more? How about Cris Carter? Carter finished his 16 year NFL career with 1,101 catches for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns in 234 games. His reception and touchdown numbers both rank second behind you know who.
Sharpe's projected numbers over a 234 game career: 1,243 catches, 16,994 yards and 136 touchdowns, all good enough for second all time.
But Sharpe certainly couldn't have taken down the greatest could he? Let's take a look.
Jerry Rice compiled astonishing numbers that only start with his 303 NFL games. His 20-year career is incredible and his 13 Pro Bowl appearances are unheard of. His statistics are just as unmatched. In his career, Rice caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns.
If you project Sterling Sharpe's numbers over 303 games, this is what they would look like: 1,610 catches, 22,005 yards and 176 touchdowns.
There's no way to say that Sharpe's career would've lasted that long had he not suffered the injury, and the only player right now that I would say even has a shot at reaching 300 games at wide receiver is Marvin Harrison.
Even so, looking at the numbers, Sharpe's career was headed for Canton, regardless of whether he played 20 seasons. Given only five more, he would've almost undoubtedly been enshrined right alongside Irvin this past weekend.
