Shannon Sharpe gives Sterling some props

[Iron Mike]

Should also note that he led the league in catches during a great 1989 season.

Yep, and who were his teammates in 1989? "Commodore" Perry Kemp, Aubrey Matthews and Jeff Query.

[Little Whiskey]

Completely agree; I think Sharpe was a solid level above Irvin

Just image if Irvin would have been flagged for pass interference every time he pushed off.....you'd put him in the same league as Jeff Query.

.........and Randy Moss

[ThunderDan]

Had Sterling not been hurt him and Favre would be considered to be either the best or 2nd best QB to WR connection ever and GB would have a few more titles

I am not sure about your assumption about the titles. We were so Sterling Sharpe orientated on offense it seemed to me to hurt the Pack.

Once Sterling went down BF started to spread the ball around more and the team seemed to improve. (Who knows if SS doesn't get hurt maybe we do improve quicker with the additional talent?) It's great to have the best weapon on the field on your team but all of those touches take away from the other players. There are only so many completion to be spread around on a team a year.

Overall I'm not sure if Sterling going down helped or hurt the team in the long run. It seems like a case could be made on both sides.

[smuggler]

That's the party-line opinion. But Sterling wasn't a primadona. It's hard to imagine the team being better without him. Favre, maybe, but not the team itself.

[Patler]

You can compare a player directly to only those he played with, under the same rules. Sharpe's career overlapped many of the players people mention as both pro and con support for the HOF. The simple fact is, during the time he played, Sterling Sharpe was better than anyone playing at that time except Jerry Rice. Yes, others went on to longer careers and better career stats, but what would Sharpe's have been if not for the injury? As rules relaxed more and more to favor the passing game, there is no reason not to think that he would have maintained his advantage over the others.

Sharpe and Irvin came into the league the same year. In the 7 seasons they played together, Sharpe out-performed Irvin by 595/501 in receptions, 8,131/7,540 in yards and 65/38 in TDs.

The following article attempts to extrapolate what Sharpe's numbers would have been if he had played to age 36, with declining performance as he got older:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/353120-why-sterling-sharpe-was-an-injury-away-from-being-the-next-jerry-rice

The conclusion is that he would have been second in career receptions, yards, and touchdowns. I'm not necessarily agreeing with the way they did their calculations (I haven't given it much thought), but it gives you some idea of how his career had started.

What really set Sharpe apart from many other receivers was the way he ran after the catch. He became a running back, and was just as difficult for DBs to tackle as a RB who gets into the secondary. He got many of his touchdowns not by getting behind the secondary (although he could, and did), but by catching relatively short passes and running through or over the DBs. Most CBs alone had a difficult time bringing Sharpe down.

[sharpe1027]

Stats from 1992-1994.

1992:
Receptions
1. Sterling Sharpe 108
2. Andre Rison 93
3. Haywood Jeffires 90
4. Jerry Rice 84
5. Curtis Duncan 82
6. Ronnie Harmon 79
7. Michael Irvin 78

Yards:

1. Sterling Sharpe 1461
2. Michael Irvin 1396
3. Jerry Rice 1201
4. Andre Rison 1119
5. Fred Barnett 1083
6. Anthony Miller 1060
7. Eric Martin 1041

TDs:
1. Sterling Sharpe 13
2. Andre Rison 11
3. Ernest Givins 10
Michael Haynes 10
Jerry Rice 10
6. Haywood Jeffires 9
7. Mark Jackson 8

1993:
Receptions
1. Sterling Sharpe 112
2. Jerry Rice 98
3. Michael Irvin 88
4. Cris Carter 86
Andre Rison 86
6. Reggie Langhorne 85
7. Anthony Miller 84

Yards:
1. Jerry Rice 1503
2. Michael Irvin 1330
3. Sterling Sharpe 1274
4. Andre Rison 1242
5. Tim Brown 1180
6. Anthony Miller 1162
7. Cris Carter 1071

TDs:
1. Jerry Rice 15
Andre Rison 15
3. Sterling Sharpe 11
4. Calvin Williams 10
5. Cris Carter 9
Shannon Sharpe 9
7. Ben Coates 8
Michael Jackson 8

1994:
Receptions
1. Cris Carter 122
2. Jerry Rice 112
3. Terance Mathis 111
4. Ben Coates 96
5. Sterling Sharpe 94
6. Andre Reed 90
7. Tim Brown 89

Yards:
1. Jerry Rice 1499
2. Henry Ellard 1397
3. Terance Mathis 1342
4. Tim Brown 1309
5. Andre Reed 1303
6. Irving Fryar 1270
7. Cris Carter 1256

TDs
1. Sterling Sharpe 18
2. Jerry Rice 13
3. Terance Mathis 11
Herman Moore 11
Carl Pickens 11
6. Tim Brown 9
Brent Jones 9

[Smidgeon]

You can compare a player directly to only those he played with, under the same rules. Sharpe's career overlapped many of the players people mention as both pro and con support for the HOF. The simple fact is, during the time he played, Sterling Sharpe was better than anyone playing at that time except Jerry Rice. Yes, others went on to longer careers and better career stats, but what would Sharpe's have been if not for the injury? As rules relaxed more and more to favor the passing game, there is no reason not to think that he would have maintained his advantage over the others.

Sharpe and Irvin came into the league the same year. In the 7 seasons they played together, Sharpe out-performed Irvin by 595/501 in receptions, 8,131/7,540 in yards and 65/38 in TDs.

The following article attempts to extrapolate what Sharpe's numbers would have been if he had played to age 36, with declining performance as he got older:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/353120-why-sterling-sharpe-was-an-injury-away-from-being-the-next-jerry-rice

The conclusion is that he would have been second in career receptions, yards, and touchdowns. I'm not necessarily agreeing with the way they did their calculations (I haven't given it much thought), but it gives you some idea of how his career had started.

What really set Sharpe apart from many other receivers was the way he ran after the catch. He became a running back, and was just as difficult for DBs to tackle as a RB who gets into the secondary. He got many of his touchdowns not by getting behind the secondary (although he could, and did), but by catching relatively short passes and running through or over the DBs. Most CBs alone had a difficult time bringing Sharpe down.

Anyone have any good YouTube links of Sterling?

[sharpe1027]

What really set Sharpe apart from many other receivers was the way he ran after the catch. He became a running back, and was just as difficult for DBs to tackle as a RB who gets into the secondary. He got many of his touchdowns not by getting behind the secondary (although he could, and did), but by catching relatively short passes and running through or over the DBs. Most CBs alone had a difficult time bringing Sharpe down.

He also provided the virtual equivalent of a TE in terms of being able to screen and out muscle DBs for the ball before/during the catch.

[pbmax]

Similar Players for Sterling Sharpe. This does not give him credit for what might have happened without injury. Explanation here:

                                                                                                                                                 
NumYrs      Players whose career was of similar quality and shape

3       George Sauer, David Boston, Keyshawn Johnson, Wes Chandler, Greg Jennings, Leon Hart, Gordie Soltau, Chad Ochocinco, Steve Largent*, Javon Walker

4       Charley Taylor*, Terry Glenn, Wes Chandler, Billy Howton, Roddy White, Dave Parks, Darrell Jackson, Larry Fitzgerald, Larry Walton, Bert Emanuel

5       George Sauer, Gordie Soltau, Steve Largent*, Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, Billy Howton, Keyshawn Johnson, James Lofton*, Drew Pearson, Roddy White

6       Billy Howton, Antonio Freeman, Steve Largent*, Harlon Hill, Reggie Wayne, Keyshawn Johnson, Bob Hayes*, Herman Moore, George Sauer, Mark Clayton

7       James Lofton*, Steve Largent*, Raymond Berry*, Bob Hayes*, Keyshawn Johnson, Herman Moore, Del Shofner, Andre Johnson, Mark Clayton, Cris Collinsworth

Career  Andre Johnson, Antonio Freeman, Larry Fitzgerald, Cris Collinsworth, George Sauer, John Gilliam, Joe Horn, John Jefferson, Del Shofner, Bob Hayes*

Years 7 and Career tell you all you need to know about his prospects. By his seventh year, his career looked like 4 other Hall of Famers: Lofton, Largent, Raymond Berry and Bob Hayes. But since his career ended that same year, his remaining HOF comparable is Bob Hayes, who got in via the Veterans Committee I think.

[vince]

Anyone have any good YouTube links of Sterling?

[pbmax]

Who is DB #41 for the Rams at 1:15 of the video? Way to Cromartie that tackle big guy.

[Smidgeon]

Found this gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YV-MCWn8sA

[Smidgeon]

Who is DB #41 for the Rams at 1:15 of the video? Way to Cromartie that tackle big guy.

And I suddenly hope that expression catches on.

[Smidgeon]

Man. Based on some of those passes to Sterling, I never would have guessed at the time that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would go on to break all the major passing records. Especially with his throwing form on that one TD in the Lions Wild Card game.