Pro Football Hall of Fame to enshrine South Carolina football legend

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On Saturday, South Carolina football legend Sterling Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sharpe, a seven-year wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, is the first Gamecock to receive the honor. He will join his younger brother, Shannon, in the Hall, making the Sharpes the first siblings to earn induction.

The elder Sharpe had one of the best seven-year starts to an NFL career before his playing days were cut short by a neck injury. He is one of three wide receivers ever to post 575 catches, 8000 yards, and 65 receiving touchdowns in his first seven years, along with Larry Fitzgerald and Marvin Harrison. During his time in Green Bay, Sharpe was one of the two best pass-catchers in the sport, along with Jerry Rice. Enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame should have happened even sooner.

Sharpe led the NFL in receptions three times, touchdowns twice, and yardage once. He pulled off the "receiving triple crown" in 1992, when he led the League in all three categories. That same season, Sharpe led the NFL in yards per touch. He was the first player ever to post two 100-yard seasons; at the time, both of those years marked all-time single-season receptions records. Sharpe made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams during his time in the NFL. Had it not been for his injury, Sharpe would have had one of the most prolific careers in football history.

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While in garnet and black, Sterling Sharpe set virtually every South Carolina football receiving record. For his career, Sharpe logged 167 catches, 2497 yards, and 17 touchdowns. He also registered more than 200 yards rushing and five touchdowns on the ground. His 104-yard kickoff return touchdown is the longest play in program history. Sharpe was a two-time All-American and earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. The University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame honored Sharpe in 2000, and the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame did so in 2014.

Fans can tune in to watch the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at 1:00 p.m. Both the NFL Network and Fox will broadcast the event.