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Pro Football Hall of Famer and sports media personality Shannon Sharpe told his older brother, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, of his own long-awaited selection to the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class in an emotional video shared on Friday (February 7) morning, hours after selections were publicly announced at the NFL Honors award ceremony Thursday (February 6) night.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame shared its annual video of inductees being notified of their selection by former teammates already enshrined with a 'knock on the door.' Sterling's reveal, however, apparently took place while he was visiting Shannon's house, at which point the media icon revealed that they would be the first siblings to both be selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"Welcome brother...to the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025," Shannon said while wearing his own Hall of Fame jacket extending his hand.
"This is something I...Oh wow. I need a seat and a drink," an emotional Sterling responded.
Sterling was the only selection made from the seniors category, which assures that "older players, whose active careers have been completed at least 25 years, as well as coaches, who have not coached for at least one season, and those individuals who contributed to the game in ways other than playing and coaching, will be considered along with the Modern-Era Players candidates, a Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee, a Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee and a Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee have been established," according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's website.
"To have this moment, and I've had some great moments in my professional life, this is the proudest moment in my life," Shannon told his brother.
Sterling said he felt the same pride when he presented Shannon for his Hall of Fame induction in 2011.
"I felt like that when you went in, and, you know I'm not a crier, but when you said that you were in and that weekend in Canton, man, ain't nothing topping that," Sterling said.
"This tops it," replied Shannon, who is three years younger than Sterling.
"The difference is, you had to do this uncharted. There was nobody to tell you what to do, how to do it. You had the hardest job," he added. "And because you didn't have a guide, you didn't have Google, you didn't have MapQuest, you had to do it on your own. And you had to do it and be perfect because I was watching."
Shannon publicly revealed his brother's selection to the audience at his Nightcap live podcast Thursday (February 6) night after Sterling was officially announced publicly among the 2025 inductees.
Shannon has long campaigned for his brother's induction, specifically crediting his own success to Sterling during his own 2011 Hall of Fame speech.
Sterling was a three-time first-team All-Pro (1989, 1992, 1993) and a five-time Pro Bowler (1989, 1990, 1992-94), leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1992 and 1994 and receiving yards in 1992. The 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class also includes defensive end Jared Allen, cornerback Eric Allen and tight end Antonio Gates.
Jared Allen was told of his candidacy by Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive guard and former Minnesota Vikings teammate Steve Hutchinson; Eric Allen was notified by Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive guard and former Arizona State teammate Randall McDaniel; and Gates was told by Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and former San Diego Chargers teammate Ladainian Tomlinson.
