Shannon Sharpe is one of the co-hosts of a TV show called ‘SKIP AND SHANNON: UNDISPUTED’. He used to be a really good football player and was known for his ability to talk trash and annoy his opponents during games. On the show, Sharpe gives his opinions and comments about different sports games, plays, and players. Many fans really like watching him because he’s knowledgeable and gives interesting insights. However, recently, he revealed something related to his life before NFL, which clearly showcases his struggles back then.

He once pretended to call the National Guard during a game against the Patriots and has made other provocative statements over the years. Sharpe was encouraged to speak up in school after struggling with pronunciation and developed his talent for witty comebacks over time. Despite his tendency to rile people up on the field, Sharpe has been an advocate for suicide awareness and other important causes.

Sharpe’s childhood: No indoor showers or toilets until age 21

54 years old, an NFL legend, Shannon Sharpe shared his experience growing up in rural South Georgia, where he did not have access to indoor plumbing or running water. He explained that he did not take a shower in a house until he was 21 years old when he entered the NFL. For the first 20 years of his life, he drank well water and went outside to use the bathroom. He emphasized that it wasn’t the 50s or 60s, but the 80s when this went down.

“I didn’t take a shower in a house until I was in the NFL I was 21.” Sharpe cited and continued, “I went outside for the first 20 years I didn’t know what it was like to use the bathroom inside.”

Sharpe went on to express his belief that his upbringing in these challenging circumstances helped shape his values and perspective on life. He suggested that this shared experience may be why he and Steve Harvey, who expressed similar values, connected so well.

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Meanwhile, there is one incident that emotionally moved Shannon Sharpe and motivated him to pursue a career in the NFL.

Shannon Sharpe’s emotional moment that led him to pursue an NFL career

In the progress of Shannon’s rise in the NFL, a particular moment in his life during his sophomore year in 1987 when he tried to make a collect call to his grandmother but she couldn’t accept it due to a $50 phone bill. This incident made him emotional, and he didn’t want his roommate to see him cry. He then decided to leave Savannah and pursue a career in the NFL.

Once, he expressed in the ‘New Heights’ episode how his brother played a significant role in his life as a father figure, and he would trade his career to be in his brother’s shoes.

Shannon Sharpe’s value as an NFL player was partly due to his physical abilities, and he earned $22 million in salary during his career. Promoting different brands and appearing on TV earn him a substantial portion of his total income, which amounts to around $1.2 million per year. Additionally, his cognac brand, Shay by Le Portier, recently won seven awards, including the highest-awarded VSOP for taste, at the SIP Awards 2022.

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