As recently as a decade ago, Packers great Sterling Sharpe appeared to be a long-shot for the Hall of Fame because of his relatively short career.

Sterling Sharpe averaged 85 catches in his injury-shortened career — an unheard of number for his era and 10 more than Jerry Rice averaged in his first seven seasons.

"Sterling was supposed to be in the Hall first,″ Shannon said ahead of his 2011 induction, where he drew a standing ovation for saying, "I'm the second-best player in my own family."