“It’s everything,” Shannon Sharpe told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Obviously, being the first two brothers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we are going to be a (trivia) question. I’m extremely excited. I’m more excited than he is.”

Sterling Sharpe, who was born in Chicago and grew up in Glennville and played at South Carolina, had his career cut short by a neck injury. Sharpe, who played at South Carolina, was drafted seventh overall in the 1988 draft by the Green Bay Packers.

“For me, it is just an honor for what he meant to me,” Shannon Sharpe said. “To see him fulfill that, I know my grandmother and my grandfather would be extremely proud if that were to happen.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Sterling Sharp said he was fine with how his career ended.

“I don’t think it really set in yet,” he said. “I think it’s one of those situations to where the closer it gets to having the same color jacket that (Shannon) has, standing in the same place that he stood. Getting a chance to have a conversation about the journey of getting here, I think it will set in. But right now, it hasn’t hit home yet.”

Defensive end Jared Allen, cornerback Eric Allen and tight end Antonio Gates round out the class that will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio in August.

Quarterback Eli Manning was a finalist, but did not receive enough votes for enshrinement.

Also back as finalists from the modern era were two receivers (Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne) in their sixth year of reaching this stage of the vote. Manning was among the six first-year eligible finalists.

Sterling Sharpe made five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro teams during his seven-year career (1988-94).

Shannon Sharpe, who played tight end in the NFL after a stellar career at Savannah State, was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 2011. During his enshrinement, he honored Sterling.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Former Georgia Tech linebacker Maxie Baughan and Sterling Sharpe were named finalists in the seniors category along with former offensive lineman Jim Tyrer.

Also, Ralph Hay (contributor) and Mike Holmgren (coach) were named finalists.

The finalists needed approval from at least 80% of the members of the full 50-member selection committee.

Baughan, who died in August 2023 at the age of 85, started at linebacker and center at Tech from 1957-59.

He was drafted in the second round by the NFL and in the first round by the AFL. He went on to play outside linebacker from 1960-70, then came out of retirement in 1974 to provide a veteran presence under longtime mentor George Allen in Washington.

Baughan was a nine-time Pro Bowler and won an NFL championship with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played from 1960-65 before joining the Los Angeles Rams (1966-70).

Tyrer, a nine-time Pro Bowler, was considered one of the dominant offensive tackles of his era and may have been skipped over because of a 1980 murder-suicide of himself and his wife, Martha. But because of more knowledge today of brain trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) he may be viewed in a different light.

The other 2025 enshrinees include:

The finalists who didn’t receive the 80% of the votes include:

Josh Allen wins MVP

Bills quarterback Josh Allen beat out two-time winner Lamar Jackson for the Most Valuable Player award in the closest race since the Falcons’ Matt Ryan beat out Tom Brady in 2016.

Allen, who led Buffalo to a fifth straight AFC East title, got 27 first-place votes to Jackson’s 23 and finished with 383 points. He received 22 second-place votes and one third.

Jackson, who led the Ravens to a second straight AFC North championship, got 26 second-place votes and one fourth for a total of 362 points.