Fansided

5 NFL players who retired too soon

By Patrick Morgan

Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) adjusts his helmet during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) adjusts his helmet during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe (84) catches an eight-yard touchdown during a 20-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on December 18, 1994, at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by James V. Biever/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe (84) catches an eight-yard touchdown during a 20-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on December 18, 1994, at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by James V. Biever/Getty Images) /

3. Sterling Sharpe

The Detroit Lions aren’t the only NFC North team that have had to stomach a beloved star’s premature departure from the game. If misery loves company, then Green Bay Packers fans can relate with the tragedy of Sterling Sharpe.

The older brother of Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe, Sterling Sharpe had some of the best hands the league has ever seen. A first-round pick out of South Carolina, Sharpe immediately made his presence felt around the NFL as an up and coming young talent. After playing all 16 games his rookie season, he led the league in receptions his second year and broke Don Hutson’s Packer records for receptions and receiving yards in a season.

Paired with Brett Favre, Sharpe would go on to lead the NFL in receptions and in receiving touchdowns twice more in the years that followed. He was on pace to perhaps shatter more records until a neck injury ended his playing career abruptly in 1994, just five years after he was drafted.

Retiring from such a promising career before the age of 30 must have been disappointing for Sharpe, but he can at least rest easy knowing his legacy is intact. He made five straight Pro Bowls while he was in the NFL, and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2002. At the very least, he also had a successful career as a TV football analyst.

Next: 2. Dick Butkus

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