The 2011 NFL Hall of Fame Inductees were announced on Saturday night and former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe was elected into the class of 2011. Along with Sharpe, cornerback Deion Sanders and running back Marshall Faulk were inducted in their first year of eligibility.
Sharpe played 14 years in the NFL, 12 with the Denver Broncos. He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos and one with the Baltimore Ravens. He racked up 10,060 receiving yards and his 815 receptions were a position record at the time of his retirement following the 2003 season. He made the Pro Bowl eight times. Sharpe was always known for his words, always there to make a quick quip or provide some colorful commentary.
He joins John Elway, Gary Zimmerman and Floyd Little as the fourth Denver Broncos player to be enshrined in Canton. He is also the eighth tight end to make the Hall of Fame.
Sanders played 14 years in the NFL from 1989 to 2005. He began his career with the Atlanta Falcons until he moved to the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. After one season there he spent the next five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. After the 2000 season with the Washington Redskins, Sanders retired from football until the 2004 season. He spent 2004 and 2005 with the Baltimore Ravens. At his best, Sanders was an elite, shutdown corner with 53 career interceptions. He accumulated 6,492 all purpose yards as a returner. He was well known for his "Primetime" persona.
Marshall Faulk is perhaps the best dual-threat running back. In his 12-year career, Faulk totaled 12,279 rushing yards and 6,875 receiving yards.
The others elected were defensive end Richard Dent, linebackers Chris Hanburger, Les Richter and Ed Sabol, the founder of NFL Films.
Head over to Mile High Report for more on Shannon Sharpe's election to the Hall of Fame.