Pro Football Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe has made significant strides off the field as a sports commentator and businessman.
Arguably one of the top tight ends in NFL history, the 14-year football vet has since emerged as one of the most viewed sports analysts on television since retiring in 2003 once his broadcast career started a year later for CBS Sports show The NFL Today.
After nearly a decade, Sharpe joined Sirius NFL Radio as a co-host for their Opening Drive morning segment and was later inducted into the NFL Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2011.
Two years later, the former Denver Bronco and Baltimore Raven later shifted his efforts as a columnist for FitnessRX For Men. He also served as a spokesperson for the brand being featured on the cover of their magazine in Sept. 2013.
But, Sharpes' big media success came once he joined FOX Sports as a co-host in 2016 with fellow broadcast star Skip Bayless for the highly-rated debate show on FS1 SKIP AND SHANNON: UNDISPUTED.
Skip And Shannon: Undisputed
In the show, Shannon Sharpe and Bayless face off opposite one another weekly to discuss some of the big sports topics of the day.
The 54-year-old eight-time Pro Bowler reportedly has an estimated net worth of $14 million in 2013.
Over the course of playing in the NFL, he has earned more than $20 million.
Sharpe has recently launched a new podcast show with FOX Sports called Club Shay Shay. He sits down one-on-one and interviews athletes, influencers, and celebrities. They discuss the latest topics and trending headlines in sports and pop culture.
Outside of his media ventures, the father of three launched a premium cognac called Shay by Le Portier in 2021.
Shannon Sharpe's Brand New Luxury Spirits Collaboration
Shay by Le Portier launched in partnership with leading luxury spirits expert Jay Bradley of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. He is the creator of the world's most expensive whiskey, The Emerald Isle. It sold at an auction for $2 million, according to reports.
"When I decided to create my own cognac, I knew I had to find someone who really knew about taste and how to build up those layers of flavor I love," stated Sharpe in a press release.
He added that Le Portier is a testament to his unmatched passion for cognac.
"So much of the inspiration in my life comes from the places I've been and people I've met through professional football," Shannon Sharpe said. "I started thinking, 'What if I could share that sense of connection and conversation with friends with everyone!' That's the reason for creating Le Portier Cognac."
Currently, Shay's VSOP inaugural cognac release has a retail price of $98.99, with future luxury releases to be announced.
The now award-winning cognac is being recognized with high honors. This includes winning Platinum - Best in Class at the SIP Awards 2022.
Shay by Le Portier Is Award-Winning
So far, Shay by Le Portier has reportedly won seven prestigious awards for taste and design. Therefore, it has beaten established brands such as Courvoisier, Rémy Martin, and Branson by rap superstar Curtis 50 Cent Jackson.
The company's awards list includes:
- Gold at The Spirits Business Design and Packaging Masters 2021
- Gold at The Spirits Business Cognac 2022
- Silver at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2022
- Silver at the International Spirits Challenge 2022
- Awarded 93 points at the New York International Spirits Competition 2022
- Gold at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022
- Platinum - Best in Class at the SIP Awards 2022
Bradley previously stated, "Shay by Le Portier is a game-changer in the cognac market. Everyone knows Shannon Sharpe. They all know how much he loves great cognac. So when we first met, I knew that with his taste and my knowledge of how to create the incredible layers of flavor he loves--we could make something incredible."
Sharpe states on his website that the premium cognac is dedicated to his grandmother, Mary Porter. She helped raise him and his other siblings in Glenville, Georgia, and helped him become the man he is today.
“There’s no question in my mind I would be where I am…had it not been for her,” he said. "It’s about putting in the work and having the right people on your team to inspire you."
Sharpe and his siblings, Libby and Sterling, moved with Porter from Chicago, after realizing her daughter needed help raising them.
"I became the player; I became the person; I became the man that I am because of that 1,000 square foot cinder block home," he added.