Earlier this year, South Carolina football icon Sterling Sharpe finally received one of the sport’s highest honors — induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a long-overdue recognition for a career that ranks among the best in NFL history, despite being shortened by injury. Now, the former Gamecock has added another Hall of Fame nod to his legendary résumé.
Over the weekend, the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2025, naming Sharpe among its 33 new inductees. The class also includes prominent figures such as Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, basketball legend Walt Frazier, and Olympic sprinter Willie Gault.
A native of Glennville, Georgia, Sharpe starred at Glennville High School near Savannah, where he earned All-State honors before joining the South Carolina Gamecocks in 1983. He battled through early injuries, including a redshirt season, before emerging as a dominant force under head coach Joe Morrison. Sharpe earned back-to-back All-American honors in 1987 and 1988, and in 1987 alone, he totaled over 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in 11 games.
Even four decades later, Sharpe’s name still fills the South Carolina record books. He remains among the top five in school history for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, and is one of only five players ever to record 10 or more receiving touchdowns in a single season. Sharpe led the Gamecocks in receiving in each of his three fully healthy seasons and was one of the few to return both a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in garnet and black.
In total, Sharpe finished his South Carolina career with 167 receptions for 2,497 yards and 17 touchdowns, plus over 200 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. His 104-yard kickoff return touchdown against Duke still stands as the longest play in program history.
Sharpe’s football legacy is already etched across multiple levels of the game. In 2014, he was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, joining George Rogers as the only two former Gamecock players to hold that distinction. Now, as the only South Carolina player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sharpe’s remarkable journey continues to inspire generations of Gamecocks.
As part of the Georgia Hall of Fame’s class, Sharpe will officially receive his blue jacket at the 2026 ceremony, joining an elite group of athletes who helped shape the state’s storied sports history.
