Shannon Sharpe has had a remarkable career in sports since being drafted out of Savannah State by the Denver Broncos with the 192nd pick in the 1990 NFL draft. He played 14 seasons in the NFL, winning three championships and solidifying himself as one of the best players ever to lace up cleats. Then, he turned his experience as a player into a solid career as a media personality. Sharpe certainly knows success and has seen lucrative paydays in his career.

But, according to Sharpe on the latest edition of Nightcap, he made more money from his early January interview with Katt Williams than he did in any year of his NFL career.

“Everybody was talking about how much money I made doing the Katt Williams interview. I just got the check. So whatever you think I made, 3x it. So if you think I made $500,000, 3x it. If you think I made a million, 3x it. If you think I made $2 million, 3x it…I made more money on Katt Williams alone than I made in any year that I played the NFL.”

While the interview's success is not unexpected, it is truly awe-inspiring that Sharpe made more from it than any single year he played in the NFL. According to Spotrac, an online resource for sports teams and player contracts, Sharpe earned $22.3 million throughout his 15 seasons with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. His highest base salary for a season was in 1999, when he earned $2.25 million with the Broncos.

However, he brought home $5 million in 2000 as he got a $4.5 million signing bonus that added onto his base salary of $500,000. So, if his revenue from the Katt Williams interview exceeded his highest-earning year in 2000, he certainly brought in a substantial payday. With the nature of the media industry and content's value often increasing over time, he's set to make even more as the months and years go on.

With his declaration on Nightcap, Shannon Sharpe surely is showing the value of building your own media platform and owning your content. He's also showing fellow former athletes a lane to turn their fame into surefire success.