Shannon Sharpe made his debut alongside Stephen A. Smith on First Take and told a hilarious story about interacting with Ben Coates while he was playing at Savannah State. According to Sharpe, Coates wanted to attend Savannah State and wondered if he'd be able to start on the football his first year as a Tight End. Shannon definitely kept it real with him.

“I'm laughing because Ben Coates went to Livingstone. I showed him around when he came to visit Savannah State,” Sharpe said to Stephen A. at the start of a segment about the Jets' chances to win a Super Bowl this season. Stephen A. and Shannon Sharpe explained that Livingstone is an HBCU to the audience.

Sharpe continued his story, “I showed him around [and] he said he wanted to start. And I said, ‘Well, don't come to Savannah State if you want to start because they're moving me to tight end and you can't beat me out.' He [then] went to Livingstone and had a great career.”

Coates indeed had an amazing football career. He played in the CIAA for the Livingstone College Blue Bears, finishing his collegiate career with 103 receptions for 1,268 yards and 18 touchdowns. While on campus, he also pledged Phi Beta Sigma. Coates was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame in 2018 for his outstanding play.

Coates then was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1991 NFL Draft with the 124th pick. He played for the Patriots from 1991-1999, becoming Drew Bledsoe's go-to receiving option. He led the Patriots in receptions in 1993 with 53 catches for 629 yards and 8 touchdowns and he maintained a high level of production with New England.

Coates joined fellow HBCU alumnus Shannon Sharpe to play for the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 after being released by the Patriots. He was a part of their Superbowl-winning team.

Shannon interacting with a fellow future NFL star on the campus of Savannah State University as a student-athlete is intriguing and we hope to hear more stories like this during his time on First Take.