Pro-Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe made a grand return to his alma mater, Savannah State, alongside ESPN's morning show First Take. The enthusiasm was palpable as thousands of students packed Tiger Arena, chanting and screaming “Shannon, Shannon, Shannon!”

 

Sharpe, overwhelmed with emotions, couldn't contain his joy. Speaking to reporters, he expressed his heartfelt sentiment about coming back to the school in a different role and how Savannah State will always hold a special place in his heart.

“To be back here in this capacity…I’ve come back here before as an NFL player [and} as a Hall of Famer. But to come back in this when I didn’t even know jobs like this even existed when I was a student at Savannah State but to come back like this and be from here…this is my home.”

Shannon Sharpe was joined by his former college football teammates Bucket and Big Daddy, along with his high school coach William Hall. Also present were his sister and his brother, Sterling Sharpe, a former NFL star wide receiver. Sterling shared his thoughts with reporters, highlighting the significance of having someone of Shannon Sharpe's stature at Savannah State and praising the university as a whole.

“It has changed a lot Savannah State has definitely changed a lot and being back here a lot of us would say the same thing. So, there are great things happening here at Savannah State. And I hope that First Take here at Savannah State, his alma mater will just help and show more exposure more people, more excitement, more energy and hopefully more wins to the sports department but everything about here is amazing.”

Shannon's return to Savannah State will serve as an inspiration to students, showing them that they too can achieve success in their chosen career paths. No one should undermine the value of attending an HBCU. Sharpe emphasized what Savannah State means to him and the invaluable lessons he learned while attending the university.

“I never forgot what Savannah State meant to me and the values of what I learned. As our motto is, ‘You Can Get Anywhere From Here' and you saw two of the three most prominent voices in morning television: myself and Stephen A and Michael Strahan. Two of the three worked together but you can. Don’t let anyone tell you that an HBCU is less than. You can get anywhere from an HBCU.”