It was a homecoming celebration on Monday, Nov. 6, at Savannah State University (SSU). Shannon Sharpe, a SSU Alum and three-time Super Bowl champion, returned to his alma mater for an airing of ESPN's "First Take" with host Stephen A. Smith, and moderator Molly Qerim.
Sharpe was welcomed with thunderous applause and cheers from students, faculty, staff, former coaches, and teammates as he entered Tiger Arena for the show. Sharpe was thrilled by the reception as he was welcomed home to the place that was a foundational part of his life and success.
“This is where it all started. I stayed in Peacock Hall many nights dreaming of going to the NFL and providing for my family. While I was providing for my family, I was representing Savannah State. I never forgot that. I never forgot what Savannah State meant to me,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe was a three-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection from 1987 to 1989 and the SIAC Player of the Year in 1987. In 1989, he led the Tiger’s to a history making best record of 8–1. As a senior, Sharpe caught 61 passes for 1,312 yards and 18 touchdowns, including three games with more than 200 yards. Sharpe finished his college career with 192 receptions for 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Sharpe played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Denver Broncos and he is regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he ranks third in tight end receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Students were excited to meet Shape and Smith who took selfies and chatted with some of them after the show. For many of the students seeing what he has accomplished tied into Savannah State’s motto “You can get anywhere from here.”
“The student body, a lot of these kids weren’t even thought of being born when I attended Savannah State, the love and admiration they showed me today doesn’t go unnoticed. Don’t let someone tell you that an HBCU is less than, you can go anywhere from an HBCU,” said Sharpe.
Stephen A. Smith is also a HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) alum graduating from Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.
“The odds are stacked against you when you don't receive an education. If the opportunity is there for you to capture an education, and you have to go to an HBCU to do it, I think it's something that's attractive for a variety of reasons. But the main reason would be that as an African American, you're going to an environment that you deem to be relatable to you a lot of times,” said Smith who is also an ambassador for HBCU week.
While some students enjoyed the show as a part of the audience, others were working alongside the team at ESPN earning resume building credit and real-life experience while making connections.
“When people first started talking about the show coming, I wasn't so much concerned with who was coming, but the fact that they were coming and I hoped that students would be involved with this opportunity and that experience did happen,” said senior journalism and mass communications major Jeffery Glover who worked as a production assistant during the show.
When talks started about two months ago that ESPN’s “First Take” would be coming to campus, preparations were underway in many aspects. It was important to ESPN and SSU, with its nationally accredited journalism and mass communications program, that students were involved in the production. There was also a student class discission about the business with ESPN director Brandy Tate.
“It was a great experience, especially the hands-on experience. Being on a live set, it just helped me stay focused and trained me for how it would be when I entered the news industry. It felt like another internship,” said junior journalism and mass communications Keleigh Arrington, who is a reporter for the student news station WTRT and president of the mass communications student association.
For junior journalism and mass communications major and huge sports fan Daryl Green, the experience was one that he saw as helpful for his future path.
“It was a great experience just to get a lot of hands-on activities. I think the biggest thing that I took away is that there's no wrong question. I asked a lot of questions. I learned a lot of knowledge. Also got to build some contacts with people who I'll potentially try to talk to in the future,” said Green who was also a production assistant during the show.
Green also hosts his own Youtube and TikTok show about sports titled “24 HourSport” and is a writer for the student newspaper Tiger’s Roar. He aspires to ultimately do what Sharpe and Smith does every day.
“It just goes to the school's motto, ‘You can get anywhere from here.’ Not just with sports, but just to see a person of prominence and becoming successful coming out of SSU, no matter what field you're in, is great,” said Green.
