Shannon Sharpe family tree: Meet fellow Hall of Fame brother Sterling, children Kiari, Kayla and Kaley & more
Shannon Sharpe’s success in the NFL catapulted a career in football even after his playing days were over, but he says much of that success is owed to his family.
Sharpe is one of two members of his family to not only play in the NFL, but also enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. According to the former Ravens and Broncos tight end, he would never have gotten to where he is today without his older brother, his older sister and his grandmother.
The Sharpes became the first pair of brothers to make the Hall of Fame together with Sterling’s 2025 induction. Here’s a breakdown of Shannon’s family and how Sterling played a key role in his development as a player and a person.
MORE: Did Shannon Sharpe play basketball? Revisiting two-sport star’s high school, college careers
Shannon Sharpe brother: Sterling Sharpe Shannon Sharpe is the youngest of three, and he credits his older brother, Sterling, for being his role model. The Sharpes’ father was out of the picture early in their lives, so Sterling had to take on a bigger role in helping raise Shannon, even though they are only three years apart.
“Sterling, you are my hero, my father figure, my role model,” Shannon said in his Hall of Fame speech. “You taught me everything I know about sports and a lot about life. I never once lived in your shadow. I embraced it.”
Shannon explained that Sterling’s journey to the NFL helped offer him a game plan of how to pursue his dreams.
“As I said during my own Hall of Fame speech, Sterling didnât have a guy. He didnât have a roadmap or GPS to guide him,” Shannon said, via Forbes. “What he did instead was show me what was possible. He paved the way. My journey was easier because I could look at his accomplishments and think, ‘If he could do it, why not me?’ We lived in the same house, bathed outside, drank well water and shared the same meals. Sterling showed me that greatness was within reach.”
Sterling was a great football player himself, playing seven years for the Packers and totaling five Pro-Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro nominations. He led the league in receptions three times in his career, and he led the league in receiving touchdowns twice.
â The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) February 7, 2025Shannon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, but Sterling had to wait until 2025 for his induction. While Shannon was inducted first, he maintains that Sterling was the better player.
â The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) February 7, 2025In 2025, Shannon had the honor of delivering the news to his older brother.
This is THE PROUDEST moment of my life. Every thing Iâve done has been influenced by you, Sterling Sharpe. I can truly say youâve been a father figure 2 me. Iâd of given my jacket long ago 2 place you in the Hall. Your hard work stood the test. Welcome to the Hall of Fame brođđŸ pic.twitter.com/nptUQ7e23U
â shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) February 7, 2025MORE:Â Complete list of Super Bowl MVP winners through the years
Shannon Sharpe sister: Libby SharpeSharpe’s older sister, Libby, was tasked with taking care of the Sharpe family as Shannon and Sterling pursued their dreams in the NFL.
“My sister, Libby, the caretaker of the family, my best friend, my sounding board, my biggest fan,” Shannon said in his Hall of Fam speech.” Of the three of us youâve had the toughest job so my brother and I could live out our dreams, you took care of the most important person in our family, our grandmother.”
Shannon added that Libby would take their grandmother to and from the hospital before she died, along with being with her so she wouldn’t be alone.
“Youâve been with my grandmother for 41 years,” Shannon said, “Thanks for being there for my grandmother and me. I love you, big sis.”
MORE:Â Most draft picks by a school in a single year
Shannon Sharpe son: Kiari SharpeSharpe has three kids, and his only son is Kiari, who attended Georgia Southern and studied biology and business management. In 2022, Kiari explained how family game nights perfectly explained who Shannon was as a father.
“A couple of my favorite memories that we’ve shared over the years, one being just all the family game nights that we had together,” he said, “Whether it was just you and me, or you, me and my sisters. You always beating us down in Monopoly and Uno, and then finally getting the chance to beat you. Because everything is earned, nothing is given. So, thatâs a satisfaction that I can barely put into words.”
Kiari Sharpe, @ShannonSharpe’s son, shares how finally getting to beat his father in Monopoly and Uno was such a satisfaction.
Because the family mantra is that ‘everything is earned.’ (cont.) pic.twitter.com/IWON3hSv3x
â Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) June 19, 2022MORE:Â Ranking the 13 greatest Ravens players ever, from Lamar Jackson to Ray Lewis
Shannon Sharpe daughtersKayla SharpeKayla is Sharpe’s eldest child and one of his two daughters. She attended Georgia Southern University and currently works as a Human Resources business manager in southwest Georgia.
In a video she recorded for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kayla said she treasured her quality time with Shannon, but will always remember her driving lessons with her dad.
“He would be completely silent in the car and then tell me everything I did wrong when we got home,” she said. “You are loved. You are appreciated. Youâve been doing a great job at this dad thing for a very long time now.”
â Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) June 19, 2022Kaley SharpeSharpe’s youngest daughter is Kaley, who earned her doctorate from Indiana University’s School of Medicine in 2022.
Like her siblings, Kaley fondly remembers their family game nights as a signature memory of her father.
“My dad proceeded to obliterate me in Monopoly,” she said. “I love that memory because we were just having such a carefree time. He was laughing every time he collected my $200. I just love that memory because we just had such a good time. But itâs just one of my proudest moments with my dad because we just had such a great time and it was just so relaxing.”
After hearing from Kaley Sharpe also, we can almost picture a reality show of @ShannonSharpe playing Monopoly with his kids đ€Ł pic.twitter.com/FNrXfPYy4e
â Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) June 19, 2022MORE:Â Breaking down the best two-way players in NFL history
Shannon Sharpe grandma: Mary PorterSharpe was mainly raised by his grandmother, Mary Porter, who took him and his siblings in after his parents divorce. The hall-of-famer says he owes much of his life to his grandmother.
“I grew up watching how hard she worked, how she treated everyone with dignity and care,” Sharpe said, via Forbes. “I try to embody that every day.”Â
Sharpe spent much of his Hall-of-Fame induction speech giving thanks to his grandmother, who passed away before he was inducted.
“What do you say about a person that gives you everything but life? How do you start to say thank you, granny, for a woman that raises nine of her kids and your mom’s three, and she sacrificed more for her grand kids than she did her own,” Sharpe said. “My grandmother was a very simple woman. She didn’t want a whole lot. My grandmother wanted to go to church and Sunday school every Sunday. She wanted to be in Bible study every Wednesday. The other days she wanted to be on a fishing creek. It was my brothers and my job to make sure she can do that for the remaining days of her life. The only regret that I have in my 43 years that I never told my grandmother just how much she means to me.”Â
Sharpe did get to promise his grandmother that he would take care of his family once she was gone.Â
“Before she passed, I made her a promise: I would hold the fort down,” he told Forbes. “She needed to hear that from me. And Iâve always kept it at the core of everything I do.”
MORE:Â Ranking the 18 greatest Cowboys players of all time
Shannon Sharpe dad: Pete SharpeSharpe’s father, Pete Sharpe, didn’t have much of a role in Shannon’s life, as he divorced from Shannon’s mother when Shannon was just a baby. As a result, Shannon credits his older brother, Sterling, for being the father figure in his life. In fact, Sharpe never mentioned his father in his Hall of Fame speech.
MORE:Â Ranking the most iconic NFL Draft outfits in history
Shannon Sharpe mom: Mary Alice DixonAfter getting divorced, Sharpe’s mother, Mary Alice Dixon, sent the three kids to live with their grandparents, hoping for a more stable upbringing. Still, she remained a key figure in her kids’ lives as an single mother of three children and made sure they always had what they needed.
“Thank you. Mom, I know how my grandmother gets, my brother and I talk about her a lot, but this day doesn’t happen without you,” Sharpe said in his Hall of Fame speech. “What can I say? Your baby’s in the Hall of Fame. Thanks for all the sacrifices you’ve made. I was the first kid in Glennville to have a pair of Air Jordan’s, a Mickey Mouse watch and a Walkman. Whatever my brother and sister and I asked for and you could get, you got. I forgive you for all those white suits that you got us for Easter that made us look like John Travolta.”
MORE:Â Ranking the 18 greatest Patriots players of all time
Where is Shannon Sharpe from?Shannon Sharpe grew up in Glennville, Georgia, where he lived with his mother, sister, brother and grandparents. After he graduated high school, Sharpe stayed close to home and attended Savannah State, which is located just 90 minutes away from where he grew up.
MORE:Â Looking back at the oldest players ever selected in the NFL Draft
