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 ESPN's Suzy Kolber catches up with Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe after Baltimore's win over the Raiders.
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Tuesday, January 16
Sharpe had help from a friend
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Nobody talks trash in the NFL better than Shannon Sharpe. In big
games, he's anything but the name of his position -- tight end. He's loose
with his mouth, with his emotions, with his abilities.
In Sunday's AFC championship game, Sharpe entered slightly distracted.
His best friend, 46-year-old Sharon Parrish, died of what he believed was a
heart attack this week. He spent a part of the week in Denver attending
services and a funeral. Former Broncos teammates Keith Burns and Rod Smith wondered if he'd have enough left for the Raiders game.
|  | | Shannon Sharpe scored the lone TD on a 96-yard catch-and-run. |
"I told the guys I got one play in me today," Sharpe said. "I
hope it breaks their back."
Sharpe's one play did. His NFL playoff record 96-yard touchdown pass
with 11:08 left in the second quarter propelled the Ravens to a Super Bowl.
It was the only touchdown in the Ravens' 16-3 victory over the Raiders.
Years from now, Sharpe will visualize what he saw and what he felt.
What he saw was a simple slant pass on an improbable third-and-18.
Strategically, the Ravens were just positioning themselves for an easier
fourth-down punt. Raiders strong safety Marquez Pope missed tackling Sharpe
slightly past the 10-yard line.
Ravens receiver Brandon Stokley cleared out free safety Anthony
Dorsett with a backside block. Sharpe saw it all. He saw the open field to
the end zone because the Raiders had blitzed everybody else. As he raced down
the field, he had Stokley and someone else by his side.
"I knew when I caught the ball, she (Sharon Parrish) was running
behind me," Sharpe said. "She used to watch television and say, 'Go, Baby, go.' "
But 96 yards? "It took about 14 seconds," Sharpe said. "You don't
expect to see 96 yards."
The Ravens brought Sharpe from Denver to Baltimore because he's a
leader. They underestimated the focus that he has. Imagine losing your best
friend days before a title game. Imagine the problems of trying to
concentrate on a game plan when the team's flying to Oakland and you're at a
funeral.
Sharpe flew to Oakland late Friday night. On Tuesday, he talked to
Sharon about coming out to the game and how they would meet up and talk. "I'll see you in Oakland," Sharon told Sharpe on Tuesday. Coach Brian Billick worried.
Ray Lewis offered his support.
"I told him that everything happens for a reason, and I'll always
be there for you," Lewis said. "I told him, 'You'll be all right.' He told
me, 'I'll be all right.' I told him that you've got a person who is still
with you."
Still, on Saturday night, Sharpe had some time alone. The emotions
consumed him.
"I probably cried for an hour," Sharpe said. "The chaplain came
to my room, and said, 'You can't bring her back by crying, but just know
she's watching you, and that she'd be so proud of you Sunday. Go out and
play your hardest.' "
Sharpe did just that. And really, he was the right person at the
right time. If the Raiders do anything this offseason, they better figure
out why their safeties are so vulnerable. During the regular season, tight
ends caught 86 passes for 881 yards against them. They gave up three
100-yard games to tight ends.
That's incredible. In an offense as limited as the Ravens, Trent
Dilfer needed at least one play from Sharpe if they were going to win.
Fittingly, on Thursday, they practiced that slant pass. Earlier in the game,
Dilfer tried to hit Sharpe with a hitch pass that didn't connect.
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Every time I came in here before this year, I hadn't heard anything mentioned about the Black Hole. Because of the AFC championship, it was a big deal. But with the Broncos, I came in here and we beat them half to death, and I didn't hear a thing about the Black Hole. ” |
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— Shannon Sharpe, Ravens tight end |
"I had told him that I'm going to stop and slide through the
outside, but Trent threw it behind me," Sharpe said. "I said, 'Trent,
let's do what we talked about all week.' "
Now, Sharpe will be talking for two weeks.
What was particularly interesting was that his touchdown was aimed
right at the Black Hole, the end zone area in which the Raiders have their
most rabid fans. They cheer. They swear. They flash obscene gestures and
nasty signs. And many paint their face black and silver.
Sharpe reached the end zone and celebrated in front of the Raiders
fans. They responded predictably.
"They threw beer on me, and I don't like that," Sharpe said. "I
don't drink. I don't like them throwing beer on me, maybe water."
But Sharpe's fearless celebration in the end zone only motivated his
team. They were fearless on the road as they were a week ago in Nashville
beating the Titans. To Shannon Sharpe, the Black Hole is overrated.
"Every time I came in here before this year, I hadn't heard
anything mentioned about the Black Hole," Sharpe said. "Because of the AFC
championship, it was a big deal. But with the Broncos, I came in here and we
beat them half to death, and I didn't hear a thing about the Black Hole.
"You know fans don't win football games. Football teams win
football games. The past two weeks, we played teams that had more confidence
in their fans than they did in themselves. They were more interested in getting
us distracted by their fans."
Sharpe was not going to be distracted. As he stood in the end zone,
he had Sharon by his side. And the Ravens couldn't be happier having Sharpe
as a leader.
"When you get into the playoffs, your big-time players have to make
plays," Billick said. "That's exactly what they are there to do. Whether
it's a Ray Lewis, a Shannon Sharpe, a Sam Adams, they bring unique talents to the game. This is where you better show up or you don't have a chance of advancing."
Sharpe showed up Sunday for the most important play of the day.
Sharon Parrish would have been proud.
John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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