Miami legend wants nothing to do with Shannon Sharpe: 'I’m shocked at his content'

Jeff Hauser

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Miami legend wants nothing to do with Shannon Sharpe: 'I’m shocked at his content' image

There was a point in history when Shannon Sharpe and Ray Lewis were more than teammates. But it appears those days are long gone. The Miami Hurricanes legend, who once defended the fellow Pro Football Hall-of-Famer doesn't recognize him anymore. 

While Lewis isn't shocked about his popularity, Sharpe's media persona is another story. “I’m shocked at his content," Lewis said on the PBD Podcast. "I kind of started to watch him and then we kind of went our own separate ways, because I’m like, ‘You’re gonna take that route? I can’t go that route. Never can go that route.’”

What "route" is Lewis referring to? 

“You’ve become popular because you’re talking about ignorance,” Lewis said about Sharpe. “A lot of times a lot of these gossip conversations that they’re having and bringing up all this stuff, I’m not gonna do that to nobody. I’m not in the business for that. I’m in life to try to teach people what does it mean to be a better man or give back to the kingdom."

Outside of faith, Lewis sees the situation with Sharpe differently than most, having known him for nearly three decades. 

“A lot of guys get in trouble with these podcasts and things," Lewis added. "Because everybody wants the follower. Everybody wants to be popular, Everybody wants to make money. But that’s a tightrope into what you call influence and popularity. The devil has the ability to make you popular. God has the ability to give you influence that when people see you, they see an image of him."

Sharpe was dropped by ESPN after settling a legal case which accused him of rape. The case, brought by a woman who alleges that Sharpe assaulted her during a nearly two-year relationship, asked for more than $50 million in damages. He denied the claims, but reached a settlement last month. 

For Lewis, the relationship with Sharpe comes down to morals and values. 

“I’m like, ‘Wow, you will switch out like that? Really?’ And I would never, ever. Why? Because of the respect that I have for my mother, my daughters, my granddaughters, life, period," Lewis said. I think men, given these new platforms, we’ve overrode what the platform is actually for. The platform is supposed to help somebody find a new direction. 

"We don’t help. Everybody just gets on. Like everybody’s talking now. Everybody got a podcast. Everybody is the new marriage coach. Everybody’s the new relationship coach. And ain’t nobody coaching themselves, because if you were coaching yourself, when it says, ‘Power of life and death is found in the tongue,’ then go back and check out a couple of your episodes and ask yourself, ‘Do you give life, or do you give death? And that’s why me personally, yeah, I kind of do my own thing, Stay in my own lane.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Sharpe addresses Lewis' feeling on the matter. Either way, the commentary is noteworthy. 

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Jeff Hauser

Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.