Oikos
Shannon Sharpe has been a household name in the football world going on four decades. The Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end excelled as a player, and is now one of the biggest television personalities in all of sports.
Despite having last played in the NFL in the 2003 season, few veterans are as in tune with the league and what players are doing to perform their best as Sharpe is.
In his playing days, Shannon Sharpe was obsessive about his nutrition. There were few physical specimens on his level in the league at a time when teams controlled much less of a player’s food intake and overall nutrition.
“I went to some of the best trainers and nutritionists that I possibly could. I was one of the first ones (to bring) my own food to work every day. Even when I was in Denver, even when I was in Baltimore, I started (bringing my own food) in 1993,” Sharpe told BroBible.
When Sharpe was in the league, most teams only provided lunch for their players, with the menu not nearly as customizable as it is now. And, Sharpe didn’t find the offerings to his liking, which meant he needed to have his own food prepared from outside sources and brought in.
These days, most teams provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner to their athletes. Any food item a player wants that fits in with the nutritional plans they have can be special ordered by the club and prepared on-site by gourmet, highly-trained chefs. That’s not to mention the much-improved and more scientific training facilities, with state-of-the-art treatments available to the players. According to Shannon Sharpe, that would’ve been a game-changer.
“If we would have had what they have now, as far as the training facilities. They’ve got dip tanks, they’ve got hyperbaric chambers, they’ve got physios 24 hours a day. They get breakfast lunch and dinner. You get cooked exactly what you want. You want salmon, they’ve got salmon, you want Dover sole they’ve got Dover sole. If you’re a pescatarian, they have that. So, whatever you need, in order to maximize your ability, come practice time, come game time (they have it),” he said. “Don’t make me think about what could have been as far as nutrition because they know so much, and it’s only been so long. I’ve been retired two decades, but they know so much more now than what we did then. And I thought I knew a lot then. But as I read and understand, I didn’t know as much as I thought I did.”
Sharpe, who told BroBible he played at around 6% body fat and is still under 10%, still takes his nutrition seriously. That’s part of the reason he partnered with Oikos® Yogurt ahead of Super Bowl LVIII. The legendary tight end and famous comedian Martin Lawrence teamed up for an ad that will air during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11 to show off just how much energy the protein-packed Greek yogurt gives.
This isn’t just a product that Sharpe is being paid to endorse. Shannon made sure to note just how much he loves Oikos®.
“(I like) the simplicity of it. It9 15-20 grams of proteins with the Oikos® Pro and the Triple Zero. I like the taste… I was a current player, like just take myself now, I work a lot. I don’t really have time to sit down and eat X amount of grams of protein. So, because I’m constantly on the move I need something simple. I can grab it, Get 15–20 grams of protein, and I’m good until I’m able to sit down and enjoy a meal,” Shannon Sharpe said.
At 15–20 grams of protein per 5.3 ounce container, that’s roughly 33% of the recommended daily protein consumption for the average American. And, with Oikos® being a low-fat yogurt, that protein really goes a long way.
Sharpe is especially appreciative of Oikos® commitment to supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Shannon himself attended and played his football at an HBCU, Savannah State.
The eight-time Pro Bowler finished his career as a three-time Super Bowl Champion, and had 10,060 receiving yards and 62 touchdowns for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens from 1990-2003. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. After spending time being Skip Bayless’s adversary on Fox Sports’ Undisputed, Sharpe joined ESPN’s First Take last fall.