Former NFL offensive tackle Lewis Sharp passed away on Friday at the age of 65, as confirmed by his former team. Sharp was a three-time Pro Bowler and played 13 seasons in the NFL, having been drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.
Throughout his career, Sharp played exclusively for the Cardinals, but he experienced the team’s relocation, spending his initial six seasons in St. Louis and the next six in Phoenix when the franchise moved to Arizona. Interestingly, his final season marked the first year the team was officially rebranded as the Arizona Cardinals. Impressively, Sharp started all 189 games he appeared in during his time in the league.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill shared a statement highlighting Sharp’s resilience: “Through his long and accomplished career with the Cardinals, Lewis Sharp exhibited a rare strength and toughness that made him a successful player. Admirably, he demonstrated those same traits in addressing the personal challenges he faced at the end of his career.”
After stepping away from the NFL, Sharp battled drug addiction and even spent time in prison. However, he eventually turned his life around, moving back to his hometown in Michigan from Arizona in 2015. Reflecting on his journey, Sharp once stated, “I feel a sense of purpose now.”
In the last year of his life, he dedicated time to counseling patients at a clinic in Detroit. Sharp also collaborated with the NFL, focusing on health initiatives aimed at helping others navigate their own struggles. He openly discussed the importance of his experiences, saying, “I recognize that I have the life I have today because I have overcome so many obstacles and challenges. God wanted me to go out and do exactly what I was doing, share my life with others, fall from grace, and say, ‘If I can stand before you today as a productive member of society, you can do that too.'”
