The Lead

In honor of Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe's 55th birthday, we're taking a look back at some of No. 84's top moments in Denver.

From his sideline performances to on-field heroics, Sharpe carved out his place in NFL history.

Here are just a few of his best moments in the orange and blue:

QUITE THE CATCH

In a 1996 win over the Chargers, Sharpe posted the most receptions of his career with a 13-catch day. Perhaps more impressively, he hauled in all 13 of his targets for catches. He finished with 153 yards and notched one of three career games in which he scored three touchdowns.

THE RECORD SETTER

After winning another championship in Baltimore, Sharpe returned to the Broncos and posted one of the defining performances of his career. In Week 7 of the 2002 season, he left his mark in Kansas City with a record-breaking 214-yard performance. On a day in which he caught 12 passes and added two touchdowns, Sharpe set the single-game receiving record for tight ends that stands more than 20 years later.

PICKING UP THE PHONE

In a 1996 win over the Patriots, Sharpe recorded a pedestrian three catches for 37 yards. The Broncos simply didn't need any more from him in a 34-8 blowout win, and he left his mark on the sideline. In one of the most famous moments in NFL history, Sharpe grabbed the sideline telephone and feigned a call to the president.

"Mr. President, we need the National Guard," Sharpe said. "We need as many men as you can spare, because we are killing the Patriots."

POSTSEASON DOMINANCE

Though the performance came in a losing effort, Sharpe was highly impressive in a 1993 playoff game against the Raiders. In the defeat, Sharpe tied an NFL postseason record with 13 catches and also posted 156 yards and a touchdown. It would remain the most productive outing of his postseason career.

A CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE

Sharpe finished the 1997 AFC Championship Game with just three catches for 49 yards, but one of his receptions sealed the Broncos' trip to Super Bowl XXXII — and their eventual first world championship. Facing third-and-6 from their own 15-yard line and nursing a 24-21 lead, the Broncos desperately needed a first down to put away the Steelers. John Elway famously called a play that wasn't in that week's game plan and simply told Sharpe to "go get open." Sharpe did just that, and his 18-yard catch helped the Broncos get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in nearly a decade.

Below the Fold

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