Shannon Sharpe won three Super Bowls in a Hall of Fame career and once recorded 214 receiving yards in a game, the most ever by a National Football League tight end. Another crowning achievement came long after he was outmuscling bulky defenders, when he persuaded a 5-foot-5 comedian to open up while sipping cognac on a brown leather sofa.

When that comedian and actor, Katt Williams, aired his grievances against prominent Black celebrities, including Sean Combs and Kevin Hart, it instantly turned Sharpe’s podcast “Club Shay Shay” into a must- stop destination in Hollywood and beyond. In the months after the episode aired in January 2024, Sharpe secured interviews with rapper Megan Thee Stallion and then- Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

“ ‘Club Shay Shay’ has become the modern-day talk show,” said Lillian Xu, a top podcast executive for Vox Media, which produces a handful of rival series.

Sharpe has cut through in a saturated podcast ecosystem where Alex Cooper and the Kelce brothers command nine- figure contracts. In addition to “Club Shay Shay,” Sharpe makes appearances twice a week on “First Take,” ESPN’s morning debate show, and hosts a secondary podcast, “Nightcap,” with former NFL receiver Chad Johnson.

Before a live taping of a “Nightcap” episode in New Orleans in advance of the Super Bowl, Sharpe exercised his vocal cords in a backstage greenroom as a makeup artist prepared to pat his face. Moments later, his voice, laced with a country-twang accent, soared throughout an auditorium. The friends debated NFL award winners, Johnson’s relationship issues and other topics.

The explosive episode with Williams on “Club Shay Shay” has been viewed more than 88 million times, setting a YouTube interview record. But Sharpe said he wanted to be recognized beyond his role as Williams’ questioner.

“Michael Jackson is more than ‘Thriller,’ and that’s what I told the team: ‘This was our “Thriller” album,’ ” Sharpe said in a recent interview. “Let’s just continue to have these conversations. Hopefully people want to come and tell their story and it will speak for itself.”

It is common for retired athletes to enter the news media, where they can share strategic insights and amusing anecdotes gathered on practice fields and team flights. Ed McCaffrey, who played with Sharpe on the Denver Broncos, said Sharpe would tactfully tease teammates about their wardrobe choices and that his jokes would keep the mood light.

“The same guy that was in the locker room, the same guy that was on the bus, the same guy that was engaging in conversation with his teammates is just doing that now publicly,” said McCaffrey, now a SiriusXM radio host.

In 14 seasons with the Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens, Sharpe bullied defenders for contested catches and outran them on the open field. He retired after the 2003 season and spent about a decade as a football analyst at CBS Sports before helping start a Fox Sports debate show, “Undisputed,” with Skip Bayless, who courted Sharpe to be his banter partner.

One Monday morning in 2017, Sharpe arrived at the show’s Los Angeles studio with a celebratory cigar in his mouth. The Broncos had won the day before, and the Dallas Cowboys, Bayless’ favorite team, had lost.

The moment was celebrated online, where people began calling Sharpe “Unc” (short for uncle) and Photoshopped his face into various memes. CJ Dear, a former Fox producer, helped Sharpe lean into the joke on his social media accounts. The “Unc” character would also pop up on air sporadically — sometimes drinking liquor at 4 a.m. Pacific time, other times wearing a goat mask.

“Whenever an audience naturally gravitates to something, you have to continue to capitalize on it, and I think he always did it in a playful way,” Dear said. “We built up this persona he developed on television, and it gave him a solid foundation.”

Fox had negotiated podcast responsibilities into Sharpe’s contract but did not enforce them until 2020, during the pandemic. Unfamiliar with the medium or its power players beyond Joe Rogan, Sharpe turned to Dear, who said Sharpe should reach into his personal contacts to book guests.

Sharpe’s first interviewee on “Club Shay Shay” was his brother, former NFL receiver Sterling Sharpe. Boxer Floyd Mayweather and rapper Ice Cube soon followed.

When Sharpe departed Fox in June 2023 amid a fractured relationship with Bayless and the network, he retained the rights to “Club Shay Shay,” which he owned. Stephen A. Smith, a brash ESPN commentator, recruited Sharpe for a trial run on “First Take,” and Sharpe went on to sign a long-term contract last year.

Although the spotlight on ESPN shows is large, “Club Shay Shay” is the place where Sharpe can be himself fully. His on- camera rapport with high-profile entertainers has produced wide- ranging tell-alls from people such as actor Mo’Nique (who said Tyler Perry started rumors about her), singer John Legend and comedian Steve Harvey. Sharpe normally allows guests to pontificate during lengthy answers without interrupting them. Many episodes exceed 1 million views.

“You get the most eyes on the conversation for whatever you want to talk about,” said Fat Joe, a New York rapper who appeared on “Club Shay Shay” in October. “It’s all about what message you’re trying to get across, and he lets you do that.”

Before divulging personal grudges about Black Hollywood, Williams said he had agreed to come on “Club Shay Shay” because Sharpe “made a safe space for the truth to be told.” During the episode, Williams outlined his hesitations toward partying with Combs, who now faces federal sex trafficking charges. Williams questioned Hart’s comedic pedigree. And he joked about the circumstances of the arrest of actor Jonathan Majors.

As it does with every episode, the podcast’s social media staff sliced Williams’ juiciest responses into clips to post on Instagram and other platforms. Dear said he wanted to produce at least 30 clips from each interview.

“The consistency and volume is what’s going to bring people back to watch the full episode,” Dear said. “We truly are students of the numbers.”

Sharpe said more advertisers approached the show after Williams’ episode. YouTube officially partnered with Sharpe and allotted support staff to grow his podcast business.

“It spoke to his ability to deliver a big audience,” said Angela Courtin, a vice president at YouTube overseeing its sports marketing division. She said the blitz of engagement outpaced the reach of most linear television. “If you know how the platform works and you’re already connecting with audiences, it’s a no-brainer.”