Despite never being married, Shannon Sharpe welcomed three children from at least two women. His two oldest, Kiari and Kayla, were born in the same year. The youngest is Kayley. All three kids have earned college degrees, which has brought their father much delight.

The former professional athlete has displayed great pride in being a father. He constantly talks about his kids in the media and is overjoyed by the news that he will be a grandfather. He was looking forward to having his grandkid/s sit on his lap, something he regrets his kids never got the chance to do.

Shannon's father passed away at 39 from prostate cancer, and in 2016, the former NFL star also found out he had a similar condition. He kept the news of his discovery away from his mother and children for more than a year so they would not worry about something they could not control.

Shannon Sharpe's Son Witnessed a Family Scandal

In 2004, Shannon and Erika Evans, the mother of Kiari, one of his children, were involved in an altercation that resulted in law enforcement being called to his house. Although they did not make any arrests on their visit, Shannon later handed himself to the police after Evans filed battery charges against him.

Kiari, who was around 12 years old at the time of the incident, was born in 1992. He has grown up but did not follow in his father's footsteps. Instead, he was enrolled at Georgia Southern University, where he double majored in psychology and business management, graduating in 2014.

His name is a tribute to his grandfather, whom he never saw. Still, his father has told him and his siblings' stories about their patriarch. In September 2022, news broke that Shannon was soon to be a grandfather for the first time, as Kiari was expecting. The excited Shannon said he looked forward to letting his grandchild have fun.

Shannon Sharpe's Daughters Bring Him Joy

Shannon has two daughters. The oldest of the two is named Kayla. Like Kiari, she was also born in 1992 but has a different mother. Still, they have more in common than their birth year and father. Kayla also attended Georgia Southern University, where she studied pre-law. Her father wrote a special dedication to her for her birthday, saying:

"This is my 1st born, Kayla aka Shannon Sharpe Jr. Today is her bday. Everytime I see you, I’m more impress with the woman you’ve become. I LUV you more than you can possibly know. Enjoy this day and many more to come."

The other girl is Kayley. She is the youngest of Shannon's three children. When Sharpe was inducted into the NFL hall of fame, it was revealed that she was studying at Florida State University, where she trained to become a medical examiner. In April 2022, she received her medical degree, albeit from Indiana University.

Again in 2022, Shannon had a lovely Father's Day present when his three children presented him with a short video of themselves recounting their most memorable moments with their father. At the end of the video, Kayla reiterated their love and appreciation for their father and applauded him for being a good dad.

Shannon Sharpe's Kids Didn't Know He Had Cancer for a Long Time

In 2016, Shannon discovered that he had prostate cancer. He had been having frequent tests done since he retired in 2003 due to his family's medical history. When he went for that fateful check-up, he thought it would just be routine as he felt everything was okay. He recalled:

"I felt fine. I was exercising, eating right, drinking plenty of water, no really bad habits or anything. I thought it was going to be routine."

Upon the discovery, the hall of fame inductee decided to keep the information a secret. He only broke the news to his girlfriend at the time and to his sister and brother. Shannon kept his children and mother in the dark until after the surgery. He did not want them to worry.

However, the children found out after a while but understood the situation. Shannon's children knew that he was strong mentally and physically. After all, he had had a successful career in the NFL, playing for the Denver Broncos, the same team Ciara's husband, Russell Wilson, plays for.

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