Fan celebrates Hall of Fame induction with son named after Sterling Sharpe

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - It took 26 years after becoming eligible for Sterling Sharp to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In Canton, Rick Henry found a Green Bay fan who honored Sterling in a very unique way more than two decades ago.

Plenty of Green Bay fans wore their Sterling Sharp 84 jerseys to the Hall of Fame ceremony. The shorter 84. Here is Ross, a longtime Packers and Sterling fan.

“I just always admired his grit and his effort,” said long-time fan Ross Bubolz. “And, of course, he was phenomenal and really carried that team.”

Ross is the father of nine kids. After his first child was born, he had an idea.

“I said to my wife, our firstborn son needs to be named Sterling after the greatest wide receiver ever to play the game of football. So, yeah, and here he is, my son, Sterling.”

“I’ve always been really proud of it,” said Sterling Bubolz. “I never got to watch him play because I was, you know, a little kid. But just hearing my dad talk about him all the time, it was always a very prideful thing for me.”

Ross also shared his thoughts on Sterling finally getting in.

“My dad always said, if you ever got inducted to the Hall of Fame, we were going to go. So here we are.”

Sterling is going to continue a family tradition. He plans on naming his first son after another former Green Bay player, Jordy Nelson.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.