Greg Sharpe doesn’t like to make much about himself.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to share this information but felt it would be better to confront it head-on rather than let innuendoes and half-truths run rampant. And with that, the voice of Nebraska football and baseball revealed a cancer diagnosis during the weeknight show — Sports Nightly — which he hosts with Jessica Coody on the Husker Radio Network.
A message from the voice of the Huskers @SharpeGreg. pic.twitter.com/a0JXJnGXSz
— Huskers Radio Network (@HuskersRadio) April 16, 2024
“Bottom line is, I have been diagnosed with cancer,” Sharpe, who has been the radio play-by-play voice of the football team since 2008, said. “I found out, oh, a week or two ago. And so, we’re getting close to the point where treatment will be necessary. And so, it’s gonna disrupt my work here on Sports Nightly and probably some baseball broadcasts. That agitates me because this season is going so, so well. So much fun being around that team.”
Sharpe said he has a great team of doctors who are putting together a plan. Not wanting to get too much into the weeds of his diagnosis, he said that he’s had symptoms for a couple of months and that it involved the “pancreatic region of the body.”
He didn’t want his absence to create a situation where his colleagues would be fielding questions about it.
“If I miss games, it’s not because I want to,” he said. “Obviously, it’s because I’m dealing with treatment or the after-effects of treatment.”
While some consider it a flaw, Sharpe admits he dislikes leaving assignments unfinished or shirking responsibilities. This makes missing shows or games particularly difficult, as he feels like he’s letting down his work. However, colleagues and family have reminded him that he can’t always carry the burden alone and needs to allow himself time off sometimes.
“I’m not ready to walk away yet, but I’m certainly going to have some disruption in my life in the coming months, and I just wanted to share that with all of you,” Sharpe continued. “I’ve got a great relationship with God, and he’s been with me a lot in the last couple of weeks and months; heck, he’s with me right now to make sure I can get through this. And I’m gonna work that relationship — hard in the coming weeks. They also tell you to set a goal. Set something you want to attain and be a part of.
“And I’ll tell you, it’s gonna be easy for me to say this. I want to get this thing, whup its butt and get myself ready for football because I think we are going to have a fabulous, fabulous football season around here in the fall.”
[Huskers Radio on X]
