BCN #159 Shanon Sharpe You thought you was Special.

Shannon Sharpe stepping aside from ESPN in wake of sexual assault lawsuit
"I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false allegations set against me," the Hall of Fame football great said.

Football great Shannon Sharpe said Thursday that he will "step aside temporarily" from his duties at ESPN in the wake of a $50 million lawsuit accusing him of rape.

The 56-year-old former Denver Broncos tight end said he needs time away from the studios to fight allegations that he called "false and disruptive."

"At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties," he said in a statement.

The first NFL exhibition game is set for July 31, with the regular season likely to kick off Thursday, Sept. 4. Sharpe hopes to be back behind the mic by then.

"I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me," he said. "I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason."

An ESPN representative said that Sharpe, a frequent panelist on the show "First Take," is right to take a break from the cable sports outfit.