Te Antonio Gates in the smallest Hall of Fame class since 2005

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  • Jeff Legwold6. February 2025, 22:28 one one

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      Jeff Legwold is a senior author who covers the Denver Broncos and NFL on ESPN. Jeff has covered broncos for more than 20 years and participated in ESPN in 2013. He also helps with NFL draft coverage, including his annual Top 100 views. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He is also in Hall’s Seniors Committee and was in Hall’s Blue Ribbon Panel, who chose Hall’s Centennial Class. Jeff also covered Steelers, Bills and Oilers/Titans in previous stops before ESPN.

The tight end Antonio Gates, Cornerback Eric Allen, Defensive End Jared Allen and the broad recipient Sterling Sharpe are the latest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and will be introduced August 2 in Canton, Ohio.

It is the smallest class since 2005, also a four-member class. That’s the year Dan Marino, Steve Young, Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman were laid down.

Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots Kicker Adam Vinatieri, Carolina Panthers Linebacker Luke Kuechly, New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning, all in their first year with eligibility, was not elected.

The class was selected by Hall’s Board of Selectors in a virtual meeting in January.

An eight-time pro bowl selection, Gates entered the NFL as an extinct rookie with San Diego Chargers in 2003. He played basketball in Kent State and helped it to an elite eight performance in 2002. Gates completed his career with 955 receptions, Fourth in league story for a tight end and 116 receives Touchdowns most for a tight end.

“The opportunity I got talks about how (chargers) believed in me,” Gates said. “I’m glad it all paid off.”

Eric Allen’s 54 career capture is 21. Allen, who played for Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders, returned four of his six captures to Touchdowns in 1993, one of his six Pro Bowl seasons.

“Rarely does life play out as if you want it,” said Allen, who was elected in his 19th year with eligibility. “There are always some curves and bends. But time always reveals the truth. … it might take time for people to see the complexity of my situation.”

Jared Allen played 12 seasons, especially with Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. His 136 career bag is 12. All the time since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. He also has an NFL record four safeties. Ten of the 11 players in front of him are in the Hall of Fame. Whoever is not, Terrell Suggs was a finalist this year.

“You almost value it more,” Allen said of being one of four chosen for anchoring. “Nothing is coming easy. When I found out it was only four, it became more special. There is a true emphasis on what it means to be a Hall of Famer. Obviously we fit it. For me it was a bit of relief of relief ”

Sharpe, whose brother Shannon is a Hall of Famer, got his career abbreviated with a throat. But in his seven seasons, only Jerry Rice caught more passports and had more touchdown receipts than Sharpe, who played his entire career with Green Bay Packers from 1988 to 1994. He led the league in reception three times in his career, including his last two seasons . He also led the NFL in receiving yards once and touchdowns twice.

“I don’t think it’s really gone in yet,” Sterling Sharpe said. “It’s one of the situations where the closer it gets to having the same color tray he has and standing in the same place he stood and could have a convention about the journey to get there, I think it will sit down.

Associated Press contributed to this report.