Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomes 4 new members

The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened its doors to four new members on Thursday: Cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe.

The quartet will be inducted on Aug. 2 in Canton, Ohio. It is the smallest class since 2005, ESPN reported. That was the year that Dan Marino, Steve Young, Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman were inducted.

The Class of 2025 was chosen by the Hall’s board of selectors in a virtual meeting in January. The Allens and Gates were modern-era candidates, while Sharpe was a senior finalist.

Three players in their first year of eligibility -- quarterback Eli Manning, linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri -- were not selected, ESPN reported.

Eric Allen was a six-time Pro Bowl selection who played for 13 seasons and was elected in his 19th year of eligibility. He intercepted 54 passes and scored eight touchdowns, and returned four picks for scores in 1993, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

“Rarely does life play out like you want it to,” Allen said. “There’s always some curves and bends. But time always reveals the truth. ... It took maybe time for people to see the complexity of my situation.”

Jared Allen played 12 seasons, playing his first four with the Kansas City Chiefs and the next six with the Minnesota Vikings. His 136 career sacks are 12th on the all-time list since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, ESPN reported. He also has an NFL-record four safeties.

“You almost appreciate it more,” Allen said about his election. “Nothing comes easy. When I found out it was only four, it became more special. There’s a true emphasis on what it means to be a Hall of Famer. Clearly we fit that. For me, it was kind of a sigh of relief.”

Gates played 16 seasons in the NFL with the Chargers. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection caught 955 passes and had 116 touchdown catches, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

“The opportunity I got speaks volumes of how (the Chargers) believed in me,” Gates said. “I’m happy it all paid off.”

Sharpe joins his brother Shannon, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. He played his entire seven-year career with the Green Bay Packers and led the NFL in receptions three times, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He also led the NFL in receiving yards once and touchdowns twice, ESPN reported.

“I don’t think that has really set in yet,” Sterling Sharpe said. “It’s one of those situations where the closer it gets to having the same color jacket he has and standinthe g in same place he stood and being able to have a conv about the journey to get there I think it will set in. But right now it hasn’t hit home yet.”

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