Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025: A Closer Look at the Inductees
For some NFL players, the journey to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a long and winding road, filled with years of anticipation and hope. This year, the wait has finally ended for a select few who have been patiently waiting for their moment in the spotlight. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2025 on Thursday night during the NFL Honors show in New Orleans, and it’s a class that promises to be remembered for years to come.
Among the inductees are cornerback Eric Allen, who is in his 19th year of eligibility, and defensive end Jared Allen, who is in his fifth year of eligibility. Joining them are tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe. Sharpe, whose promising career was tragically cut short by a congenital neck condition, was the senior finalist selected for enshrinement. This year’s class was chosen by the Hall’s board of selectors in a virtual meeting, and the new Hall of Famers will be enshrined in August in Canton, Ohio.
Let’s take a closer look at the remarkable careers of these four inductees:
Eric Allen, Cornerback
Philadelphia Eagles, 1988-94; New Orleans Saints, 1995-97; Oakland Raiders, 1998-2001
Eric Allen was a second-round pick by the Eagles in 1988 and quickly established himself as a model of consistent excellence and durability. He was approaching the 20-year deadline as a modern-era candidate, having played his last game in 2001. Allen played at least 15 games in 13 of his 14 seasons and had a six-interception season in 2000 at 35 years old. He returned four of his six interceptions for touchdowns in 1993, one of his six Pro Bowl seasons.
- Why he was elected: Allen’s 54 career interceptions rank 21st all time, and 14 of the 20 players ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame. He intercepted Hall of Famers John Elway, Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Troy Aikman, and Brett Favre. He led the NFL in interception return yards in 1993, when he had the four touchdown returns, and had a three-touchdown season in 2000.
- Signature moment: For many, it was Allen’s 94-yard pick-six against Boomer Esiason and the New York Jets in 1993. Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham had suffered a broken leg earlier in the game, and Allen’s play won the game. Afterward, Allen ran to Cunningham, who was on crutches on the sideline, and handed the quarterback the ball.
- Quotable: “I told myself long ago, ‘If you can go through a complete season and can’t get more than two interceptions, it’s time to go’ … I probably could have played another three, four years, but my standards had to be met for me to play.” — Allen to the Talk of Fame network on why he chose to retire after the 2001 season
Jared Allen, Defensive End
Kansas City Chiefs, 2004-07; Minnesota Vikings, 2008-13; Chicago Bears, 2014-15; Carolina Panthers, 2015
Jared Allen, a fourth-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2004 draft, was known for his high-energy and high-intensity play. He was a coveted player for any defensive coordinator, making an impact as a pass rusher from game to game and season to season. Allen’s 136 career sacks rank 12th since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Of the 11 players in front of him, 10 are in the Hall of Fame, and Terrell Suggs, who is eighth, was a finalist this year.
- Why he was elected: Allen’s four career safeties are a league record, and he routinely created turnovers. He forced 32 fumbles, deflected 58 passes, intercepted six passes, and recovered 19 fumbles in his career. His 22 sacks in 2011 are tied for fourth most in a single season. He also had eight seasons with at least 10 sacks and led the league twice in the category (2007 and 2011).
- Signature moment: Allen would punctuate sacks by pretending to rope a calf, an homage to his upbringing on a horse ranch. He would even throw his hands up at the end as calf ropers do to stop the clock in rodeo competitions.
- Quotable: “You go through life, and there’s a maturation process. I made some mistakes early in my career, and you learn from those and you grow from them. Minnesota was a place that helped me grow as a man. … When I got there, I was in the process of changing some habits and growing up. To have guys that are doing it right around you is phenomenal.” — Allen, when he retired, on his time with the Vikings
Antonio Gates, Tight End
San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, 2003-2018
Antonio Gates, who played only basketball at Kent State and helped the Golden Flashes to an Elite Eight appearance in 2002, was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He finished his NFL career with 955 receptions, the fourth most for a tight end in NFL history, and 116 receiving touchdowns, the most for a tight end. Gates and Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez are the only tight ends in league history with more than 100 career touchdown catches.
- Why he was elected: Gates was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and six-time first- or second-team All-Pro. He had 21 multi-touchdown games and eight seasons with at least eight touchdown receptions. He holds Chargers franchise records for receptions and receiving yards (11,841). The Chargers won four AFC West titles in Gates’ career, and his 89 touchdowns on throws from Philip Rivers was an NFL record for a quarterback-receiver duo at the time of his retirement (it ranks third now).
- Signature moment: He had many over his career — one-handed grabs, tipped passes he turned into big plays, boxouts in the end zone against overmatched defensive backs — but his 7-yard touchdown reception on Sept. 17, 2017, gave Gates 112 in his career and broke Gonzalez’s record for career touchdown catches by a tight end.
- Quotable: “He was so hard to cover that we had a ‘Gates Rule’ in the QB room. We would talk through the reads and the plays and they all had a ‘Gates Rule.’ It pretty much meant, if he is one-on-one, throw it there.” — Rivers
Sterling Sharpe, Wide Receiver
Green Bay Packers, 1988-94
Sterling Sharpe’s career was cut short by a congenital neck condition, but only Jerry Rice caught more passes and had more touchdown receptions in the seven-season span that Sharpe played. Though his career was shortened by health concerns, Sharpe didn’t miss a regular-season game — 112 in all. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro selection.
- Why he was elected: Sharpe, whose brother Shannon is a Hall of Famer, led the league in receptions in three seasons, in receiving yards once, and receiving touchdowns twice. His league-leading 18 receiving touchdowns in his final season are still tied for third-highest single-season total in NFL history. Sharpe’s 108 receptions in 1993 set a single-season record at the time, and he broke his own record the following season with 112.
- Signature moment: Sharpe got to play in the playoffs only once in his career in the 1993 season, Brett Favre’s second year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. But Sharpe made the most of it, with 100-yard games in both of the Packers’ playoff games. In the wild-card win over Detroit, he became the ninth player in league history to have three touchdown receptions in a playoff game.
- Quotable: “I’m the only pro football player that’s in the Hall of Fame and I’m the second-best player in my own family.” — Shannon Sharpe acknowledging his brother in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech
Originally Written by: Jeff Legwold
