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Jeff Legwold
Tight end Antonio Gates, cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe are the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and will be inducted Aug. 2 in Canton, Ohio.
It’s the smallest class since 2005, also a four-member class. That’s the year Dan Marino, Steve Young, Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman were enshrined.
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 of eligibility, were not selected.
The class was chosen by the Hall’s board of selectors in a virtual meeting in January.
“You almost appreciate it more,” Jared Allen said. “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.”
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Gates entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the San Diego Chargers in 2003. He played basketball at Kent State and helped it to an Elite Eight appearance in 2002. Gates finished his career with 955 receptions, fourth in league history for a tight end, and 116 receiving touchdowns, the most for a tight end.
“The opportunity I got speaks volumes of how [the Chargers] believed in me,” Gates said. “I’m happy it all paid off.”
Eric Allen’s 54 career interceptions are 21st all time, and 14 of the 20 players in front of him are in the Hall of Fame. Allen, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders, returned four of his six interceptions for touchdowns in 1993, one of his six Pro Bowl seasons.
“Rarely does life play out like you want it to,” said Allen, who was elected on his 19th year of eligibility. “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, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. His 136 career sacks are 12th all 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. The one who isn’t, Terrell Suggs, was a finalist this year.
Sharpe, whose brother Shannon is a Hall of Famer, had his career cut short by a neck condition. But in his seven seasons, only Jerry Rice caught more passes and had more touchdown receptions than Sharpe, who played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers from 1988 to 1994. He led the league in receptions three times in his career, including his final two seasons. He also led the NFL in receiving yards once and touchdowns twice.
“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 standing 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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.