By Four new NFL legends are headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Former defensive end Jared Allen, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, former cornerback Eric Allen and former San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates all got the call that they will be getting their gold jackets.
There were 15 total finalists for the spots in Canton, Ohio, this year. The committee can elect up to five players from the modern era, and each must receive at least 80% of the vote for election.
There’s no set number of players that must be included in the Hall of Fame class but between four and eight new members must be selected.
Allen played 12 seasons in the league for four different teams, making his name as a fearsome pass rusher for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played the bulk of his career in Minnesota for the Vikings before playing for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers in his final seasons.
He ended up with 136 sacks in his 12 seasons and 641 total tackles.
Known as one of the most intense players on the field during his time in the game, Allen was long the focus of offensive game plans and neutralizing him was one of the biggest tasks for any team playing the Chiefs or Vikings. In his prime, that was hard to do. Allen racked up 22 sacks in 2011, his best individual season, and had double digit sacks in seven straight seasons.
Sharpe now gets to join his brother, Shannon, in Canton. Sharpe was one of the finalists in the senior category.
It’s a testament to just how talented Sharpe was during his playing career that he’s going into the Hall of Fame despite only playing seven seasons. His career was shortened by a neck injury in 1994, forcing him to retire at the age of 29.
Still in those seven seasons, Sharpe racked up 595 catches and more than 8,100 yards. In five of those seasons, he went for over 1,000 yards and scored 65 touchdowns during his career.
Allen spent 14 seasons in the NFL, becoming known as one of the best defensive backs in the league. In his years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders, Allen was one of the league’s premier lockdown cornerbacks.
He ended his career with 54 interceptions – including eight that he took back for touchdowns. Thirty-four of those interceptions came during his time with the Eagles, and he remains tied for the franchise lead in picks.
Those 54 interceptions are 21st all time in NFL history.
He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and a one-time defensive player of the year in 1993.
A basketball player in college, Gates entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2003. The skills he learned on the court helped him become one of the most potent offensive threats in the NFL during his time in the league.
Gates played 16 seasons for the Chargers, spanning their time in San Diego and Los Angeles. He scored 116 touchdowns, racked up more than 11,800 yards and caught nearly a thousand passes during his career and helped redefine the tight end position.
His 116 touchdowns and 21 multi-touchdown games remain the most by a tight end in NFL history.
During his career, Gates made eight Pro Bowls and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000-09 years. He’s also a multiple time All-Pro and played until age 38, a remarkably long career in a tough position.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
