Last week: new members of the NFL Hall of Fame 2025
7 february 2025 в 20:13
The next class of the Professional Football Hall of Fame was announced on Thursday night during the NFL Honors show in New Orleans. Former players, some of whom have been waiting for over ten years, will finally be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, this summer.
Learn more about the requirements for candidates to be included in the Professional Football Hall of Fame, who made it into the class, and more below.
According to the Professional Football Hall of Fame website, any fan can nominate a player, coach, or contributor associated with professional football by writing to the Hall of Fame. The only requirement is that the player or coach must have been retired for at least five years to be considered a candidate. There is no mandatory retirement period for contributors.
The 50-member Selection Committee of the Professional Football Hall of Fame is tasked with ensuring that only the best personalities of the game are included in the Hall of Fame.
New rules were implemented this year after pressure from the Hall of Fame to make it more exclusive, resulting in a smaller class for 2025.
Four players were announced as new inductees into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2025: Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, Sterling Sharpe, and Eric Allen.
Jared was a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Chiefs, Vikings, and Bears, finishing his career with 136 sacks. He led the league with 22 sacks in 2011 while playing for the Vikings, and had 15.5 sacks to lead the league again in 2007 with the Chiefs. He reached double-digit sacks in seven consecutive seasons during his career.
Antonio only played basketball in college before becoming one of the best tight ends in the NFL after being drafted by the Chargers. He was named the league’s best player in just his second season in 2004 and went on to make seven consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He spent his entire 16-year career with the Chargers, finishing with 955 receptions, 11,841 yards, and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown catches.
Sterling, who now joins his younger brother Shannon Sharpe, had a brief but impactful career, playing only seven seasons in the NFL. He received five Pro Bowl invitations and was named the best player three times. As a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, he led the NFL in receptions in 1989, 1992, and 1993, as well as in touchdowns twice, including his final season in 1994 when he recorded 18 touchdowns.
Eric played 14 seasons as a top cornerback in the NFL, spending time with the Eagles, Raiders, and Saints. He finished his career with 54 interceptions, including eight returned for touchdowns. Eric was named the league’s best player in 1989 and was twice named the second best player in other seasons.
According to ESPN, this year’s class is the smallest since 2005 when Dan Marino, Steve Young, Fritz Pollard, and Benny Friedman were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In his first year of eligibility, two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning unfortunately was not included in the Hall of Fame this year. His brother Peyton was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Other notable absences included Adam Vinatieri, Terrell Suggs, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith Sr., and Marshall Yanda
Learn more about the requirements for candidates to be included in the Professional Football Hall of Fame, who made it into the class, and more below.
According to the Professional Football Hall of Fame website, any fan can nominate a player, coach, or contributor associated with professional football by writing to the Hall of Fame. The only requirement is that the player or coach must have been retired for at least five years to be considered a candidate. There is no mandatory retirement period for contributors.
The 50-member Selection Committee of the Professional Football Hall of Fame is tasked with ensuring that only the best personalities of the game are included in the Hall of Fame.
New rules were implemented this year after pressure from the Hall of Fame to make it more exclusive, resulting in a smaller class for 2025.
Four players were announced as new inductees into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2025: Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, Sterling Sharpe, and Eric Allen.
Jared was a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Chiefs, Vikings, and Bears, finishing his career with 136 sacks. He led the league with 22 sacks in 2011 while playing for the Vikings, and had 15.5 sacks to lead the league again in 2007 with the Chiefs. He reached double-digit sacks in seven consecutive seasons during his career.
Antonio only played basketball in college before becoming one of the best tight ends in the NFL after being drafted by the Chargers. He was named the league’s best player in just his second season in 2004 and went on to make seven consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He spent his entire 16-year career with the Chargers, finishing with 955 receptions, 11,841 yards, and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown catches.
Sterling, who now joins his younger brother Shannon Sharpe, had a brief but impactful career, playing only seven seasons in the NFL. He received five Pro Bowl invitations and was named the best player three times. As a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, he led the NFL in receptions in 1989, 1992, and 1993, as well as in touchdowns twice, including his final season in 1994 when he recorded 18 touchdowns.
Eric played 14 seasons as a top cornerback in the NFL, spending time with the Eagles, Raiders, and Saints. He finished his career with 54 interceptions, including eight returned for touchdowns. Eric was named the league’s best player in 1989 and was twice named the second best player in other seasons.
According to ESPN, this year’s class is the smallest since 2005 when Dan Marino, Steve Young, Fritz Pollard, and Benny Friedman were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In his first year of eligibility, two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning unfortunately was not included in the Hall of Fame this year. His brother Peyton was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Other notable absences included Adam Vinatieri, Terrell Suggs, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith Sr., and Marshall Yanda
© Kolganov Andrey
