by The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Village host their annual Enshrinement Week from July 29th through Aug. 3rd. Today, this world-class celebration continued as four new “Heroes of the Game” were enshrined in Canton, Ohio’s Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Let’s meet the four members of the Class of 2025 presented by Visual Edge IT
Eric Allen
Eric Allen played college football for Arizona State University, where the former Sun Devil was a standout cornerback on the field, being selected 30th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1988. Allen put together a Hall of Fame resume in the NFL, playing 14 seasons and being selected to six Pro Bowls during his career with the Eagles, Saints, and Raiders. In his 14 seasons, Allen earned second-team All-Pro honors twice (1989, 1993) and finished with 54 interceptions for 826 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2019, he served as the defensive back coach for the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He was named to the Philadelphia Eagles’ 75th Anniversary team in 2007 and inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jared Allen
Jared Allen was a force of nature who controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the early 2000s and 2010s. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Idaho State Bengal earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2004 before starting a 12-year Hall of Fame career in the NFL. Allen played for the Kansas City Chiefs (2004-2007), Minnesota Vikings (2008-2013), and the Chicago Bears/Carolina Panthers in 2014. He captured the NFL sack title in 2007 when he was traded to the Vikings and recorded seven consecutive seasons with 11 sacks or more. The 6’6” 270 lbs linebacker forced 31 fumbles, 136 sacks, and four safeties on pace to his Hall of Fame career. Allen was named an All-Pro four times and selected to five Pro Bowls. He was the embodiment of the “Vikings” image throughout the mid-2000s in his six years wearing the purple and yellow.
Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates took a different path to professional football and holds one of the most unique paths to Canton. Gates went undrafted out of Kent State University, where he was a standout basketball player for the Golden Flashes. Going undrafted in 2003 by the San Diego Chargers, there were modest expectations in the NFL for the former 6’3” power forward. Gates had a strong junior year, averaging 16 points and 8.1 rebounds, leading the Golden Flashes to their first conference championship. Despite Gates having a statistically dominating senior year where he averaged over 20 points per game, his professional basketball career seemed limited, which led him to take a stab at professional football. Gates would go on to sign with the Chargers and become one of the most feared tight ends in NFL history. He became the Chargers’ all-time leader in catches (955) and yards (11,841), and touchdowns (116) over his 16-year Hall of Fame career. Gates is one of only two tight ends to score 100+ touchdowns in his career and currently stands seventh all-time in receiving touchdowns regardless of position. The Hall of Fame Charger had three All-Pro honors and was selected to eight Pro Bowls. Antonio Gates was considered one of the best redzone targets in the game, if not the best we’ve ever seen.
Sterling Sharpe
Sterling and Sharron Sharpe became the first two brothers to be selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Wide receiver Sterling Sharpe played his college football at the University of South Carolina, where he was a two-time All-American and is fourth all-time in receiving yards. After being selected in the first round by the Green Bay Packers, his presence was immediately felt both on the field and in the team’s historical books. Sharpe was named to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team after his record-breaking year in 1994, recording a career-high 18 touchdowns in his final season. In just seven years, Sharpe was very productive, combining for 65 total touchdowns and 8,134, earning three All-Pro nods and being selected to five Pro Bowls.
Each of these Hall of Famers will forever be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, AKA “Football Heaven”!
