Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Sterling Sharpe have been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the smallest induction class in 20 years. This follows offseason rule changes aimed at making induction more challenging. Sterling Sharpe, who got in as a seniors candidate, will join his brother Shannon as the first siblings ever inducted into the Hall. However, two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning fell short of induction this year.
Sharpe expressed his excitement about the upcoming induction ceremony in August, where he and his brother will be forever linked in the Hall of Fame. The smaller class size this year is a departure from previous years, but not unprecedented, as there have been other years with only a few inductees.
New rules were implemented this year to make the Hall more exclusive, resulting in a smaller class. The modern era candidates were voted from 15 down to seven in the final stage, with only those receiving 80% of the vote or finishing in the top three gaining entry.
Antonio Gates, a former basketball player turned top NFL tight end, was elected in his second year of eligibility. Jared Allen, a four-time All-Pro with 136 career sacks, also made the cut. Eric Allen, a standout cornerback for 14 seasons, and Sterling Sharpe, a prolific receiver for the Green Bay Packers, complete the class.
Other finalists who fell short this year include Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri. They will automatically advance to the final 15 for next year's voting. Notable candidates who did not make the cut include Manning, Jahri Evans, Steve Smith Sr., and Terrell Suggs.
The seniors candidates who fell short were Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer, with Mike Holmgren missing out as the coach and Ralph Hay as the contributor.
