Newest Hall of Famers thrive in first news conference together

Professional athletes and coaches always have maintained a love-hate relationship with news conferences.

These media sessions – being peppered relentlessly with questions about your play, the play of your team or your coach’s decisions – can be the last thing anyone wants to face, especially after a tough loss.

“You play to win the game!”

 “Playoffs?! You kidding me?!”

“I’m just here so I don’t get fined.” 

Most football fans are familiar with these quotes, even if the speaker might want us to forget who uttered the words.

Other times, athletes thrive in news conferences, constantly talking up their teammates and coaches, and sometimes pulling out their best attire. 

The best “pressers” are both informational and entertaining. They provide the public with an inside look into the mind of pro football coaches, contributors and players. 

On Feb. 6, four individuals took part in the news conference of a lifetime, a moment in which their football careers reached new heights and they embarked on a new chapter in their legacies: life as a Hall of Famer. 

Below are comments from the first formal news gathering of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 – ERIC ALLEN, JARED ALLEN, ANTONIO GATES and STERLING SHARPE – following the announcement of their names at the “NFL Honors” show in New Orleans.

Eric Allen

A man with multiple connections to Super Bowl LIX, Allen started his NFL journey as the 30th overall selection in the 1988 NFL Draft. He totaled 54 interceptions during his illustrious career that included stints in Philadelphia (seven years), New Orleans (three) and Oakland (four). His play earned him six Pro Bowl nominations and one All-Pro nod.

Allen used the word “excellence” to define what it means to be a Hall of Famer.

“It [football] has always meant an opportunity. The opportunity will present itself by one series, one play, one game, but you have to be prepared for that opportunity,” he said. 

Allen took time to reflect on what the game taught him. 

“You have to be committed. That is going to test you when those days are difficult,” he said. 

Allen knows about difficult days. He waited 19 years to be selected for the Hall of Fame.

“Rarely does life play out like you wanted it to,” he said. “Time really reveals the truth.”

Jared Allen

Coming out of Idaho State, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Allen with the 126th overall pick. He made his living with the Chiefs, Vikings, Bears and Panthers in opponents’ backfields. He totaled 136 career sacks, ranking him 12th all-time since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

Allen wasted no time explaining what it means to be in his shoes since getting his “knock” after a five-year wait. 

“Now when you are here and you understand, having so much respect for the Hall and what it represents – this is a byproduct of the love we have for the game,” he said. 

Allen said he played “for the respect of my peers and the respect of those who played before me.” 

Antonio Gates

From the hardwood to gridiron, from grabbing rebounds for Kent State to scoring touchdowns for the Chargers, the undrafted Gates worked daily to “be the best version of myself.” 

Gates ended his career leading the NFL in touchdowns for tight ends with 116 (also ranking him seventh all-time overall). He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s, a three-time All-Pro and was elected to the Pro Bowl after eight consecutive seasons. 

He understands there’s more to his life than his football accolades.

“I go into the Hall of Fame, but it doesn’t stop there,” he said. “Now I am a Hall of Fame dad.” 

Gates said he doesn’t take his election – in his second year of eligibility – for granted.

“It’s an amazing time to have the opportunity to get to this place,” he said. “Even after being first-team All-Pro, my No. 1 goal was to make the team the next year.”

Sterling Sharpe

Sometimes, the NFL journey doesn’t go unfurl as planned. That was the case for Sterling Sharpe, a top 10 draft pick in 1988 with the Green Bay Packers. In his seven NFL seasons, he was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was a three-time All-Pro, accumulating more than 8,000 receiving yards and scoring 65 touchdowns.

“When someone talked about my career, they never talked about what I did; it was what I didn’t do,” Sharpe said, but he quickly added he left the game content with his career.

“I never prayed to be here (on the Hall of Fame stage). I just wanted to play football,” said Sharpe, who joins his brother, Shannon, as the first pair of brothers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I can’t ask for anything better.” 

Consistent themes arose as the four addressed the assembled media: Commitment. Consistency. Perseverance. Determination. Grit. Hard work. Leadership. These values helped them succeed on the field: a combined 24 Pro Bowls, 11 All-Pros, 192 touchdowns, 19,975 receiving yards, 136 sacks and 60 interceptions. 

But the values each expressed individually also have made them even better people.

Four men. Four backgrounds. Four stories. And while their respective journeys are unique, they forever will be connected as the Class of 2025.

As a famous coach once said in a news conference, and the line rings true with this group: “They are who we thought they were!” 

They are the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Welcome to Canton, gentlemen.

(*Stats totaled via Pro Football Reference, ProFootballHOF.com)