Pro Football Hall of Fame 2025 Ceremony Recap, Speech Highlights and Reaction

Sterling Sharpe, Jared Allen, Eric Allen and Antonio Gates moved fans with a series of emotional speeches as the former NFL stars were welcomed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with an enshrinement ceremony on Saturday in Canton.

Sharpe shared a moment with Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe as the pair became the first brothers both enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

"Everything I did was for an audience of one," Sharpe said about his brother, per NFL.com's speech transcript. "When you grow up in rural south Georgia, it's hard to find heroes, and I didn't want this person to look outside our own dinner table to find a role model."

Sharpe continued, after inviting his brother on stage: "The last time I was here, you said that you were the only pro football player in the Hall of Fame that could say this. That you were the second-best player in your own family. Well, I agree with that statement, but it would be an extreme privilege for you to be the only player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with two gold jackets.

"You see, you have to learn to follow before you can lead."

In addition to taking a shot at the Chicago Bears and calling the Minnesota Vikings his "home," former defensive end Jared Allen started off his own speech by telling the crowd about what motivated him to rack up 136 sacks in his NFL career.

"The pursuit of greatness, when you respect something or someone so much that you want to honor that thing or that person by being the best you can possibly be. That's why I had the NFL sack leaders taped up in my locker every season, so I could show up to work and physically see greatness, and never allow myself to feel like I arrived," Allen said, per NFL.com's transcript.

llen, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1988 and played for the team until 1994, started out his shift by cheering on the reigning Super Bowl champions.

"I'm deeply grateful for this incredible honor," the former star cornerback said. "We all share a deep love and respect for the game of football, and it transcends time and place. Football incentivizes what's special about football. The pursuit of excellence, in short, calls for everything you got. And that's what I tried to give it."

Allen continued, "These men and this game have helped me to understand that you have to possess devotion, passion and an abundance of patience."

Gates celebrated his own enshrinement by shouting out the players who helped him set the NFL record for tight ends with 116 career touchdowns.

That included quarterback Philip Rivers, who connected with Gates for 89 touchdowns during their time with the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers, as well as running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

"Phil, what we had on that football field was special," Gates told his former quarterback. "You weren't just the guy throwing the ball, you were the heartbeat of all this... We saw the game the same way. You trusted me, and I trusted you. And that trust led to some of the best moments of my career. I always knew where that ball was going, Phil, and I always knew it was coming with a purpose. Philip Rivers, it was an absolute pleasure to have played with you."

To Tomlinson, Gates said, "Sharing that field with you, man, was like watching poetry in motion... every Sunday, I felt lucky to be on the same side as No. 21."

The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined its charter class in 1963. The Hall had celebrated 371 players prior to the Class of 2025's enshrinement.

The players will follow up the enshrinement ceremony with an autograph session at Canton Memorial Field House on Saturday afternoon.