The Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomed four more legends on Saturday in Canton, Ohio, concluding a historic week as fans, media and countless greats of the game came out to honor the hallowed halls' newest class.
Here are highlights from the Class of 2025's speeches and enshrinements:
Jared Allen
"In marketing and branding, there's a concept called sell your why. The 'what' is your product. There's a million what's in this world. But the 'why' is what makes you different. The why is your long game. It's what drives you to get up and take whatever steps necessary to achieve your goal. My why can be summed up with three things: fear, respect and the pursuit of greatness."
"When I talk about fear, I'm not talking about that type of fear that cripples you and makes you avoid something. I'm talking about that healthy fear of failure. That fear that motivates you to do whatever you can to succeed. That type of fear that lets you get knocked down and then realize you don't want to get knocked down again, so you pick yourself up, your learn and improve. And respect, I've only played this game for two reasons. The respect of my peers and the respect of those who came before me. I will never forget the day I got an email from Jack Youngblood telling me that he thought I played the game the right way. That to me is worth more than any All-Pro I've ever gotten. And 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. Now, I apply this why to everything in my life."
"This jacket is a direct reflection of all of you who have poured into my life and my career. I might be the one wearing this jacket, but I hope every time you see this jacket you see yourself."
"The Panthers, thank you for making the trade and allowing me to finish my career with my hand in the dirt and being able to play in Super Bowl 50 in my hometown."
"The Bears, eh, well, I'm teasing. When you blow your back out, catch pneumonia, only have five sacks, I don't think they were too happy either. But you cannot have the game of football without the Halas family, so thank you so much."
"To the Chiefs, I cannot thank the Hunt family enough for making an eight-year-old's dream come true. To be drafted to such a historic franchise was absolutely incredible. And I'll never forget the embraces the great Lamar Hunt would give after every single game."
"And, of course, the Vikings. As a Norseman by blood, because I am Norwegian, it was only fitting I became a Viking. … The entire Wilf family, I don't think I can every truly express the depths of my gratitude to your entire organization. I'm a firm believer that God puts people in your life at the appropriate times, and what you did for the growth of my career, and more importantly, the people that you surrounded me with in that organization helped me grow as a man, that is why I will forever call the Vikings my home."
Sterling Sharpe
"One of my tremendous leaders, my first position coach when I got to the Green Bay Packers, his name was Buddy Geis. … Buddy Geis didn't teach me how to catch or to run a route. He reiterated the importance of family. He loved us enough in the wide receiver room that he had us over to his house."
"After my time with Buddy Geis in Green Bay, he turned me over to Sherm Lewis. You have to learn to follow before you can lead, and what Sherm Lewis taught me is when I got into the west coast offense, to understand why we call certain plays. And when I was understanding the why, I was able, under Sherm's tutelage, to lead the NFL in catches, yards and touchdowns. I didn't even know what that meant. Because I was learning from a guy who had coached the greatest receiver to ever play, Sherm Lewis loved me so much that he did me the biggest favor, he never mentioned Jerry Rice and he never mentioned me in the same sentence. So, I never felt like I was in Jerry Rice's shadow."
"What Jon Gruden taught me was probably the thing that took my game to its highest heights. And that was don't study defenses, don't study defensive backs. Study other receivers. Under Jon Gruden's tutelage, I never ran a route as me those two years. If Michael Irvin and the Dallas Cowboys played Pittsburgh, that week I was Michael Irvin. I tried to copy all his mannerisms. If Tim Brown and the Oakland Raiders played Kansas City that week and I was playing Kansas City, I was Tim Brown. You see, when you learn to follow, you'll find out how quickly you become a leader."
"The only reason I'm standing here, the only reason I told you all those stories, everything I did athletically -- everything -- I did for an audience of one. I didn't care what was written, said, thought, talked about, prayed about. Everything I did was for an audience of one. 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. Since I only got about two and a half minutes left, I'm going to do this thing the right way. As one half of the first brothers selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, [Shannon Sharpe], you got to come up here and stand next to me, my man. It's so wonderful to be able to experience love and appreciation from my family, but ladies and gentlemen, this is why I play football. This is why I got out of bed. It wasn't work. It was because of this right here."
To brother Shannon Sharpe, after calling him to 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."
Eric Allen
"I'm deeply grateful for this incredible honor. 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."
"Thank you to the legend Buddy Ryan for drafting me in 1998. It was an honor to wear those Kelly Greens and represent the city of brotherly love. Whether it was Buddy's boys or Bud Carson's Gang Green, we did so much damage on the football field. All of Eagles guys, we had just an outstanding defensive team. … Just a tremendous team in Philadelphia that will always hold a special part in our lives. I grew up there in Philadelphia."
"Jeffery Lurie's not here today, but I want to give a special gratitude to the Philadelphia Eagles organization and a tremendous football team that they put on the football field this year. I want to say, 'Fly, Eagles, Fly.'"
"I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Benson for the opportunity to join the Saints and play in the great city of New Orleans. I truly appreciate you guys giving me the opportunity to wear that jersey."
"In 1998, the Hall of Famer iconic man, Al Davis, and Jon Gruden, convinced me that joining the Oakland Raiders would be the perfect culmination of my career. They were absolutely correct. On that team, I played with tremendous coaches and tremendous players. Hall of Fame coaches, Willie Brown, Freddie B. Biletnikoff. Outstanding players, Charles Woodson, Timmy Brown, Jerry Rice. That was a culmination of outstanding football players, and we wanted to make sure the Raiders were able to come back and be a huge presence in Oakland. So I appreciate the Davis family for welcoming me in, and Raider nation, thank you."
"To all my brother in laws and guys in the family, I know I raised the bar kind of high. You'll never be able to win an argument now. But it's important to know it's about living a full life. Living a life that you want to respect everyone around you. Have an outstanding, full and better life, like my dad Earl did, like my father in law, Dapper Dan. That's what it's about, living that type of life."
"Lynn Marie, you're perfect in my eyes. Words can't express how much you mean to me and the family. For all the times I forgot to say I love you and you're beautiful, I love you and you're beautiful. You've had my back since day one. Fifteen years old. You've been there behind me. I love you always and forever."
Antonio Gates
"As I stand here I'm overwhelmed, not just by the honor of this moment, but by the journey I had to travel to get here. You see, this gold jacket, it doesn't really just represent the game of football. It represents my family, it represents my faith, it represents my sacrifice, and a whole bunch of love from all of y'all out here."
"Mom, I watched you raise five kids and never complain. You believed in me before I could believe in myself. You gave me everything, mom. You gave me time, you gave me love, you gave me wisdom. Oh yeah, you gave me a lot of whoppings, too, mom. I just want you to know that I carried it with me every step of my career."
"To my father, my father passed away earlier this year. I know he's smiling down, watching, bragging on his son. But my father taught me how to be a man, taught me strength, taught me toughness. Although this bust might have my name on it, make no mistake about it, it has my father's fingerprints, his legacy and spirit. I am who I am today because of my father. So, dad, rest in peace and I love you."
"To my kids, my babies, you're my everything. Every choice I make, everything I do, I carry you with me. I said I wasn't gonna cry, but you're my heartbeat. You taught me more about love and patience and purpose than I ever learned about playing football or in the playbook."
"To all the kids out there that's surrounded with gang violence and drugs, and you want to make something out of your life, well I'm living proof. If you stay focused, stay on the right path, you got heart, you got hustle and never stop believing, anything is possible."
"Kent State, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Kent State is where I learned how to take my raw talent and turn it into much more. Kent is also where I learned how to lead and represent something bigger than myself."
"I also want to take this time to thank the legends, the tight ends who paved the way. Tight ends like Mike Ditka, Charlie Sanders, John Mackey, Kellen Winslow Sr., Ozzie Newsome, thank you legends for pushing the position and giving me a lane that I was fortunate enough to walk."
"To Mr. Dean Spanos and the Spanos family and the whole entire Chargers organization, I want to say thank you for allowing me to represent the franchise for so many years and believing in me. You've treated me like family, Mr. Spanos and the Spanos family, and trust me when I tell you, as players, that's what matters the most. I will never forget, I am forever grateful and I will continue to represent the Chargers and the Bolts with honor and integrity."
"To my Chargers teammates, the guys I went to battle with every Sunday, we pushed each other, we challenged each other, we picked each other up through it all. … You wasn't just good players, you were great people. Thank you all for holding me accountable. We've created a bond that will last a lifetime."
"Philip Rivers. Phil, what we had on that football field was special. You wasn't just the guy throwing the ball, you were the heartbeat of the offense. Your fire, your passion, your IQ was unmatched. 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, and I always knew it was coming with a purpose. Philip Rivers, it was an absolute pleasure to have played with you."
"Now, of course, I've got to show love to one of the greatest to ever do it and one of the greatest football players to ever play. Hey, LT, sharing that field with you, man, was like poetry in motion. You set the standard, not just by how you played, but how you prepared. I learned by just watching. And every Sunday, I felt lucky to be on the same side as number 21. Thank you, LT, not just because you're a Hall of Fame player -- because you're a Hall of Fame teammate."
"To the city of Los Angeles, thank you for welcoming me with open arms and allowing me to write the final chapter in my career."
"To the city of San Diego, you embraced me, you supported me. San Diego is where I first became a Charger, where I first became a tight end, where I first became a father. I will never forget running out of Qualcomm Stadium and seeing all that powder blue. I felt the love, I felt the energy, I felt the belief. San Diego, you will always have my heart. No matter where I live in the world, San Diego will always be home."
"Football is the ultimate team game, and I didn't get here alone. I'm standing here today because of people who have poured into me. And what I've learned through it all, a kid from Detroit, to San Diego, living in Los Angeles right now, had it not been for sports, I probably would've never crossed paths with half of you here. That's why sports is such a great reminder to us as humans that we're not as divided as people may think. We're more than just black or white, rich or poor. That's why it's important for us to keep pushing unity to make this country a better place."
