NEW ORLEANS — San Diego Chargers fans have a reason to celebrate again.
The Chargers moved to Los Angeles after the 2016 season, leaving their San Diego fans with heartache and old memories. Many of those memories include tight end Antonio Gates, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his second time on the ballot. He was part of the 2025 class, which was announced Thursday at NFL Honors.
The rest of the class included four-time All-Pro pass rusher Jared Allen, who spent most of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings; five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and former Green Bay Packer Sterling Sharpe; six-time Pro Bowl cornerback and longtime Philadelphia Eagle Eric Allen;
Gates played 14 of his 16 seasons in San Diego and his final two in Los Angeles, picking up 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro and a member of the All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
Gates' Hall of Fame story is incredible when considering the often-told tale that he did not play college football. He played basketball at Eastern Michigan for a year and then two seasons at Kent State. In his final basketball season he averaged 20.6 points per game. That athleticism translated well to the NFL.
