‘Time always reveals the truth’: Ex-Raiders CB elected to Hall of Fame

Former Raiders defensive back Eric Allen was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the organization announced Thursday.

Allen spent the final four seasons of his career with the Raiders from 1998-2001. He played in 58 games with the team and recorded 15 interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns.

The 59-year-old played for the Eagles his first seven years in the NFL, then spent three seasons with the Saints. Allen was selected to the Pro Bowl six times and finished with 54 career interceptions.

Allen is the 31st former Raider to be elected to the Hall of Fame and the sixth defensive back, along with Willie Brown, Mike Haynes, Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott.

Allen will be joined in the class by defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and receiver Sterling Sharpe.

The four-person class is the smallest since 2005 following offseason rule changes meant to make the Hall of Fame more exclusive.

This was Allen’s 19th year of eligibility, so time was of the essence. Modern-era category players have 20 years of eligibility once they become available for consideration five years after they retire.

After 20 years, they become seniors committee candidates. Because of the high volume of players in that category, it is then much more difficult to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

“Rarely does life play out like you want it to,” Eric Allen said. “There’s always some curves and bends. But time always reveals the truth. … It took maybe time for people to see the complexity of my situation.”

Sharpe got in as a seniors candidate and will join younger brother Shannon as the first siblings ever inducted into the Hall. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning fell short and won’t join older brother Peyton in Canton, Ohio, this year.

Shannon delivered the news directly to Sterling, and they will be together forever at the Hall after the induction ceremony Aug. 2.

“I don’t think that has really set in yet,” Sterling Sharpe said. “It’s one of those situations where the closer it gets to having the same color jacket he has and standing in same place he stood and being able to have a (conversation) about the journey to get there I think it will set in. But right now it hasn’t hit home yet.”

Gatesbecame an All-Pro in just his second season in 2004. He was an All-Pro again the next two seasons and went on to have a 16-year career with the Chargers. Gates finished with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions. He ranks seventh all-time in TD catches.

Jared Allen was a four-time All-Pro who finished his career with 136 sacks, including a league-leading 22 in 2011 for Minnesota. He also led the league in sacks with 15½ for Kansas City in 2007 and reached double digits in seven straight seasons.

Sharpe starred for the Green Bay Packers from 1988-94 before a neck injury cut his career short. His best season came in 1992, when he became the sixth player to win the receiving triple crown, setting an NFL record with 108 catches for 1,461 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X. The Associated Press contributed to this story.