Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers Among Semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

The former All-Pro players headline this year's class of semifinalists.

Chargers legend Antonio Gates and three-time All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers headline the list of 25 modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024.

The Hall of Fame narrowed its list to 25 on Tuesday from the 173 nominees that were announced in September. Both Gates and Peppers—who last played in the 2018 season—earned nods as semifinalists in their first year of eligibility.

Former Giants running back Tiki Barber also earned semifinalist recognition in his first opportunity. Of the other 22 semifinalists, eight finished among the top 15 in 2023 class. The other semifinalists for this year include Eric Allen, Anquan Boldin, Jahri Evans, London Fletcher, Eddie George, James Harrison, Rodney Harrison, Robert Mathis, Steve Smith Sr., Fred Taylor, Hines Ward, Ricky Watters, Reggie Wayne and Vince Wilfork.

Chargers great Antonio Gates is a semifinalist in his first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame :: Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports

During his NFL tenure, Gates became one of the league’s most premier tight ends. Gates, who went undrafted out of Kent State and switched to football after his college basketball career, spent 16 seasons in the league. He finished his career with 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and a league record 116 touchdowns. The only other tight ends to have more yards or catches that Gates are Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez.

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Peppers played basketball and football at North Carolina before becoming one of the NFL’s signature defensive linemen. In 17 seasons, Peppers played for the Panthers, Bears and Packers, where he tallied 159.5 sacks and registered 10 seasons with double-digit sack numbers.

Bruce Smith and Reggie White, two Hall of Famers, are the only two who have more campaigns with double-digit sacks than Peppers.

The semifinalists will be narrowed to 15 finalists before the committee holds its final voting process in January 2024. The 15 finalists will then be reduced to 10 and then to five, with the final five needing 80% of the committee’s vote to enter the Hall of Fame.