Sterling Sharpe, Eric Allen, Jared Allen, and Antonio Gates were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Following a drive by the Hall of Famers to make the Hall more exclusive, new regulations were implemented this year, which directly resulted in the smaller class.

NEW ORLEANS – Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Sterling Sharpe were elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the smallest induction class in 20 years following offseason rule changes meant to make the induction process more challenging.

Sharpe was chosen as a senior candidate in the voting announced Thursday night at the NFL Honors, making him the first sibling to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame. This season, Eli Manning, the two-time MVP of the Super Bowl, will not be playing in Canton, Ohio, like his brother Peyton. In contrast to past years when at least seven people were admitted, the induction ceremony will now take place on August 2.

There were just four inductees in the 2005 class, compared to three or four in 18 previous years since the first class of 17 was admitted in 1963.

The smaller class was a direct result of new rules that were put in place this year after the Hall of Famers pushed to make the Hall more exclusive.With candidates voted from 15 to 7 in the final round, the NFL Hall of Fame has changed to reflect the present day.The top three candidates then garnered 80% of the vote, with 49 people selecting five of the seven candidates. The top finisher was guaranteed entry even if they did not meet the requirements. In 2004, quarterback Kyle Gates was selected as the first-ever All-Pro. With 955 catches for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdown grabs, Gates set an NFL record for tight ends. A four-time All-Pro, Jared Allen recorded 136 sacks in his career, including a league-high 22 for Minnesota in 2011. He played his final game in 2015, when Carolina lost the Super Bowl to Denver.

As he grew older, Eric Allen never had to switch to safety and was the NFL’s top cornerback for 14 seasons. During his career, Allen was the team’s star rookie in the 1988 “Fog Bowl” and played in his final game for Oakland in the 2001 season, which is known as the “Tuck Rule.”

Allen had 54 interceptions, eight of which were recovered for touchdowns. He was chosen for the second team in two more seasons after making the first team All-Pro in 1989.

Sharpe had a brief but fruitful career with the Green Bay Packers from 1988 until 1994. He became the sixth player to win the receiving triple crown in 1992, his best season, when he set an NFL record with 108 catches for 1,461 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He set his own record with 112 catches in 1993 and led the NFL with 18 touchdown receptions in 1994 until a neck injury ended his career.