Former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates found out on Thursday that he was not selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024. He spent the next day in Las Vegas talking to the media about his disappointment.
“I feel like I let the people who went through the journey with me down,’’ Gates told USA Today. “You know, like your family. The people who understands what’s beneath the surface, all the work you put in, the coaching staffs, the players who played with you. They’re like, ‘What?’ So I think that’s one of those things where you think, man, in due time we’ll get there, man.’’
Gates came to Las Vegas hoping to be on the stage at NFL Honors with this year’s Hall of Fame class.
“I think the disheartening part of when you don’t make it is is that you made it so close,’’ he said. “It’s like getting to the championship and losing. But how you handle it moving forward is the most important thing.’’
Some voters held it against Gates that he served a four-game suspension in 2015 for a failed performance-enhancing drug test. Others may have simply felt he wasn’t as great a player as those who were chosen this year. Gates will now hope to make it into the Class of 2025, and have something different to talk about during Super Bowl week next year.