Former NFL tight end Antonio Gates was not elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot, a pretty shocking snub given his legendary career.
He'll ultimately get in, but he told USA Today's Josh Peter on Friday that he couldn't help but be disappointed.
"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."
He added that he felt like he "let the people who went through the journey with me down.