Eight NFL legends were inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame Saturday night. Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Charles Haley, Will Shields, Mick Tingelhoff, Bill Polian and Ron Wolf all earned the dubious honor of taking center stage in Canton, Ohio, but it was the posthumous dedication to Junior Seau that stole the show.
Take the Under on The Patriots in 2015
Below is a full recap and reaction of Saturday’s events.
Sydney Seau Honors Her Father
Honoring her father in a video tribute, Sydney Seau captured the character of a linebacking legend in just a few words.
"He was just a light in general," Seau said of her father, per NFL.com. “His energy was contagious, everyone could feel it. Instead of just making a difference, I feel like he was the difference on the field.”
“That was the person that he was."
Ron Wolf on his impact in Green Bay: “I was fortunate enough to be able to hire Mike Holmgren, trade for Brett Favre, sign Reggie White and because of those three people, plus an excellent supporting cast, the Packers started to become a force once again in the NFL after over two decades of mediocrity."
Remember negotiating with Bill Polian as a young agent. That was a truly intimidating experience. #PFHOF15
— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) August 9, 2015
Bill Polian on his love for football: “Football is the ultimate team game. At every club, we had a special group of dedicated professionals, trainers, doctors, equipment men, videographers, groundskeepers, security, clerical, and public relations staff. I'm grateful to every one of them."
Charles Haley on his depression entering the NFL: "[I was a] 22-year-old man with a 16-year-old inside of me asking for help."
Mick Tingelhoff’s Silence
Mick Tingelhoff allowed his former quarterback Fran Tarkenton do the speaking for him Saturday night.
“Mick's a man of little words, but a lot of action,” Tarkenton said. "I never knew Mike Tingelhoff to have a bad day."
Sam Shields on being a difference maker: "When the opportunity presents itself in your life, choose to be the difference-maker in this village."
Tim Brown on his former college head coach Lou Holtz: "[Lou] had more confidence in me than I had in myself."
During Tim Brown's speech, the Raiders were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs
— Evil Mike Tomlin (@EvilMikeTomlin) August 9, 2015
Jerome Bettis
With the Steelers opening the preseason in Sunday’s Hall of Fame Game, Bettis was a safe bet for Saturday’s curtain call. Carrying the sixth-most rushing yards in NFL history, The Bus declared Canton—like most cities across America—Steeler country.
"We've got to get one thing understood here tonight,” Bettis said. “We're in Canton, but this is Steeler country!”
Bettis went on to thank his wife, asking her to rise and added: “[Thank you] for allowing me to live my dream.”
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