The NFL’s annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place last weekend, and seven players were given a bronze bust and the coveted golden jacket during an extra-long ceremony in Canton, Ohio.
The ceremony ended around midnight thanks mostly to the inductees’ speeches, prompting Class of 2014 member Michael Strahan to quip that he and his fellow players should be considered for the 2015 class.
But the speeches weren’t all levity. Each year only seven players enter the Hall in Canton, after being voted on by a 46-person Board of Selectors largely comprised of sports writers, and that’s only after the five-year post-retirement grace period for the players.
But it’s never a sure thing. Some players, like this year’s Ray Guy, the first punter to ever be inducted, have been waiting decades for their just desserts.
Needless to say, the Hall of Fame ceremony evokes all kinds of emotions from the inductees, the most common one being humility and recognition of those who inspired them to be the best:
It all shows that greatness doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you have good mentors, coaches, and a support system of people who believe in what you’re doing.
When we talk about inspired relationships bringing out the best in people, the NFL Hall of Fame is a prime example.
They say if you don’t know if you’re a leader, look behind you. If no one is following you, it means you just went for a walk by yourself.
Every one of these players brought more than themselves up to the podium — they brought everyone who stood behind them along the way.
[View highlights from all of the 2014 Hall of Fame speeches here.}
This was originally published on the Michael C. Fina blog.
