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Peyton Manning, the only five-time NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl winner who left the game five years ago with numerous successful records, was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame on Sunday night with others. class members. of 2021. The stadium rocked cheers from fans in Colts Blue or Broncos Orange, the two franchises he took to the top when Manning was featured.
The man who could spend seemingly endless moments switching games on the line then hit room-set time limits due to 19 acceptance speeches this weekend. The 2020 class and a special centenary class saw their consecrations delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The 2021 Induction Class wants to thank the former inductees who gave long acceptance speeches,” said Manning, who was introduced by his father, Archie, himself a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. “Forcing us to have six huge minutes to recap our footballing careers. I want to especially thank my former rival Ray Lewis for being here tonight. Ray has just finished his speech which he started in 2018.”
Two other first-time qualifiers joined Manning in this year’s class, defensive back Charles Woodson who beat Manning for the 1997 Heisman Trophy and wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Also in the class, security John Lynch, a seven-time finalist before entering; goaltender Alan Faneca, a leading tackle for 13 seasons, winning a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh and forming six All-Pro teams; coach Tom Flores, who led the Raiders to two titles; Cowboys wideout Drew Pearson, a 1970s NFL All-Decade player; and Steelers super scout Bill Nunn.
Manning thanked Tom Brady, whom he invited to the ceremony, noting that it will be 2035 before Brady, now 44, retires long enough to be dedicated.
As for the NFL itself, Manning urged everyone involved in the league to “ignite the future of the sport.” Otherwise, we are not doing football justice. It’s about nurturing football so that it can live another day, another year … The future of this game is up to us to shape.
His companions in the hall are forming quite well in the pantheon of professional football.
Flores, the first man to win the Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach, was an alternate Chiefs quarterback in the fourth Super Bowl, a John Madden Raiders assistant in the 11th, and a coach- chief when the Raiders won the 15th and 18th games.
Flores, of Mexican descent, has long become a hero to the Latino community, a symbol of success on and off the pitch. He stressed the importance of passion on the road to success.
“You can’t do it alone,” he said. “It doesn’t happen in a vacuum. A lot of people have helped me … Raider Nation is everywhere.
The same goes for Steeler Nation, especially this weekend when five members of the organization were inducted. Faneca overcame epilepsy episodes to become one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen; he takes daily pills to cope with his condition and has not had a seizure for about eight years.
“Instinctively, I knew I wasn’t going to allow anything to stop me from achieving my dream,” he said. “Epilepsy is part of me, but it doesn’t define me. We are masters of our destiny.
Woodson, who is from Ohio although he went to Michigan, began by singing praises for his mother, who introduced him.
“I love my mum, man,” Woodson said, eyes shining. “Look no further than my mom to find out where I got from: passion, hard work. It comes from my mom.
Woodson was named 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year with Oakland and won Defensive Player of the Year honors 11 years later as a Packer. He also won a Super Bowl with Green Bay.
Johnson, at just 35 – only Jim Brown and Gale Sayers were younger inductees – ended his nine-year career with 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. He explained how he has played most of his career in pain. “I still decided that I would be the most dominant receiver in the NFL,” said.
Lynch, a finalist for seven years before receiving the call, who won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay and also played for Denver for four seasons after 11 with the Bucs. He was the key to the defense of Tampa-2, a “field coach” according to former coach Tony Dungy and one of the most secure tacklers the NFL has seen.
“What a privilege to be inducted into this brotherhood,” said Lynch. “It takes a lot of conviction to get to this point. However, belief must be nurtured over and over again. One person can make a difference. I encourage each of you to be that person.
Pearson was an outstanding wide receiver for Dallas from 1973 to 1983, a three-time All-Pro who was on the NFL All-Decade Team of the Decade in the 1970s. He was the only positional player on that team. not to be in the room.
Pearson, of course, caught Roger Staubach’s winning touchdown pass in a 1975 playoff game at Minnesota who is considered the original Hail Mary. But he should be recognized for 557 catches, including the playoffs, for nearly 9,000 yards and 56 touchdowns.
“It’s not about how long it takes to get here,” Pearson said, “but more about how you expect. My expectation was supported by my faith.
The late Nunn was one of America’s foremost black sports journalists before going to work for the Steelers and exploiting historically black colleges in search of talent. He contributed as much to the Pittsburgh dynasty as the players he discovered, including Hall of Fame members John Stallworth, Mel Blount and Donnie Shell.
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