Praise the ‘Minister’
CANTON, Ohio – The glory of the newest Hall of Famers’ achievements was punctuated by a steady stream of tears and a chant:
“REG-GIE, REG-GIE.”
Though a fair share of the crowd sported No. 8 jerseys in tribute to Troy Aikman, their passion Saturday was reserved for the late Reggie White. The two joined Warren Moon, John Madden, Rayfield Wright and Harry Carson as the newest inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Nearly all of them choked up or cried during the four-hour ceremony, even the usually unflappable Aikman. Most poignant was the way White, also an ordained preacher who died in December 2004, was honored.
His son, Jeremy, was White’s presenter, and his widow, Sara, made the acceptance speech. Both crying, they shared a long hug after unveiling Reggie’s bust before a rapt audience.
“Reggie was an honest, humble, honorable, dedicated, determined, passionate and caring man,” Sara White said. “He is inducted today not only because of his athletic achievements, but because he was a great player on the field in accordance with being a great person throughout life.”
Often, the fans chanted White’s name. It didn’t matter if they were dressed in Green Bay Packers or Philadelphia Eagles green – a collection of current Eagles, including Donovan McNabb, sat in the crowd wearing White’s No. 92 – or even Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants or Houston Oilers blue, or Oakland Raiders black.
They all stood and cheered for the Minister of Defense, including Aikman, Dallas’ three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback.
“I, too, am saddened by the absence of Reggie White, a great player and a man who left us too soon,” Aikman said. “It’s an honor to be a member of the Hall of Fame class that includes five men I have so much admiration and respect for. They played the game the way it should be played, and John Madden coached the game the same way.”
Aikman’s voice cracked as he explained his emotions:
“I was able to live a dream. I played professional football,” he said. “That I was able to do so with so many great players and coaches and win three championships and wind up here – it is almost too much to believe. I am humbled to be welcomed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
White was a two-time defensive player of the year who made 13 straight Pro Bowls. He was the career sacks leader with 198 when he retired – Bruce Smith since has passed him – and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1997.
“It’s not how we die, it’s how we live,” Sara White said. “I encourage you to live like Reggie lived. His legacy will live on through you.”
Aikman won 90 games in the 1990s, the most by any quarterback in one decade. The top overall pick in the 1989 draft, he guided the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in four seasons and made six Pro Bowls.
Moon became the first black quarterback in the Hall. The only one of the inductees not to win an NFL title, he captured five straight Grey Cups for the Edmonton Eskimos after being undrafted out of the University of Washington.
“I was not really invited to the combine and no coaches came out to give me workouts,” Moon said. “It was a foregone conclusion quarterback was not in my future in the NFL, but changing positions was. I was going to play quarterback and I was looking for somebody who would let me do that.
“Thank you, Canada.”
Moon came back to the United States as a free agent in 1984 and spent 10 seasons in Houston’s run-and-shoot offense. He also played for Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City in 17 NFL seasons and passed for more than 70,000 yards (more than 42 miles) before he retired at age 44.
It took nearly a quarter century for Madden to make it to the Canton shrine. When the moment came Saturday, he got “goofy.”
“I started thinking about this after I was voted to the Hall of Fame, and now I know,” said Madden, elected by the senior committee for a 103-32-7 coaching record, no losing seasons and the 1977 Super Bowl championship. “At night, when the fans and visitors all leave, then the workers start to leave, then just one person turns out the light, locks the door, and I believe the busts talk to each other. And I can’t wait for that conversation.
“We’ll be there forever and ever talking about whatever. That’s what I believe will happen and no one is ever going to talk me out of that.”
Carson gave his presenter, son Donald, a long hug before addressing the crowd. Donald Carson suffers from a rare blood disorder.
“This isn’t about me, this is about my family,” Carson said. “I am so thankful my son presented me this afternoon. He is definitely a man. He’s been through so much in the last seven months, more than I could ever have gone through. I never knew needles could be so long.”
Wright cited the poem “The Road Not Taken” for inspiring his career.