So many people to acknowledge, thank and honor, and so little time to do so.
Ever since they were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame the last two Februarys, former Broncos Steve Atwater, Peyton Manning and John Lynch have spent hours finding a way to encapsulate years of memories into an eight-minute speech to be delivered on the stage in Canton, Ohio this weekend.
Atwater, a member of the Class of 2020 whose induction was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, speaks Saturday night, followed by Class of 2021 members Manning and Lynch on Sunday evening.
Atwater, Manning and Lynch outlined the challenges of writing the speech during interviews with The Denver Post this summer.
Atwater, who made eight Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls with the Broncos, will be presented by former teammate Dennis Smith.
Atwater said he spent the summer “moving stuff around” in his speech.
Asked what his message will be, Atwater laughed and said: “Hey, you’ll see when I get there.”
“I know I’ll get a chance to acknowledge a lot of people who played a special part in my life and have their names heard because it wasn’t just me playing football that got me here — it was the coaches I had the mentors, the friends, my family and my parents,” he said. “Hopefully, a lot of those people will be happy.”
Manning will be presented by his father, Archie. The only first-ballot Hall of Famer among the Broncos’ trio, Manning’s election was revealed to him Jan. 22 during a surprise meeting at the Broncos’ home stadium when former coaches Phillip Fulmer, David Cutcliffe, Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell and Gary Kubiak traveled to Denver.
“That was a really special moment,” Manning said. “It made me reflect on all of the people who have been a part of it. Since that moment, it’s been a great time going down memory lane.”
Manning said he had begun reaching out to friends, teammates and coaches this past spring to thank them for their support … and point out he can’t list every name during the speech.
“You can’t think every single person who has been a part of your football journey,” he said. “It’s impossible. So what I’ve tried to do since I got the news was call a lot of these people personally or write them a note and let them know, ‘Thanks,’ because in eight minutes, you have to generalize it in some way.”
Lynch will be presented by his son, Jake, and Arizona State coach Herm Edwards, who was Lynch’s position coach in Tampa Bay from 1996-2000. Lynch’s speech will focus on a “few things.”
“No. 1, the genuine gratitude I feel for so many people who had a hand in me being on that stage,” Lynch said. “You can’t arrive in Canton alone and so many people, whether it be my wife (Linda), my parents, all of my coaches, all my teammates and the support staffs. There are so many people that played an integral role and I truly believe that. I hope that’s reflected in my speech.
“No. 2, just the love and passion I have for this game. I love it. I loved it when I started playing and I love it today. That’s why I continue to stay around this game (as the San Francisco 49ers’ general manager). And a little bit of my faith, too. If there’s a name for speech, it’s, ‘Faith. Family. Football.’ And I will add gratitude to that. It’s a tough job with 6-8 minutes to encompass all those years of my journey, but I’m going to do my best and have a lot of fun as well.”
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August 04, 2021 at 11:14PM
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Many names, little time: Broncos-turned-Hall of Famers ready for weekend speeches - The Denver Post
"Many" - Google News
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