(Township) DeMarcus Ware received his Super Bowl ring after leaving the Cowboys for the Denver Broncos. He had done well enough in Dallas to already earn his golden jacket.
The star linebacker was one of nine inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Ware spoke of the difficult environment he grew up in in Alabama, having once been threatened with a gun to the head during his time at Troy University. He thanked his mother for providing for his family as a single mother and he also forgave his father for being absent.
“I was blinded by my surroundings as a child. It was domestic violence, drugs and gangs. But those who were close to me taught me to never give up, to push my limits and not give up, Ware said. You are the product of what you think, of your own mind, and you must learn to persevere. »
A first-round pick in 2005, Ware broke a Cowboys record with 117 sacks in nine seasons. He had 21.5 more in three seasons with the Broncos.
After frustrating playoff failures with the Cowboys, Ware got a call from Peyton Manning, inviting him to join the Broncos in 2014. He played a key role when the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl a year later.
“My teammates were invincible and I’m proud to be part of that legacy,” said Ware, who had two sacks in the 24-10 win over the Panthers.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave the introductory speech for Ware, who was in his second year of eligibility.
“He’s a rare blend of physical ability and very, very, very high character,” Jones said.
Zach Thomas, a former star linebacker with the Miami Dolphins, opened the ceremony in front of late New York Jets and Cleveland Browns fans who wanted to hear speeches from Darrelle Revis, Joe Klecko and Joe Thomas.
Zach Thomas, who is five-foot-11, is only the third linebacker under six feet to be inducted into the football hall of fame. He notably thanked coach Jimmy Johnson, his former teammates Dan Marino and Jason Taylor as well as the rival supporters who motivated him by shouting insults at him. He was overcome with emotion as he spoke of Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau, who took his own life in 2012.
“When I was 2 years old, I was hit by a van,” Thomas said. Do you know what saved my life that day? The gravel. If it had been a paved road, I wouldn’t be here.
“You could say it took me several gravel roads to get here. »
Thomas was introduced by Johnson, who selected him in the fifth round of the 1996 draft.
“I’ve drafted, recruited and managed 17 Hall of Fame players,” Johnson said. Among them, Zach is the one who worked the hardest. »
Revis was honored in its first year of eligibility. He was so dominant that quarterbacks eventually stopped throwing the ball in the direction of the cornerback.
He won the Super Bowl in his only season with the New England Patriots, before returning to the Jets.
“To the Jets fans, for the boos and cheers when I got 14th overall, when you burned your jerseys when I joined the Patriots, until today, I think we can say we we’ve been through a lot together,” Revis said. You expected great things from me in every game and I was happy to take on this challenge.
“Thank you for believing in me and supporting me every step of the way in my career,” he added.
Klecko was also a favorite of Jets fans, being the only player in NFL history to be invited to the Pro Bowl in three defensive line positions: winger, tackle and center tackle.
He was part of the “New York Sack Exchange” in the 1980s, alongside Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.
Former Browns tackle Joe Thomas received the warmest welcome, as many “Dawg Pound” fans sported his number 73 jersey.
He set a record by playing 10,363 straight games before tearing his triceps in 2017, which ended his career.
“This number 10,363 is close to my heart. Not just because it’s an NFL record, but because it shows I was there for my brothers 10,363 times in a row,” Thomas said. It means to me loyalty, consistency and being there for someone else. »
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ken Riley was inducted three years after his death. He had 65 interceptions in 15 seasons, all with the Bengals.
Chuck Howley, the only Super Bowl MVP on the losing team, was inducted 50 years after playing his last game. The 87-year-old former Cowboys linebacker was unable to attend the ceremony.
Longtime Chargers coach Dan Coryell was honored posthumously.
