Robert Ebert once said: "Of the many imprisonments possible in our world, one of the worst must be to be inarticulate—to be unable to tell another person what you really feel." He said this in regards to the excellent film Heat, but of course it isn't limited to that context.
Making it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame unquestionably requires talent, work ethic, and passion for the game; it's the culmination of eveything a football player has been working toward his entire career. It's the chance for a player to put that extra stamp on his career for himself and the others he's inspired, which is why it's a little disappointing if he can't do that—capturing everything it took to get to that point—in his speech.
Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter had no such problem as he gave his emotional hall of fame speech last night. He remembered Buddy Ryan cutting him from the Eagles because of his drug addiction; Wheelock Whitney and Betty Trilogy, the duo who helped him get clean; his brother Butch who inspired him not only because of his athletic accomplishments, but his accomplishments as a person; his mother, who got her Master's at the age of 50; and all the family and friends who supported him along the way.
It wasn't just about what it took to get there; it was also about the now. As Carter got enshrined into the Hall of Fame, so did all of his supporters: "Sit down mama, you're in the Hall of Fame." Touching stuff. He ended the speech by letting us know he was still Buckeye proud.
Check out the emotional speech above.
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[via YouTube]
