“To be selected now as the 28thNFL head coach to be put in this position to accept a Hall of Fame honor as a football coach is an expectation I never, ever held high in my life at any time. Two years ago, I started hearing rumors. And I said, ‘Well, maybe sometime it’ll happen, I don’t know.’ But, you know, I just never put myself in the same category of those other 27 coaches, so I am deeply in debt to so many contributors to my career. In fact, I’m so in debt to so many people, in the time that they allotted me to speak, I won’t be able to cover all the bases adequately.”
“Head coach, in training camp, left training camp, flew here to say congratulations to me personally last night. I have never had, in my coaching career, a better display of respect for someone else in the profession that you are in than what Andy Reid did for me last night. It will always touch me. Thank you.”
“In closing, let me say I will forever be appreciative and grateful for this honor. And about the only thing that will make me feel a little better about me standing here as the 28thNFL Hall of Fame football coach is when I see Mike Holmgren come in, when I see Dan Reeves come in, when I see Marty Schottenheimer come in, when I see Mike Shanahan come in, when I see Tom Coughlin come in, when I see George Seifert come in, when I see Don Coryell come in. Because, believe me, if I deserve it, so do they.”
“Thank all you Hall of Famers. Harold Carmichael, where are you buddy? Hey, we’re hooked at the hip. Kurt Warner, his story is true. Where would I be without Kurt Warner? I wouldn’t be standing here. So, gosh, thank you for the contributions all you guys made.”