Kiszla: Why Brittany Bowlen is the heir apparent to fill void at Broncos headquarters left by the late, great Mr. B By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post August 4, 2019

Why is Brittany Bowlen the heir apparent to fill the void at Broncos headquarters left by the late, great Mr. B? The subtle signs have been apparent for decades to anyone now searching for the answer to the most important football question in Denver:

Who will be entrusted in the future with the team’s championship dreams?

Well, perhaps the first clue could be found way back in 1998, during the celebration of the team’s first Super Bowl victory.

Brittany Bowlen was a child born into Broncomania. It’s in her blood. But as the throng in Civic Center Park cheered quarterback John Elway’s successful quest for the Lombardi Trophy on that winter afternoon back in ’98, and a triumphant Pat Bowlen raised his hands in salute to the raucous crowd, a little blonde girl, no more than 8 years old at the time, stood stoically alongside the team’s owner, her arms snugly folded across her tiny chest, in a serious pose almost identical to one often struck by her father during pensive moods.

Like father, like daughter.

More than two decades after that open-air party in downtown Denver to toast victory in Super Bowl XXXII, during a break Friday in the celebration for the long-overdue induction of Mr. B to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Brittany Bowlen, now 29 years old, stood alongside the lockers in the hallways of a Canton school and confessed: “I do find myself, once in a while, being with my friends and saying: ‘Is anybody having any fun around here?’”

Before her next breath, she rushed to cover her mouth with a hand. But it was already too late to catch the words that had spilled out in the same cadence, with almost exactly the same wry inflection used to punctuate one of her father’s favorite catchphrases.

“Sometimes I feel his spirit,” Brittany Bowlen admitted. “I will say something and all of a sudden, I will think: ‘Oh, my gosh, that was him (talking). That was him.”

Like father, like daughter.

It has really been no mystery which of Patrick Dennis Bowlen’s seven children from two marriages will be entrusted to be the curator of a sports-crazy city’s most-revered civic treasure, because in this melded Broncos family, it is Brittany who has always been the most genuine chip off the old Mr. B.

Like her father, Brittany Bowlen’s sense of humor is drier than a $20 martini. Back when she was a homesick freshman at the University of Notre Dame, Mr. B talked to Brittany every single day on the telephone to ensure a smart kid didn’t let normal adolescent fears sidetrack her from bigger goals.

As a young business executive, this Ms. B is less inclined to give orders than to ask penetrating, direct questions. She doesn’t rattle sabers, but there’s definitely a steely edge to Brittany Bowlen.

“I think we all carry a piece of my dad with us,” Brittany Bowlen said. “And that is such a blessing, because I miss him so much.”

As does everyone in Broncos Country. Mr. B’s death was the first episode in what could evolve into the biggest soap opera in Denver.

How will the Broncos navigate the uncertainty and legal battles that could threaten the peace at the family Thanksgiving table, not to mention the stability of a team that won three championships during Mr. B’s tenure, without this melodrama becoming a $3 billion mess? Grab the popcorn. And pray for the best, Broncomaniacs.

I do not know why Mr. B did not save us all the grief by officially and legally designating one specific child to take his place as leader of the Broncos, particularly because the answer can be seen in every declarative sentence, important life choice and small mannerism Brittany Bowlen makes.

She is the chosen one. And the family knows it. You can even see this truth in the eyes of elder half-sibling Beth Bowlen Wallace, who has tried repeatedly and doggedly to stick her foot in the door of Mr. B’s office, only to have her advances for control of the franchise squashed by president Joe Ellis and the trustees that stubbornly insist only they will choose who will be owner/operator of the Broncos well into the 21st century.

Before a family squabble has any chance to escalate into a knock-down, drag-out fight that could very well damage the product on the field and might force a sale of the Broncos as the only reasonable solution, can a bright woman who has yet to celebrate her 30th birthday keep the family business together? Well, here’s your best clue, as well as the best reason for hope:

“We all loved to hear when my father used to say the Broncos are a community trust, and he was lucky to be the guiding leader,” Brittany Bowlen said.

Like her father, young Ms. B understands the Broncos are a family business … and the family includes the starting quarterback, the stadium ushers and every last orange die-hard that cheers every first down on sofas from Pueblo to Grand Junction and every square inch of Colorado in between.

A little more than 24 hours before longtime Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos stood Saturday night inside a high-school football stadium to present his dear, late friend for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, the guy everyone at team headquarters fondly calls “Greek” talked about Mr. B’s brave fight against Alzheimer’s disease, which ended when the owner passed away in June, at age 75.

“He handled that process of Alzheimer’s with the (same) integrity as he did doing his job,” Antonopulos said. “It was incredible.”

As Antonopulos paid tribute to Mr. B’s courage at the end of life, Brittany Bowlen stood at the right shoulder of “Greek.” Tears threatened to exit the corner of her eyes. But she did not cry. The heir apparent smiled, and tightly crossed both arms across her chest, securely cradling all the love in her heart for a dad that just happened to own the Broncos since 1984.

Like father. Like daughter.

Then. Now. Forever. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen officially joins Pro Football Hall of Fame By Ryan O’Halloran The Denver Post August 4, 2019

Less than two months after his death due to Alzheimer’s, late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen joined his sport’s immortality here Saturday night with his posthumous induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A six-minute, 47-second video presentation preceded director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos and six of Bowlen’s seven children taking the stage. Amie Klemmer, Beth Bowlen Wallace, and Patrick, Brittany, Annabel and Christanna Bowlen, each grabbed the cloth to unveil their father’s bronze bust.

Bowlen became the 16th team founder or owner to be inducted, joining contemporaries Lamar Hunt (Kansas City), Jerry Jones (Dallas), Wellington Mara (New York Giants), Eddie DeBartolo (San Francisco), Ralph Wilson (Buffalo), Al Davis (Oakland) and Dan Rooney (Pittsburgh).

Antonopulos, who was with the franchise for the entirety of Bowlen’s ownership tenure, was selected by Bowlen’s kids this spring to present him for induction.

In the video, Antonopulos and all seven Bowlen children provided memories.

“Mr. Bowlen was about football — football first, business second,” Antonopulos said. “He provided the stability our organization needed at the time.”

The video detailed Bowlen’s three Super Bowl losses before the team’s great triumphs — back-to-back titles in quarterback John Elway’s final two seasons.

“I remember running around the field (in San Diego) looking for him and when I found him, we both had tears in our eyes and hugged,” Wallace said. “It was an experience of a lifetime.”

Antonopulos said that in the post-game locker room, Bowlen told him, “Greek, we have to keep doing this. We have to keep this up.”

The Broncos did, repeating as champions.

“I was asking him about the Pro Football Hall of Fame — ‘What does it mean, Dad? Why is it such a big deal?’” Brittany Bowlen said on the video. “He said, ‘Brittany, the Hall of Fame is only where legends go; it means you were the greatest of all time.’ He was a legend. He has definitely set the bar for NFL owners.”

Antonopulos wrapped up the video by looking up with a point of the finger and saying, “Mr. B, this one’s for you.”

After the unveiling, Patrick Bowlen leaned over to kiss the bust and the kids and Antonopulos were greeted by the Broncos Hall of Famers, including Champ Bailey.

The Broncos reached the playoffs 18 times and had as many Super Bowl appearances as losing seasons (seven) under Bowlen.

Including the Class of 2019, there are 326 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Among the Broncos with gold jackets in attendance Friday at the Gold Jacket Dinner or at the induction were Elway, running back Terrell Davis, tight end Shannon Sharpe, running back Floyd Little and offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman.

On Friday, Hall of Fame president/CEO David Baker announced the Class of 2020 could include up to 20 members to honor the NFL’s 100th anniversary. The class will be split into modern-era (five), senior category (10), contributors (three) and coaches (two).

The first-year eligible class is led by safety Troy Polamalu and receiver Reggie Wayne, which could create an opening for former Broncos safety Steve Atwater and Boulder native Tony Boselli (a former tackle for Jacksonville). The expanded senior class could benefit former Broncos linebackers Randy Gradishar and Karl Mecklenburg.

Nominees for next year’s class will be announced in September. Modern-era candidates have been retired within the last 25 years.

Atwater was in attendance on Saturday, fitting considering he was one of Bowlen’s favorite players. Last year in Bowlen’s office at the Broncos’ facility in Englewood, Atwater was the only non-Hall of Fame Broncos player to have his jersey (No. 27) hung up. Atwater was one of 15 finalists this year.

Also attending the ceremony were former Broncos Super Bowl-winning coaches Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak. John Fox, who led the Broncos to the 2013 AFC title, attended the Gold Jacket Dinner on Friday.

Three current Broncos players — outside linebacker Von Miller, cornerback Chris Harris and kicker Brandon McManus — traveled from Denver for the ceremony.

Champ Bailey closes Pro Football Hall of Fame speech with strong statement on race relations By Kyle Fredrickson The Denver Post August 4, 2019

Former Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey spoke for 30 minutes and 34 seconds during his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speech on Saturday night and he saved some of his most powerful words for last.

Bailey delivered an eloquent message, through tears, to make a profound statement on race relations in America.

“Tonight, I thanked many people who supported my career and many of you are my closest friends,” Bailey said. “Some of you are also considered experts of the game as much as I am. Out of the people I mentioned tonight, most of you are black men. My brothers. Some of you are athletes and some of you are non-athletes, but we are all black men first. It’s something we have more expertise in than any aspect of our lives. I’m a firm believer that if you want to create change, you better start with your friends and your family. So I’m starting here today.

“The first thing people see when they look at me is not a Pro Football Hall of Famer or a husband or a father. They view me first as a black man. So, on behalf of all the black men that I mentioned tonight, and many more out there who’ve had the same experiences that I’ve had in my lifetime, we say this to all of our white friends: When we tell you about our fears, please listen. When we tell you we’re afraid for our kids, please listen. When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color of our skin, please listen. And please don’t get caught up in how the message is delivered. Yes, most of us are athletes, but we are black men first. Understand this. Things that make us great on the field, like our size and our aggression, are the same things that can get us killed off the field.

“I believe if we start listening, there’s no telling the progress we can make. All of us are dads, sons, brothers, your friends. We all understand that if we can’t get our friends to listen, then no one will. And to my black brothers, if you do not have anything positive to say about our social challenges, please keep your mouth shut.”

What was Pat Bowlen like on game-day? Friends and family share their memories By Ryan O’Halloran The Denver Post August 4, 2019

Stacks of gum to be chewed (nervous habit). A red land-line telephone (remember those?). Only water to drink (a glass of wine would come later). Windows always open (non-negotiable even in frigid temperatures). And later on, no kids allowed (including his own).

So many memories of Pat Bowlen have been told since he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019 in February and throughout this weekend, culminating in his posthumous induction Saturday night.

Some of those best stories were from game days, when Bowlen was equal parts full of angst and supremely confident in his private viewing box. What was it like to watch a game with Bowlen?

Let his friends and family tell the story in between laughs, back slaps and shakes of their head.

“So intense” At Broncos home games, Bowlen’s traditional seat was the right aisle of the front row. Seated next to him was general manager John Beake and later president/CEO Joe Ellis. Friends would be seated in other rows.

Ellis: “Pat was very quiet, but as the years went along, he got more and more emotional. He was really focused and very intense about watching the game. There was not a lot of social time even though the box could be filled with dignitaries, sponsors, family, and friends. It was all about the game for him.”

John Finney (friend): “You didn’t have to worry about talking to him (laughing). You didn’t have to answer any questions. More than likely, he would say, ‘Be quiet, I’m watching the game.’ Once in a while, Beake would get on the phone and I was in the box, usually a row back, and he would say into the phone, ‘What the (bleep) is going on with No. so-and-so? He’s sleeping out there.’”

Howie Klemmer (son in law): “Serious. All business. He would talk to us briefly and then focus on the game. … It was work for him. It wasn’t really pleasure. His mind was in that game on every play. Very involved.”

Fred Hemmings (friend and member of Bowlen’s original Broncos Board of Directors): “I wouldn’t get near him. He would sit in the box and there was a pecking order and the family was in the first row. I would sit on the second row and he would lean over the rail to reach for his mess of gum. He was a very, very astute observer of the game. By watching him, I could tell he knew what the hell was going on and if he didn’t like something, you could see it in his mannerisms.”

Finney: “He loved the team and he loved the players so (on game day), he was so intense. He would be chewing his gum a hundred miles an hour watching the game. It was like he was coaching or playing. The games defined him, absolutely defined him. He thought about football seven days a week, 12 months a year.” Tim Guard (friend): “The best I can say it: You only spoke to him when spoken to (laughing). When that game was going on, it was his most important day in the office.”

Finney: “The windows were always up, no matter how cold it was. The ladies had their fur coats on and would (complain) about it. But those windows stayed open. When Pat would leave for the field with two minutes to go, they would be rolling those windows closed.”

Bowlen’s two daughters from his first marriage (Amie Klemmer and Beth Bowlen Wallace) watched many games in his suite while attending college at Colorado.

Wallace: “He would not tolerate anybody sitting next to him on the stairs, but I would creep up to him at some point of the game and he would give me the side-eye, like he was saying, ‘What are you doing?’ But he didn’t tell me to move. If something bad happened, it was the binoculars whacking the table in front of him and he would sit back and grimace. If something great happened, he would stand up and high- five.”

From the 1990s on, though, Bowlen wanted his five youngest children to watch the game from the stands or other parts of the stadium.

Johnny Bowlen (son): “His big thing was no kids in the box. It wasn’t until you were 30, 35 years old that you could sit in there. I spent the majority of my childhood on the field. That was incredible for me. He would have me down there and I think at times, I was like his little spy. After the game, we would get back to the house and he would say, ‘Why did this happen?’ Those are some of my best memories.”

Big-game memories January 1987: The AFC Championship Game win at Cleveland to clinch the Broncos’ first Super Bowl appearance under Bowlen. “The Drive” forced overtime.

Hemmings: “I was on the sideline at the end. It was surreal. It was really a big deal as far as the evolution of the team and I think we all knew it. We were knocking on the door and that was a step.”

January 1998: In his fourth Super Bowl, Bowlen won his first title with an upset win over Green Bay in San Diego. Upon clutching the Lombardi Trophy, Bowlen famously said, “This one’s for John (Elway)!”

Hemmings: “I didn’t know he was going to say that. He may not have known what he was going to say. But that showed you how sensitive he was. He wasn’t going to say much (on the stage). He wasn’t going to start with his grandparents and work his way through the century. Just ‘This one’s for John.’ Pretty cool. It showed the kind of bond he had with people close to him. John was the guy that got them there and Pat had no problem giving (him credit).”

Finney: “He was over the top (after the win).”

Hemmings: “Excitement was my feeling. Just elated. Overwhelmed. You have to remember — he got run through the ringer (after the first three Super Bowl losses). It was a long time coming after getting to the altar three times and not getting married.”

Guard: “You couldn’t always read Pat. It wasn’t that he was expressionless, but there are things going on his mind that he didn’t necessarily want to talk about and I’m sure after three previous losses, he was pretty damn focused on beating Green Bay. There was a certain intensity to him that perhaps I hadn’t seen before.”

September 2008: The Broncos opened the season with a 41-14 win at Oakland.

Ellis: “We dismantled the Raiders. You could tell the game was over and we were going to win. I turned to Pat and said, ‘Pat, it seems like there are only a certain number of games that you really get to enjoy and let your breath out.’ And he turned to me and said, ‘You’re not kidding. I can remember maybe three games where I could rest easy.’ I’ll always remember that. That’s how intense he was about the team. … If we were ahead in the game, he would be looking at the clock saying, ‘If we get a first down here, that takes two more minutes off the clock.’ He was always thinking and it really wasn’t until there was a kneel- down that he would get comfortable with a victory.”

Post-game routines Bowlen’s tradition was to leave his box and head down to the sidelines before time expired. But his work wasn’t done upon returning home.

Amie Klemmer: “Every game, they taped for him and he would go home and re-watch the game, win or lose, so it was almost like he needed it to sink in.”

After a win …

Wallace: “It was, ‘We got our job done.’ That was the expectation. It was never relief except for the first Super Bowl win. That was pure joy and relief.”

Johnny Bowlen: “If we had won the game, dad would come home and watch the video. If we won, everybody in the house was happy.”

After a loss …

Wallace: “Mad. He would watch the news and smoke his cigar. Disappointed. Angry.”

Johnny Bowlen: “No one came downstairs while he was watching the game. We had a couple of TVs downstairs and one was on the kitchen counter. That’s where he would always watch. We called that his, ‘Game Film TV.’”

If Hemmings was visiting from Hawaii, he would join Bowlen in the basement.

Hemmings: “We would go to his house in Cherry Creek and sit in his man cave and watch the game. He would say to me, ‘Just one glass of wine to celebrate the victory.’ I’d have a glass and one time it was a $600 Rothschild bottle. I figured each sip was $30. But it was good.”

Pat Bowlen, Champ Bailey formally enshrined in Hall of Fame By Mike Klis KUSA August 4, 2019

The late owner and former cornerback are the sixth and seventh Broncos to be inducted.

After a six-minute video tribute that touched on the success of Pat Bowlen the Broncos’ owner and humility of Mr. B the man, the bust was unveiled.

It was at that moment that it struck his oldest son, Patrick III, that dad was a Hall of Famer.

"Yeah, exactly, it hit me right there but I was impressed with the way they did it," Patrick III said to 9News after his dad’s enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "It looked really, really close to him so I’m really happy about it."

Former Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey unveiled his bust and went into the Hall of Fame with 30 minute, 30-second speech. Champ spent the first 25 minute thanking all those who helped him.

"And I’m super proud to be standing here today as the seventh member of the Denver Broncos to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame," Bailey said.

In the final minutes, Bailey made an impassioned social plea for black men.

"When we tell you about our fears, please listen," Bailey said. "When we tell you we’re afraid for our kids, please listen."

From Billy Thompson and Tom Jackson from yesteryear, to Gary Zimmerman and Rod Smith of more recent vintage, to Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. of today, Broncos players made the trip to Canton in honor of their late owner. Pat Bowlen and Champ Bailey were the sixth and seventh Broncos to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

"I mean even though we have practice tomorrow I was like I’ve got to sacrifice to be out here and support them," Harris said. "And Mr. B took a chance on me and Champ is a guy who instilled a lot of confidence in me at an early age. So definitely I owe them a lot of thanks and I’m glad to be here."

Some old coaches were here, too. Namely, Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak.

"You’ve got a great Hall of Fame owner, you’ve got a Hall of Fame player – Pat made that happen," Shanahan said. "He took great pride in giving you the chance to be best at what you did."

Pat Bowlen becomes just the 16th Hall of Fame owner.

"And to have Steve (Antonopulos) be the presenter," said Broncos president Joe Ellis. "Steve was I think the guy Pat trusted the most in the organization through all of his years as owners. I tell you it was really special to sit there and take it all in."

It was a bittersweet moment as Mr. B died seven weeks ago after a long battle with Alzheimer’s and wasn’t here to enjoy the honor.

But his bust will now live on forever in the Hall of Fame museum.

"It went great," said Patrick III. "Very emotional but very exciting and he’s in there now. He’s in there forever and that’s all that matters."

Hall of Famers have ups and downs, too: Champ reflects on fabulous 2005-06 seasons, tragedy of Darrent Williams By Mike Klis KUSA August 4, 2019

A steady procession of Broncos players shuffled somberly past their popular teammate Darrent Williams, who was lying in repose.

It was Jan. 6, 2007 at a Baptist church in Fort Worth, Texas. Incomprehensibly, Williams had been killed in a downtown Denver drive-by shooting five days earlier. He had just finished his second season with the Broncos as a cornerback playing opposite of Champ Bailey.

Bailey was the team’s best player who was coming off, looking back, the best two seasons of his career. As he moved into the church single-file with his teammates, Bailey noticed the casket was open. He paused, rubbed his neck in a state of discomfort, and fell out of line. He waited a minute or two on the side, and then a took a seat a few rows back.

Bailey is as cool and poised as they come, but there is a quiet sensitivity to his soul. To Bailey, the murder of his friend and teammate – who was just 24 years old – was the toughest moment of what can now be called a Hall of Fame career.

"Yeah. It was the toughest because … (Williams) was Chris Harris," Bailey said, referring to his last cornerback partner with the Broncos from 2011-13. "He was walking that same path. Young, hungry, talented. That’s why when Chris came in, I was telling him, ‘You remind me so much of Darrent. D-Will is just like this.’ And he knew all about D-Will. It just made me want (Harris) to succeed more."

After his thoughtful response, Bailey sat back, let out an audible sigh, and carried on with his Hall of Fame press conference Friday.

Bailey got his Gold Jacket Friday night, then moved on to serve as the co-featured guest of the Hall of Fame party, along with the family of Broncos’ owner Pat Bowlen. He will receive his bronze bust – the symbol of football immortality – Saturday night during the Hall of Fame Class of 2019 enshrinement ceremony.

Bailey will be the seventh of the eight inductees to deliver his speech. He earned 12 Pro Bowl berths during his 15-year career so there was no single moment that made him a Hall of Famer.

But his back-to-back seasons of 2005-06 put him over the top. He combined for 19 interceptions, 301 return yards and call it 4 touchdowns (let’s give him that last yard on his end-to-end interception return against Tom Brady in the playoffs) in those two seasons.

Although Bailey was known as a preeminent man-to-man corner, it was an injury, and a new strategy by Broncos’ secondary coach Bob Slowik, that led to those two iconic seasons. Slowik had Bailey play off the line those two years. By playing off, Bailey could read the quarterback – and pounce on the thrown ball. It’s difficult to pick off an interception while playing man-to-man because a cornerback often winds up running his back to the quarterback.

"I always felt like I was a better press corner," Bailey said Friday. "Fortunately for me, I really started doing that (playing off) because of my hamstring. Because when you’re playing bump-and-run you’re always full speed. Because that guy can run past you at any second.

"But if I’m off, I can slow play everything. So the hamstring kind of enabled that. I just utilized it a lot more because I thought, playing off, I’m actually pretty good at this.

"Slowik’s way of thinking was, you read the quarterback. That was the first time a coach told me to read a quarterback. So I took it to heart and I tried to use that even down the line a little bit."

Since Bailey’s 10 interception season in 2006, there’s only been one other double-digit pick season – the next year, in 2007, by Antonio Cromartie, who otherwise never had more than 4 picks in a season.

No cornerback has since come close to Bailey’s two-year production of 19 interceptions in 2005-06.

"I think rule changes," Bailey said when asked to explain why the 10-interception season has become obsolete. "I think the new rules really put a lot of pressure on the defense.

"And now one thing I noticed with my last two coordinators (Dennis Allen and Jack Del Rio), they were trying to be more conservative and just make sure -- don’t give up the big ball. So, I think guys are not taking as many chances as they used to."

It wasn’t just interceptions that made Bailey a Hall of Famer. Unlike two other premier cover corners that sandwiched his career – Deion Sanders and Darrelle Revis – Bailey was a strong tackler. Which brings up another injury that didn’t stop Bailey from having his tremendous season in 2005.

In the opener in Miami that year, Bailey separated his shoulder early in the second half. He played the rest of the season in a shoulder harness.

First game with his new constraint, he picked off San Diego quarterback Drew Brees in the end zone early in the second half – a play that wound up becoming the turning point in the Broncos’ 13-3 season.

"Even that played a role in it," Bailey said of his harness. "It was tough. It was challenging. It was my left shoulder so my right one now feels worse than my left."

With the left shoulder protected, the right shoulder was alone in its physical punishment.

"I had to tackle with something," Bailey said. "Fortunately with me, I was able to use my right shoulder and be effective with it."

He practiced that same week. Champ laughed at the memory.

"I thought I was a tough guy," he said with his patented Hall of Fame chuckle. Tears abound as Gonzalez, 7 others enter HOF By Jeff Legwold ESPN August 4, 2019

A combined 55 Pro Bowl selections, one of the league's most successful owners and one of its formative personnel executives were represented among the eight newest enshrinees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019 on Saturday night at Tom Benson Stadium.

Almost everyone who stepped to the podium battled, unsuccessfully and happily, to fight back tears, and all struggled mightily to thank those who had significant impacts on their lives, on and off the field, as each feared leaving someone out.

This year's ceremony formally enshrined former Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed, New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law, New York Jets center Kevin Mawae, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt and Chiefs safety Johnny Robinson.

Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez, a 14-time Pro Bowl selection who played for the Chiefs and Falcons, led the league in receptions (102) in 2004 and finished among its top 10 in receptions five times. He is the first tight end to be enshrined in his first year of eligibility and is second all time in receptions for a tight end with 1,325.

Gonzalez had perhaps the toughest task Saturday as he stepped to the podium more than four hours after the start of the ceremony. But he joked to the crowd, "Thanks for sticking around."

Gonzalez talked of the importance of his time at the University of California, including his time with the Golden Bears basketball team, and said he actually was "afraid" of the contact when he started playing youth football. He also recounted how a run-in with a school bully, and his refusal to fight, shaped him. He said he eventually decided, "I will never be afraid again.''

Gonzalez held his notes, written on stationery with the words "Think Big" printed across the top of the page.

"It's not about the touchdowns, it's not about the catches, it's not about the glory,'' Gonzalez said. "The most learning you'll do comes through the bad times."

Gonzalez joked that his 101-year-old grandmother, who was in the crowd, gave him the best advice: "When you catch that ball, run like hell."

Gonzalez also read a letter he had written to his children and left for them Saturday morning, including the line "comparison is the thief of joy" as they carve out their own lives and take on their own fears along the way.

"See the greatest version of yourself,'' Gonzalez said.

Champ Bailey

Bailey, a cornerback for the Redskins and Broncos, was a 12-time Pro Bowl selection, a three-time first- team All-Pro selection and an all-decade pick for the 2000s. He finished his career with 52 interceptions.

Bailey fought back tears as he opened his presentation, before joking, "OK, I'll remove my sunglasses so you can see my joy and because my wife said so." He added, "I want to start by thanking God for Broncos Country."

Bailey explained that his mother gave him the nickname Champ, saying, "Thank you, Mom, for all that pressure." Bailey, whose given first name is Roland, thanked his father, his siblings, his children, his family and a host of friends and teammates.

Bailey explained how football brought so much good to his life, but also emotionally acknowledged that he "missed or dismissed'' other things, including some of his children's events, because he wasn't mature enough to "prioritize'' things as he attempted to succeed in the NFL.

Bailey acknowledged the impact Hall of Famers Darrell Green and Deion Sanders had on him during his time with the Redskins. "Then," Bailey said, "the best thing to happen in my career happened in 2004: I was traded to the Denver Broncos." He went on to talk about fellow 2019 enshrinee Bowlen, and acknowledged the Bowlen family in the crowd.

He closed his presentation with a call for a dialogue on race relations in the United States, speaking of the importance of strong voices among black men. He also urged white men to seek to gain a better understanding of the challenges black men face.

"You want to create change, you better start with your friends and your family," Bailey said. "On behalf of all the black men that I have mentioned tonight and many more out there, who have had most of the same experiences that I've had in my lifetime, we say this to all our white friends: When we tell you about our fears, please listen. When we tell you we are afraid for our kids, please listen. When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color of our skin, please listen and please do not get caught up in how the message is delivered.

"I believe if we start listening, there's no telling the progress we can make. All of us are dads, sons, bothers, your friends. All of us understand if we can't get our friends to listen, then no one will. And to my black brothers, if you do not have anything positive to say about our social challenges, please keep your mouth shut."

Ed Reed

Reed was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection who led the league in interceptions three times and finished as the all-time leader in interception-return yardage (1,590). He spent the bulk of his career in Baltimore but also played for the Jets and Texans. He had seven seasons in which he had more than 100 yards worth of interception returns, four with more than 150 yards of interception returns and two seasons with more than 200.

Reed's father, Edward Reed Sr., was his presenter Saturday night, and choked back the tears to close the video that was played to the crowd. Ed Reed stepped to the podium in a gold hat that matched his newly minted jacket, cigar in hand, as he recited the "Athlete's Prayer" to open his presentation. He said he'd read the poem before every game.

Reed took a moment to thanks fans and Hall of Fame volunteers as he went through his football life and he shouted to the crowd, "There's no place like Baltimore, no place like Baltimore."

"There's no GOAT in this game, because none of us can do this without our teammates,'' Reed said. "You'll have to excuse me, I just wrote this sitting right there in that chair."

An emotional Reed, as he thanked many of his former teammates as well as his family, said, "This is tough, man, this is tough." Reed also talked of his aunt, who was in a hospital and could not travel to the ceremony.

Reed took a few moments to address mental illness as well as victims of recent mass shootings.

"America, what is our standard?" Reed said. "That's what we need to do, help each other, lift each other up."

Reed told a story of a police officer in his Louisiana hometown who once took him home when he was young, saying that he told the officer, "Don't do that. Take me to jail, because my mama's at home."

He also joked that he had 30 combined interceptions against the Browns and Bengals: "It's not my fault y'all kept changing quarterbacks."

In addition to his family, teammates and coaches, Reed also thanked a vast assortment of people, including trainers, equipment staff and even "my two barbers."

Ty Law

Law, the former Patriots, Jets, Chiefs and Broncos cornerback, was a three-time Super Bowl winner who did some of his best work in the postseason. He had six interceptions in 13 career playoff games, including three in New England's run to close out the 2003 season with a Lombardi trophy; he finished with 53 career interceptions, including a league-leading 10 in 2005 as a 31-year-old.

Longtime friend Byron Washington, who was Law's presenter Saturday night, said, "He wasn't cocky, he was confident.''

Law said he brought notes to the podium because he had "forgot a couple things'' when he spoke at a ceremony for the Patriots Hall of Fame.

"I had to believe in myself, I had to believe in myself a lot,'' Law said as he offered memories of growing up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, "even if we were competing at being knuckleheads. ... It wasn't all fun and games,'' but, "I knew I wanted to be different.''

Law asked those from Aliquippa in attendance to stand as he tearfully thanked his mother: "We bent, we never broke, and we came out the other side. ... Nobody can ever take that away from us, nobody can take that from you -- I love you.'' He also thanked his father and explained why two seats were left empty next to his mother as he acknowledged his grandparents, who are deceased: "I would not be here without my grandparents. They did everything for me.''

Law also had his former Patriots teammates stand in recognition of their role with the now six-time Super Bowl champion franchise, saying, "Let's keep it real, we started this s---.''

Kevin Mawae

In addition to the Jets, Mawae played center for the Seahawks and Titans. Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells said Mawae was unlike any other player at the position. In his career, Mawae blocked for five running backs, including Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, who combined for 13 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Mawae's presenter was his wife, Tracy, who referenced the death of Mawae's older brother, John, in a car accident two years after Mawae's NFL career began. Tracy Mawae also recounted each stop in Mawae's career and said, "Kevin was loyal to every team he was on, loyal to his teammates, loyal to his family.''

Mawae said he was proud to be the first Hawai'ian enshrined in the Hall of Fame and gave a nod to several Hall of Fame offensive linemen, including Dwight Stephenson and Anthony Munoz. Mawae also acknowledged his parents as well as his two brothers in the audience as he wiped away tears.

Mawae recounted starting football as an 8-year-old when his father was stationed with the military in Germany, as well as a junior varsity game in Louisiana when he didn't get to play and he vowed it would never happen again: "I would never step off the bus and not step on the grass."

He thanked all of his former head coaches, offensive line coaches and others who had influenced him in his career, as well as one opposing coach -- the Patriots' Bill Belichick, for challenging him in every game: "Holding your defense to zero sacks and having a big rushing day was a big accomplishment.''

Mawae also had his former teammates, at all levels, stand to be acknowledged.

Gil Brandt

The 86-year-old Brandt led off the evening. His career in football began with the Los Angeles Rams in 1955, and continues today in his variety of radio and television duties. In his 28-year run with the Cowboys, the team had 20 consecutive winning seasons, won 13 division titles and had two Super Bowl victories.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who once fired Brandt, called him "a once-in-a-lifetime man." Brandt chose Jones as his presenter and thanked the owner Saturday.

Brandt gave some of his speech while briefly seated in a chair just behind the podium before standing, and he even referenced the Canton Bulldogs, NFL champions in 1922-23, as he opened his remarks, saying, "No, I didn't scout for the Canton Bulldogs."

"The lifeblood of every team is the players," he said.

Brandt added a list of former Cowboys whom he said "should be in the Hall of Fame," including safety Cliff Harris, cornerback Everson Walls and wide receiver Drew Pearson. Brandt also outlined the Cowboys' early use of computers and acknowledged all of the "scouts in the audience and watching on TV."

Brandt has often been credited with aiding the movement of scouting and player evaluation into the computer age. During his tenure, the Cowboys also mined smaller schools for talent -- such as Hall of Famer Bob Hayes -- as well as scouting players in other sports, becoming regulars at the NCAA track championships as well as early scouting forays into Europe and Canada.

Johnny Robinson

Johnny Robinson, who was the Seniors Committee selection, followed Brandt. Robinson was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, as well as a six-time first-team All-Pro selection as a defensive player. He started his career on offense, rushing for 458 yards as a rookie and had two 600-yard receiving seasons in the earliest days of the AFL.

He led the AFL in interceptions with 10 in 1966, and then led the NFL in interceptions with 10 in 1970 -- the year of the NFL/AFL merger -- at age 32.

Robinson's toughness was lauded, as was his playmaking abilities as he was presented by his stepson, Bob Thompson.

"I never dreamed I would become a professional football player ... to my surprise I was selected the No. 3 player [in the draft]," Robinson, 80, said.

Robinson recounted the advice from his father about winning and losing, about working harder and to "always respect your mother," and he closed his presentation with, "God gave me the ability to play the game of football and I played it with all my heart."

Pat Bowlen

Bowlen, who died in June after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease, is the only owner in NFL history whose team tallied 300 wins in the first 30 years of his tenure, and he also served as an important voice in league affairs during his time on several committees, including the management council executive committee and broadcasting committee. During his tenure, the Broncos had the same number of Super Bowl appearances as losing seasons: seven.

Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos, known as "Greek'' to everyone with the team, including Bowlen, was Bowlen's presenter and said Bowlen was about "football first, business second.''

Bowlen's children appeared in a video played for the crowd as Antonopulos said, "Mr. B, this one's for you.'' Six of Bowlen's children then took the stage as Bowlen's bust was unveiled, and they each hugged and kissed the bust.

Former Broncos stars Shannon Sharpe, John Elway, Terrell Davis and Bailey, all among the Hall of Famers on stage, got up after the video to hug the family members as well.

‘Most of us are athletes, but we are black men first’: Champ Bailey closes Hall of Fame speech with powerful message By Nicky Jhabvala The Athletic August 4, 2019

Champ Bailey removed his sunglasses and tucked them inside his gold jacket before staring out at the crowd at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. He wanted the fans to see his joy as one of the newest members of the Pro Football of Fame. And, besides, his wife told him to remove the glasses.

So he patted his brow with a towel and began his lengthy enshrinement speech.

“I have to start by thanking God for Broncos Country,” he said, eliciting applause from Broncos fans in attendance. “I also want to say thank you to the Hall of Fame voters for getting it right the very first time.”

He went on to thank his family, choking up as he told stories of each member. He thanked his agent, Jack Reale, and his many football coaches. He thanked his friends back home, acknowledging them by their nicknames; thanked his teammates at every level, his track and field coach at Georgia, and the Washington Redskins, who drafted him in the first round in 1999. He thanked his Washington teammates, especially Darrell Green and Deion Sanders. He thanked late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, a fellow 2019 Hall of Fame enshrinee, and Bowlen’s family; thanked former coach Mike Shanahan; thanked Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis; thanked the Broncos’ equipment managers and trainers and public relations staff; thanked his former Broncos teammates and the many others who supported him along his journey to Canton.

“The best thing in my career happened in 2004,” Bailey said. “I was traded to the Denver Broncos. Once I began to learn about Mr. Bowlen and the Denver Broncos, I was sold.”

But when Bailey reached the end of his football thank-yous, he transitioned to a topic that was even more personal. A topic that would show his real emotion as his voice cracked and his eyes welled with tears.

And so he went:

“I personally consider myself an expert of the game of football,” he said. “Random people always ask me, ‘Will you be a coach one day?’ Nope. ‘Can you teach my kid a few things about the game?’ Yes. People ask these questions because they also believe I have a unique knowledge that only a few people possess, like these guys.

“Tonight, I thank many people who supported my career, and many of you are my closest friends. Some of you are also considered experts of the game as much as I am. Out of the people I mentioned tonight, most of you are black men — my brothers. Some of you are athletes, some of you are not athletes. But we are all black men first, something we have more expertise in than any aspect of our lives.

“I’m a firm believer that if you want to create change, you better start with your friends and your family. So I’m starting here today. “The first thing people see when they look at me is not a pro football Hall of Famer or a husband or a father. They view me first as a black man.

“So on behalf of all the black men that I mentioned tonight and many more out there who’ve had most of the same experiences that I’ve had in my lifetime, we say this to all of our white friends: When we tell you about our fears, please listen. When we tell you we’re afraid for our kids, please listen. When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color of our skin, please listen. And please do not get caught up in how the message is delivered. Yes. Yes, most of us are athletes, but we are black men first. Understand this: Things that make us great on the field, like our size and our aggression, are the same things that can get us killed off the field.”

During his 15-season career, Bailey was revered as the “shutdown” corner and a natural leader. The Broncos’ Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner in 2008 and ’09, Bailey volunteered extensively at Denver Rescue Mission, and many of the programs he started then have been continued by players today.

Chris Harris Jr. has referred to Bailey as a mentor. Ed Donatell, Bailey’s position coach in Denver who is now the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, has said he “might be the rarest guy in the last 25 years” because he had the complete package: The skill, the athleticism, the leadership. Bailey retired in 2014, two years before Colin Kaepernick began to take a knee during the national anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality.

Denver became a focal point for the protests when former Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall (now with the Raiders) joined in. Marshall followed his protests with the launch of his own youth leadership foundation, the start of the FEEL Movement to serve and empower families in need, and the donation of thousands of dollars to local organizations geared toward social improvement.

Harris and Von Miller, two current players who attended Bailey’s enshrinement, joined a mass protest by NFL players in 2017 in response to controversial comments by President Donald Trump, but they have stood for the anthem since.

The protests drew strong but mixed reactions: Ire from those who believed players were disrespecting the American flag and the military, praise from those who believed players shed light on continued racism and police brutality in the U.S., and even frustration from those who believed the players’ initial message was lost amid the back-and-forth.

Without mentioning the protests directly, Bailey encouraged the focus to return to the message and not its delivery. He encouraged everyone to listen more.

“I believe if we start listening, there’s no telling the progress we can make,” he said. “All of us are dads, sons, brothers, your friends. We all understand that if we can’t get our friends to listen, then no one will. And to my black brothers, if you do not have anything positive to say about our social challenges, please keep your mouth shut.”

Broncos legends Champ Bailey, Pat Bowlen enter Hall of Fame By Troy Renck KMGH August 4, 2019

Splashes of orange dotted George Halas Drive three hours before the ceremony. Frustration vanished. Smiles widened. Finally. Immortality.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and cornerback Champ Bailey took their rightful place among the all-time greats Saturday, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The league began its 100th season on Thursday with the Broncos exhibition game. Only 326 men have earned the sport's highest honor during this time.

The latest Broncos stand tall among this group. Bowlen created the standard of excellence for the Broncos, a road map the franchise continues to follow after two difficult seasons. In Bowlen's time in charge, the Broncos posted 18 playoff berths, claimed 13 division titles won three Super Bowls in 1996-1997 and 2015.

"He demanded the best, but it was never about him," said Broncos longtime athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos. "He was driven but humble. Just a great man."

It was a difficult night for the Bowlen children. They were fighting back tears as they walked onto the stage.

"Obviously his kids would have loved to have him here," said kicker Brandon McManus, who attended the ceremony with Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. before returning for Sunday's morning practice. "One of the coolest things in my life is being a father. It's about leaving a legacy. And Mr. B left an incredible legacy for his kids, and it was great to see the smiles on their faces."

No one drew closer to Bowlen than Antonopulos. The two formed a strong friendship formed over Bowlen's morning conversations in the trainer's room. Greek treated Bowlen, a world-class triathlete, after he separated his shoulder while biking from Denver to training camp in Greeley. It was Greek who talked with Bowlen's kids and remained a regular visitor as Bowlen fought his years-long battle with Alzheimer's before passing on June 13.

As such, Antonopulos became an easy choice when Bowlen's seven children searched for a presenter on Saturday. Antonopulos admitted it was "unfortunate Pat couldn't be here, but I am sure he's looking down with a smile on his face." The presentation featured messages from Bowlen's children, including daughters Brittany Bowlen and Beth Bowlen Wallace, who have expressed their separate desire to own the team. The children insist the Broncos' future is secure -- Patrick predicted multiple Super Bowls for the franchise -- but Saturday marked a long-overdue celebration of past accomplishments.

"Mr. B," Antonopulos said on the video, pointing to the sky, "This one is for you."

Bowlen's reach expanded beyond Denver. He was a critical figure in league circles.

"There is not a better enshrinee in my opinion," said commissioner Roger Goodell, who worked closely with Bowlen, who left his imprint on the league's current TV and labor deals, while helping expand the sport globally through international games. "He's just an extraordinary man and an extraordinary contributor to the success of the NFL."

It was quite a week for Bowlen. The appreciation of him reflected his impact on and off the field. It began with a players donation to the Hall of Fame in his name -- something that has never happened before -- a bench dedication at a local Boys & Girls Club -- Bowlen was a longtime champion of the organization -- and finished with the presentation of his gold jacket and the unveiling of his bust at Tom Benson Stadium.

"Given his accomplishments, this was long overdue," Broncos legend Tom Jackson told Denver7 from the stadium floor. "Pat was not just an owner, he was a friend. I went on a vacation with Pat, played golf with him. Pat would come to the locker room and get to know us. He cared. He was the genuine article."

Bailey is an ideal companion to join Bowlen in many ways. He mirrored Bowlen's relentless pursuit of success. As Chris Harris Jr. told me, "the way Champ prepared created his success. He was so consistent. It rubbed off on other players." Agent Jack Reale, who helped engineer Bailey's trade from Washington to Denver in 2004, presented Bailey. Nerves engulfed Bailey as he prepared his speech. It lasted 30 minutes. He struck all the right chords with Broncos fans.

"I want to thank God for Broncos country," Bailey said. "The best thing in my career happened in 2004 -- when I was traded to the Denver Broncos. ... I will always consider Denver my home."

Bailey earned 12 Pro Bowl berths, the most ever by a cornerback. Any conversation about the greatest Broncos defender begins with him. He possessed unique athleticism and a grinder's work ethic. Bailey insists his career came full circle on Saturday. For him, his Hall of Fame journey began in Canton at this stadium as he played his first game with the Broncos. He helped lead the Broncos to five straight postseason berths. He posted 18 interceptions over the 2005 and 2006 seasons and finished with 52.

"This is huge. Absolutely it was important. I know Champ wanted me here, so there was no way I was missing this," Harris said. "This was special."

Bailey wondered aloud if he belonged in Canton among the players he followed growing up. He shares his humility with Bowlen. His candidacy was never in question, stamped by his selection on the NFL's All- Decade Team of the 2000s. Bailey's election, the hope is, will create a run on Broncos defenders, including linebackers Randy Gradishar and Karl Mecklenburg, who was in attendance, and cornerback Louis Wright. Bailey halted at times, holding back tears. He praised his family and children and discussed race and living as a black man.

"Understand this, things that make us great on the field — our size and aggression — can get us killed off it," Bailey said.

On this unseasonably cool night, the respect for the Broncos was tangible. Fans roared for Bowlen and Bailey. The pair never sought the spotlight, never pursued the Hall of Fame. In doing so, their consistent excellence led them to Canton on an unforgettable summer night in Ohio.

"We all know the impact Mr. Bowlen and Champ had," Miller said. "To be here for this was a beautiful experience." Law, Reed, Mawae, Bowlen, Brandt, Robinson, Bailey in hall By Barry Wilner The Associated Press August 4, 2019

What a defensive backfield in gold jackets: Ed Reed , Ty Law and Champ Bailey.

And what a challenge they had throughout their careers, trying to cover fellow inductee Tony Gonzalez.

All four entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

“Fitting to be in here with Mr. Johnny Robinson and Champ and Ty,” Reed said. “My DBs know it was always about us.”

Sort of. But Gonzalez, like Bailey elected in his first eligible year, showed how pro football could be all about the tight end.

A six-time All-Pro, Gonzalez helped revolutionize the position, lining up in traditional tight end spots as well as flanked out or in the backfield — pretty much everywhere on the field. Then he beat many of those defensive backs everywhere on the field in 12 seasons with Kansas City and five with Atlanta. He stands second in receptions with 1,325 only to Jerry Rice.

His final totals included 15,127 yards receiving and 111 touchdowns in the regular season. He made 14 Pro Bowls and the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

He particularly thanked his 101-year-old grandmother, his wife, who he said doesn’t like football, and the fans in KC. Gonzalez was one of the most popular players in the entire league for those 17 seasons.

“After I was traded, I went back to play a game in Kansas City,” he recalled. “During pregame they introduced me, which I thought was very special. Then something happened, one of the greatest moments of my career: The fans began yelling for me.”

While Gonzalez, now a broadcaster, delivered a smooth speech until his eyes welled up when addressing his mother, Bailey, Reed and Law’s voices frequently broke during theirs.

Law spoke of his family’s support, and his hometown, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, which also produced his uncle, Tony Dorsett, and Mike Ditka — both Hall of Famers.

“I know there ain’t no crying in football,” Law joked.

“We are a community built on love, strength, struggle, and that Quiptown pride,” he said. “We did it, Aliquippa. We are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

Law became the first inductee from New England’s standout defense that won three Super Bowls in the early 2000s. One of the most versatile and physical cornerbacks the NFL has seen, Law was selected for five Pro Bowl teams and was a two-time All-Pro. He finished with 53 career interceptions, twice leading the NFL in that category, had more than 800 tackles, 169 passes defensed, five sacks, and scored seven times.

Perhaps Law’s most noteworthy game came in the 2002 Super Bowl, when his hard-hitting style upset Rams receivers and threw off the “Greatest Show on Turf. That was emblematic of his attacking style — and soon after led to rules changes limiting how physical defenders could be against receivers.

Reed was just as big a playmaker for Baltimore, a safety who fellow enshrinee Ray Lewis called “a gift” to the Ravens and himself. He was elected in his first year of eligibility, just as Lewis was last year, and called for unity in America, setting a standard like a team’s — each pushing one another toward an achievement.

“Help each other, encourage each other, lift each other up,” Reed said. “Encourage those around you. Encourage yourself.”

Reed, a five-time All-Pro safety and member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, was the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year and made nine Pro Bowls. He had 64 career interceptions, seventh overall; led the NFL in picks three times; and his 1,590 yards on interception returns is a league mark. His 13 non-offense TDs rank fifth all time.

In 2013, in his hometown of New Orleans, the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

Bailey played for Washington and Denver in his 15-year career, and was a force in each of those seasons. He intercepted 54 passes, including one against New England he returned for 100 yards in the 2005 divisional playoffs.

A 12-time Pro Bowler, a record for the position, and three-time All-Pro who made the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s, Bailey was the seventh overall draft pick by the Redskins in 1999. He was dealt to Denver in 2004 for running back Clinton Portis in a steal for the Broncos.

Bailey credited Hall of Fame cornerbacks Darrell Green and Deion Sanders, mentors with the Redskins, for setting his foundation in the pros. Yet he noted he was “consumed by the game” that “gives a person discipline and perseverance,” but it doesn’t prepare you for “real life.”

Referring to his fellow African Americans, Bailey asked that everyone listen “when we tell you about our fears. ... When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color our skin, please listen. And please do not get caught up in how the message is delivered.

“If we start listening, there is no limit to the progress we can make.”

Inducted earlier were Kevin Mawae , Pat Bowlen,Johnny Robinson and Gil Brandt .

Mawae never betrayed the lessons he learned when he first began playing football — flag football, no less.

“I learned to love the preparation, the plays and the puzzle,” Mawae said. “I loved putting on my uniform and cleats. I learned to never step on the field without being ready to work.” Mawae was an outstanding center for three NFL teams, and a key union force during the 2011 lockout of players. His leadership, along with his talent and determination, made him a three-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler with the Seahawks, Jets and Titans, and the center on the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

Offensive lineman rarely should be judged by statistics, but consider that Mawae blocked for a 1,000- yard rusher in 13 of his 16 seasons — by five different running backs, capped by the NFL’s sixth 2,000- yard rushing performance, by Tennessee’s Chris Johnson in 2009, Mawae’s final season.

Mawae, who was presented by his wife, Tracy, is the first player of Hawaiian descent and the second Polynesian member of the hall, following the late Junior Seau. His speech paid warm tribute to his family and the inspiration and love they provided him.

“I knock on this door and I tell all of you,” he concluded in his speech, “I am home.”

Bowlen’s Denver Broncos made more Super Bowls (seven, winning three) than they had losing seasons. Under Bowlen’s leadership, Denver went 354-240-1 from 1984 through last season. He was the first owner in NFL history to oversee a team that won 300 games — including playoffs — in a span of three decades.

On the league level, the highly respected Bowlen, who died in June, worked on several influential committees, including co-chairing the NFL Management Council and working on network TV contracts such as the league’s ground-breaking $18 billion deal in 1998.

Bowlen once said the Hall of Fame is where legends go. He’s now there, with his children huddling around the bust on the stage, several of them patting it on the head.

Brandt has been in the NFL so long he scouted Robinson. Brandt was procuring talent for the Dallas Cowboys in their initial season of 1960 when Robinson came out of LSU as a running back and eventually became a star safety.

Finally, in 2019, they are wearing gold jackets.

“After all this time, I thought I had been forgotten,” Robinson said. “To receive that knock on the door ... was surreal to me.”

Brandt paid tribute to his true calling: talent evaluation.

“What you do in securing talent is the lifeblood of football,” he said. “Seeing that player that was something special ... or going to a D-3 campus and finding a diamond in the rough. I want all of you to look at my election into the Hall of Fame as a tip of the cap to you.”

For six decades, Brandt has been involved in the sport at a high level, from personnel director with the Cowboys to league consultant to draft guru to broadcaster.

Brandt, who was enshrined as a contributor, developed the Dallas scouting system that emphasized computers far before most other teams; scouted the historically black colleges and small colleges for talent; made signing undrafted free agents a science; and worked with Hall of Famers Tex Schramm, the team president, and coach Tom Landry, to build a dynasty.

Robinson’s induction makes for a half-dozen members of the great Kansas City Chiefs’ defense of the 1960s who have been enshrined. Robinson joins Willie Lanier, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Emmitt Thomas and Curley Culp.

Robinson was passed over six times during the 1980s, but got in as a seniors committee nominee. He’s one of 20 players to play all 10 seasons of the AFL, made 57 interceptions, went to seven Pro Bowls, received all-league recognition five times and was chosen to the AFL’s all-time team.

He mentioned what his father told him before he headed to his first training camp after being the third overall draft choice in the AFL.

“Be a gentleman when you win, be a man when you lose,” Robinson said, “if you lose, be sure that you work harder so it won’t happen again.”

Woody Paige: Denver Broncos Pat Bowlen, Champ Bailey are united in Pro Football Hall of Fame By Woody Paige Colorado Springs Gazette August 4, 2019

At midnight local time the busts of Pat Bowlen and Champ Bailey were placed permanently on their pedestals in the northeast section of the circular chamber of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The two sculptures are among the Great 8 of 2019 and amid the Select 326 of all-time Hall of Famers.

More than 175,000 players, coaches, owners and contributors have been with the NFL in a century. Few have been chosen for Canton.

The Broncos’ Bowlen and Bailey busts are as close as they were when Champ played for Pat. Bailey’s is on the top row of the inductees, Bowlen’s just below Bailey’s.

As the platforms stood vacant Saturday afternoon an hour before the annual induction rites, I meandered through the Hall’s halls stopping to study the busts of other players who spent their dominant years or entire careers with the Broncos — John Elway, Gary Zimmerman, Shannon Sharpe, Floyd Little and Terrell Davis — and the others who passed through Denver for a while — Willie Brown, Brian Dawkins, Tony Dorsett and Ty Law — and assistant coaches Stan Jones and now Mike Munchak. There should and will be more.

I had the pleasure of giving the nominating speech to the Hall of Fame committee for the Broncos’ quarterback. It’s still a record. “Gentlemen, John Elway,’’ I said, and sat down.

Peculiarly, as I walked over to the Gold Jacket room where the enshrinees and 100 other Hall of Famers awaited the celebration ceremony, a fellow in orange pants, a blue shirt and a smile big as all outdoors said hello.

Shannon Sharpe, one of the greatest ever.

Jim Brown, the greatest ever, walked by.

A quartet of quarterbacks were sitting in a row, and a plethora of other Famers were congratulating Champ Bailey, adorned in his gold blazer.

And smack in the middle of all the Hallabaloo sat the Bowlens, being herded by Broncos’ trainer emeritus Steve “Greek’’ Antonopulos.

The homage to Mr. B was fourth on the program of the eight Hall of Fame honorees.

The gathering of about 10,000 in the stadium was dominated, honestly, by Broncos’ loyalists. A 10-minute film paid tribute to the football man and the personal man. It was orange, and it was blue; it was poignant, and it was melancholy. It was a celebration as The Greek pointed to the sky and said of the night “this is for Pat.’’

At that moment Steve led out Pat’s seven children. Mrs. B, Annabel Bowlen, is suffering with Alzheimer’s, the horrific disease that struck her husband and ended his reign of success in football and in life.

The Bowlen bust, a flattering facsimile that would be positioned on the pedestal about three hours later, was unveiled, and his framed Fame golden jacket was brought out.

There was no speech, only silence. It was the most meaningful moment of the evening’s event. Bowlen was one of seven Hall of Famers who have died in the past year.

Next to the podium was Ty Law, who won three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, then would conclude his career in 2009 with the Broncos and in the defensive backfield with Champ Bailey.

Ty thanked the Broncos and Bowlen for giving him a chance at the end of his career.

Law was one of four defensive backs to enter the Hall through the front door on a hot, humid night in Ohio.

The others were Johnny Robinson, Ed Reed and Champ Bailey.

Ed Reed broke a record Bailey had held with the two longest interceptions in league history.

He also set the record Saturday for the longest Hall of Fame speech (36 minutes).

So, the audience thinned substantially before Roland “Champ’’ Bailey was introduced at 10:32 p.m. The Broncos’ patient faithful stayed.

“I have to thank God for Broncos country,’’ he began. “I thank the Hall of Fame committee for getting it right the first time.’’

Champ, speaking emotionally and expressively without referring to notes and from the heart, thanked a litany of people, especially his mom and dad — and Pat. “Mr. B will be missed, but he forever will be my teammate.’’

Pat is gone, but he was here in spirit with Champ. Bowlen and Bailey are united again as legendary Broncos in the Hall of Football’s Famous.

President/CEO Joe Ellis reflects on Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement of Pat Bowlen, Champ Bailey By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com August 4, 2019

When members of the Bowlen family and Director of Sports Medicine Steve “Greek” Antonopulos walked on stage to unveil Pat Bowlen’s Pro Football Hall of Fame bust at Saturday night’s enshrinement, President/CEO Joe Ellis sat just a few feet away.

As a long-time Broncos employee and friend of Bowlen, the moment was emotional.

“It was something else,” Ellis said Saturday. “I think for all of us, me personally, it was pretty special, pretty moving. … It was really neat the way they put together the video with the interspersing of the kids all saying great things about their father and to have Steve be the presenter, it’s just a fitting way to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Steve was, I think, the guy Pat trusted the most in the organization for all of his years as owner. I’ll tell you, it was really special to sit there and watch that and take it all in.”

Ellis was just one of several members of the Broncos organization — both past and present — who were in attendance on Saturday. Former Broncos head coaches Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak were among those who made the trip.

“I go a long way back with Pat, all of us do,” Ellis said. “So many different people have been there for so long at the Broncos. A lot of them were here tonight. It’s pretty special.”

Hall of Fame owners Eddie DeBartolo and Jerry Jones also showed their support for Bowlen, as they stopped by Bowlen’s enshrinement party on Friday night.

“That group of three, they were really instrumental in getting Paul Tagliabue elected as the commissioner after Pete Rozelle,” Ellis said. “Eddie was at Pat’s party last night, so was Jerry. Jerry showed up at 2 a.m. I’ll put that on the record. The three of them had a kinship and it was wonderful to catch up with them last night. Pat’s part of that regime.”

In all, the enshrinement served as a final capstone for a months-long process — and it didn’t disappoint.

“It’s sensational,” Ellis said. "And all the fans that are here coming up to everybody in the organization, talking about Pat, talking about Champ, talking about the love for the team and the love for them, it’s been really overwhelming, rewarding and great to see. It’s just been a wonderful weekend for all of us."

And Ellis said Bowlen’s enshrinement elevates the Broncos’ standing among NFL franchises “to a certain extent, maybe.” But he also made clear that Saturday was about Bowlen’s legacy, one that now stands among the NFL’s best.

“Pat’s legacy speaks for itself and all that he accomplished,” Ellis said. “It comes from tremendous support from the best professional football fan base in the country. We’re very, very lucky, very grateful, and I know Pat would feel that way if he were with us tonight.” A Hall of Fame induction bathed in orange and blue By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com August 4, 2019

The 57th induction ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame belonged to the Denver Broncos.

Owner Pat Bowlen and cornerback Champ Bailey were not the first to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the basis of their accomplishments as Broncos; John Elway, Gary Zimmerman, Floyd Little, Shannon Sharpe and Terrell Davis preceded them. When Elway was inducted in 2004, he spoke last and brought down the house with a Mile High Salute as he concluded his remarks.

But never had Broncos Country owned a day at the Hall like this.

"I have to start by thanking God for Broncos Country," Bailey said as he opened his speech, looking out to a double-decked grandstand that was an ocean of colors dominated by orange and blue.

Broncos fans arrived from far and wide, from California to Florida and a slew of points in between. Every reference to the Broncos from the introduction of past inductees to a brief aside was met with a roar worthy of a game-winning touchdown in Denver.

Bailey -- who had to pause his speech on multiple occasions to let the fans roar -- knows this better than almost anyone.

"Every single home game I could feel your energy -- even in San Diego, a road game, you would make it feel like a home game," he said during his 30-minute, four-second speech. "It was so infectious.

"I cannot overstate how grateful I am to be a part of the Broncos family. I will always consider Denver my home."

Bowlen is a major reason why he can say that. The short video that presented Bowlen, which included his children and Director of Sports Medicine Steve Antonopulos, offered a succinct summary of how and why Bowlen's team was such a special place for so long.

"Football first, business second," Antonopulos said of Bowlen assuming ownership in 1984, "and he provided the stability that our organization needed at that time."

The presentation was not merely a commemoration of Bowlen's career. It was a celebration of all the franchise has accomplished over the last 35 years: three Super Bowl wins, four more appearances and 18 playoff appearances in total.

It also noted how the defeats led to the ultimate success.

"The third Super Bowl was incredibly devastating for my dad," Beth Bowlen Wallace said. "But it's probably the most profound lesson I have learned from my dad through my lifetime, is that the losses and the challenges and the failures in life made him into the owner that he is."

The losses helped make the Broncos into the organization they became under Bowlen's watch. Failure on the brightest stage eventually became back-to-back world championships, in no small part because of Bowlen's leadership traits. Those proved to be infectious.

"Once I began to learn about Mr. Bowlen and the Denver Broncos, I was sold," Bailey said. "There were a few things I learned to appreciate from a good leader. They lead by example, they're accountable, they're competitive and they know how to win. That's what I learned, and loved about Mr. B."

It didn't stop with Bowlen and Bailey.

Former Cowboys personnel executive Gil Brandt, who used computers the size of coffee shops to revolutionize the scouting process, name-dropped the Broncos' winningest coach, Mike Shanahan.

Cornerback Ty Law, whose Broncos stint lasted just seven games in the second half of the 2009 season, took time to thank the Broncos, then-coach Josh McDaniels and Bowlen for giving him one last shot to play.

Even center Kevin Mawae name-dropped Elway -- eliciting another round of cheers from Broncos fans -- since it was the Elway-led 1998 Broncos that blocked Mawae's Jets from making what would have been their only Super Bowl appearance since man walked on the moon.

Orange and blue was inescapable Saturday, from the inductees to the speeches to the colors of the dusk sky as six of Bowlen's children unveiled his Hall of Fame bust.

For a franchise that has accomplished so much but for so long lacked its deserved commemoration in Canton, it was about time.

Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Brandon McManus represent Broncos' roster at Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com August 4, 2019

Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. and Brandon McManus attended Saturday night’s Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony to support both Pat Bowlen and former cornerback Champ Bailey.

Both Miller and Harris were teammates with Bailey from 2011-13 and joined the Broncos while Bowlen still oversaw the team on a day-to-day basis.

“I think Mr. B, he took a great chance on me being a player in this league,” Harris said, “and I just saw his dedication every day as a rookie, him being there every day, meeting with 'Greek' [Director of Sports Medicine Steve Antonopulos] every morning and just seeing that he was all-in like a player, like us. He wanted to be in training camp like us, and that’s kind of how he took it. And seeing Champ, he instilled so much motivation and gave me so much confidence as a young player, so I definitely had to come out here and pay my respects to both of them.”

Miller, who said it was “incredible” to be able to witness Bowlen’s and Bailey’s enshrinement, flew back out to Canton from Denver with Harris and McManus just two days after the Broncos beat the Falcons in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. The three players initially returned to Denver on Thursday night with their teammates.

“Man, it’s crazy,” Miller said. “This is my first time out here and we got to take the tour of the Hall of Fame and play in the Hall of Fame game. It was great. Every pro football player has dreams and aspirations of being here one day, so it was great to come experience it.”

And although McManus didn’t arrive in Denver until 2014, he said he believed it was still important for him to show his support for Bowlen, Bailey and the organization. McManus is one of the longest-tenured players on the team’s roster.

“I found it important for me to be here,” McManus said. “Denver really was my first real opportunity to play in the NFL, and I can’t thank Pat Bowlen and John Elway [enough] for reaching out and getting after me. I wanted to give back to the Bowlen family, and it’s been important to learn the winning tradition that he instilled.”

Broncos announce second change to training camp practice schedule By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com August 4, 2019

After opening their preseason slate on Thursday, Head Coach Vic Fangio is making another change to the Broncos' remaining training camp practice schedule.

The Broncos will no longer hold practice on Saturday, Aug. 10. Instead, the team will get an extra day off after their Thursday-night game in Seattle, their second road game in a row after a lengthy training camp schedule that started earlier than any other team's.

There are six remaining practices open to fans from Aug. 4-6 and Aug. 11-13, with each scheduled to start at 9:15 a.m at UCHealth Training Center.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen will live forever among fellow legends By Cliff Hickman CantonRep.com August 4, 2019

Enshrinement 2019: The late Bowlen was remembered by Broncos staff as well as his family in a video presentation.

We will never know exactly what 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Pat Bowlen would have said in his speech Saturday. A video presentation featuring his family gave fans some insight on what the honor meant to the long-time Denver Broncos owner, who died in June after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

“I was asking him about the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ‘What does it mean dad,’” Brittany Bowlen said in the video. ”‘Why is this such a big deal?’ He said, ‘Brittany, the Hall of Fame is only where legends go. It means you were one of the greatest of all time.’ He was a legend. He set the bar for NFL owners.”

It’s hard to argue with the results. The Broncos went to seven Super Bowls under his ownership and did not suffer back-to-back losing seasons until the last two years of his tenure. The most important lesson came from one of the Super Bowl losses.

“The third Super Bowl loss was incredibly devastating for my dad,” his daughter Beth Bowlen Wallace sad. “But that’s probably the most profound lesson I learned from my dad in my lifetime was that the losses and the challenges and the failures made him into the owner that he was.”

The big wins eventually came. There are plenty of fond memories from Denver’s first championship after the Broncos defeated Green Bay 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII.

“No one expected us to win that game,” his son Patrick Bowlen said.

Bowlen was far from satisfied with just one title.

He entered the athletic training room and one of the first things he said was, “Greek we have to keep doing this” long-time Denver Broncos trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos said in the video. “We have to keep this up.”

That intensity paid off. Denver won it all again the following year with a 34-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII.

The wins cemented his legacy and made Pat Bowlen a living legend in Colorado.

“I didn’t understand the magnitude of what being a Bowlen meant,” his daughter Annabel Bowlen said. “I realized it when a kid in my class told me my dad was a hero and he wanted to grow up and be like him.”

The story of a Hall-of-Fame gesture from Pat Bowlen before Super Bowl XXXII By Ryan Koenigsberg BSN Denver August 4, 2019

The year was 1998. The Denver Broncos had just won their first-ever Super Bowl, and despite their immense success, a group of key players felt they needed a change to the staff.

After getting chiropractic work from Dr. Nelson Vetanze throughout the past season, players like wide receiver Rod Smith and linebacker Bill Romanowski approached head coach Mike Shanahan with the idea of adding Vetanze to the team in an official capacity.

While the coach was convinced, he still needed approval from owner Pat Bowlen.

At the time, there were exactly zero chiropractors on the payroll of an NFL team, but in a copycat league Bowlen was often the one being copied, and as a man who would do just about anything for his players, this was a no-brainer.

Vetanze became the NFL’s first team chiropractor.

As the Broncos cruised through the league in ’98 with a notably healthy roster, Bowlen also received work from the man they called “Dr. V,” and in true Bowlen fashion, even new Vetanze’s son, Mario, by name.

“That means a lot to a little kid,” 30-year-old Mario says now.

Of course, after going 14-2 in the regular season, the Broncos beat the Dolphins and Jets in the playoffs and found themselves playing for a second consecutive championship in against the Falcons in Miami.

Despite being a member of the staff, Vetanze says it wasn’t immediately clear if he would make the trip at all.

“Eventually, it was decided that I could go,” Dr. V told BSN Denver. “I was given one ticket, and I was put on the family plane.”

But during the week leading up to the game, Vetanze was doing some work on Mr. Bowlen when the trip to Miami came up. The owner wanted to know if Mario and Nelson’s wife Debby would make the trip.

Bowlen was troubled to learn that Dr. V had only been provided one ticket to the game and to the plane, so he took matters into his own hands.

“He sought to it personally that I could bring Mario and my wife,” Vetanze told BSN. “You won’t meet more of a gentleman.”

Of course, John Elway, Terrell Davis and Rod Smith led the Broncos to a 34-19 victory. The Broncos were back-to-back World Champions. “This one’s for you!” Bowlen exclaimed with the Lombardi trophy in his hand, displaying once again that it was never about him.

“I was able to witness a Super Bowl championship really because of Mr. Bowlen’s generosity,” said Mario.

On Friday, the day Pat Bowlen’s family received the Hall-of-Fame owner’s rightful gold jacket, I shared this story with Pat’s daughter Brittany.

She lit up with a smile that one would flash upon seeing an old friend for the first time in a while.

“Oh my gosh, I love that story,” she told BSN Denver before pausing for a second. “That was him. That was so him. He just cared about people, and he put family on the highest pedestal. That doesn’t surprise me at all.”

What makes the Pat Bowlen stories like this remarkable is just how unremarkable it is to those who knew him.

In the words of former chairman of NBC Sports, Dick Ebersol, at Friday night’s Gold Jacket Dinner, “Pat Bowlen was the real deal when it came to being a man.”

2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction: Champ Bailey's plea, Ed Reed's bust, Tony Gonzalez's record and more By John Breech CBS Sports August 4, 2019

The Pro Football Hall of Fame officially has eight new members.

After more than six months of waiting, the Class of 2019 was inducted on Saturday in a ceremony that covered nearly five hours. This year's class was voted into the Hall back in February, but they weren't enshrined until they took the stage at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

The Hall's newest class was heavy on defensive backs, with Johnny Robinson, Ty Law, Ed Reed and Champ Bailey all being inducted. The 2019 class also included former Cowboys vice president of personnel Gil Brandt, former Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, offensive lineman Kevin Mawae and one of the best tight ends in NFL history, Tony Gonzalez.

From Reed's bust to the powerful message in Bailey's speech to Gonzalez's record-setting closing speech, it was a memorable night.

Here's a recap of the inductions.

Gil Brandt The festivities started on Saturday when Brandt took the stage for his induction. Even if you don't know who Brandt is, you're definitely familiar with his work, and that's because he helped build the Cowboys into America's team. After being hired by the team during their expansion year in 1960, Brandt would go on to revolutionize the scouting industry, which helped the Cowboys quickly turn into a dynasty.

Brandt was presented for induction by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

"What is amazing to me about Gil Brandt is his attention to detail," Jones said. "He developed concepts and going into areas of evaluations that were unique. He was one of the first to ever create a computer bank, back when the computers were pretty antiquated compared to today."

During his lengthy career with the Cowboys, Brandt was responsible for drafting 10 Hall of Famers, including Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett and Randy White.

"I'm here today because of a great organization like the Dallas Cowboys that had an owner, a general manger, and a head coach who believed in my ability to find talented players and build a roster," Brandt said.

During his speech, Brandt admitted that one thing he's the most proud of is that the scouting system he put into place nearly four decades ago is still being used.

"It was professionally fulfilling for me that so many of the traits that we identified as scouting metrics and landmarks in the early days have been used by the greatest football coaches, scouts and evaluators of the current generation," Brandt said.

Brandt was one of the two inductees who entered the Hall of Fame as a contributor. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was the other.

Johnny Robinson It's possible hat no player inducted on Saturday was more thankful than Robinson, who has been waiting more than 40 years to be inducted. As a matter of fact, Robinson had been waiting for so long that he thought the NFL basically forgot that he existed.

"It's been 47 years since I last played professional football," Robinson said during his speech. "After all this time, I thought I had been forgotten. I can't tell you how pleased I was to be notified that I had been selected as a senior finalist after all these years."

It makes sense that Robinson finally got voted into the Hall of Fame, and that's because he was one of the best safeties of his era. During a 12-year career that spanned from 1960 to 1971, Robinson was named a first-team All-Pro a total of five times, which is still the most for any defensive back in NFL history.

The most impressive thing about Robinson might be the fact that he ended up being an All-Pro safety even though he started his career as a wide receiver. Robinson played offense for the first two years of his career before moving to safety during his final year with Dallas. After leaving Texas, Robinson signed with the Chiefs and spent nine seasons in Kansas City. The safety finished his career with 57 interceptions, which is tied for the 13th most in NFL history.

Kevin Mawae When Mawae was inducted on Saturday, he became the first Hawaiian-born member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and just in case that wasn't clear, he wore a lei on stage for his speech.

The former offensive lineman, who spent 16 seasons in the NFL playing for three teams, got emotional at times during his speech, and most of those emotions came while he was talking about his parents.

Mawae did do one thing during his speech that most players don't do: He thanked an opposing coach.

During eight of his NFL seasons, Mawae played for the Jets, which means he had to deal with the Patriots twice a year. Although he always seemed to struggle against New England, it seems that he was actually appreciative of how good they always were.

"Coach Bill Belichick, I never felt more challenged mentally in game than when I faced your teams," Mawae said. "I came to love the puzzle of figuring out your defenses and the chess match that those games became. I didn't win all of them, in fact, my teams lost most of them. I think we were 4-13 against you. That sucked. That was awful. I still hate the Patriots. Everyone hates the winners. Congratulations to you in all your success, and thank you for making me a better player."

Besides the Jets, Mawae also played for the Seahawks (1994-97) and Titans (2006-09) during his career. Mawae was voted to the Pro Bowl a total of eight times in his career and also blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in 13 of his 16 seasons. Pat Bowlen The death of former Broncos owner Pat Bowlen put the Hall of Fame in a rare situation this year, and that's because Bowlen was alive when he was voted into the Hall back in February, but he wasn't alive for Saturday's induction ceremony. After his passing on June 13, the decision was made to send his children to Canton so they could honor their dad.

All seven Bowlen children -- Christianna Bowlen, Brittany Bowlen, Beth Bowlen Wallace, Amie Klemmer, Annabel Bowlen, Johnny Bowlen, Patrick Bowlen -- took part in presenting their dad for induction, along with former team trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos.

After the presentation, the Bowlen children took the stage in Canton and unveiled their dad's bust to the world.

Bowlen played a big part in helping the turn the NFL into the money-making machine that it is today. The former Broncos owner helped spearhead Sunday Night Football, which is regularly the highest-rated show on television each week. Bowlen was also a highly successful owner. During his 35 years of ownership, the Broncos had as many Super Bowl appearances (7) as they did losing seasons.

Ty Law Believe it or not, Ty Law is the first player to win a Super Bowl with the Patriots and be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Although the Patriots have six Super Bowl wins, Law is the only member of any of those teams to be inducted to the Hall.

The most entertaining part of Law's speech might have been the fact that he let everyone know who was responsible for the beginning of the Patriots dynasty.

"We started this s---," Law said.

There were plenty of former Patriots players in attendance, along with coach Bill Belichick, who got a nice shoutout from Law during his speech.

"Thank you for showing me how to me a true professional," Law said. "It's no mistake or coincidence that you are the greatest coach this game has ever seen. I love you Bill. Thank you."

Law also thanked his mom during his speech, saying she was apparently responsible for making him into the competitor that be eventually became, which is completely believable because it seems she was quite the trash-talker.

"I get my competitiveness, my will to win, from my mama," Law said. "I had to earn every win I got and she talked trash with the best of them. Mom, you always had my back, even when I was dead ass wrong. You had my back, you are my rock. We had our personal struggles. At times, we bent, but we never broke."

Law ended his speech with a message to everyone: You need to believe in yourself.

"You can't wait for someone else to validate your purpose," Law said, via Pro Football Talk. "You have to believe in yourself. You can't wait for somebody else to tell you you're great. You have to believe in yourself. You can't wait for society to tell you that you're beautiful or that you're a good person. You have to believe that for yourself. I thank each and every one of you for believing in me and my dreams. Because of you, my legacy lives on. Thank you for this incredible honor."

After Law's speech was over, everyone in the Patriots organization took a group picture with his bust.

They all look happy.

Ed Reed Before we get to Reed's speech, we have to talk about his bust, and that's because it might go down as the best Hall of Fame bust of all-time. As soon as Reed saw it, even he seemed pretty amazed by its accuracy.

"I mean, it looks just like [me]," Reed said.

He's not kidding, either.

After getting over the shock of just how good his bust was, Reed started his speech and he used it to basically touch on every topic that's important to him. Reed thanked nearly everyone in his life from his family to his friends to his former teammates to his barbers (and yes, that's barbers with an "s," apparently Reed has two barbers).

Like Law, Reed also had a pretty powerful closing to his speech. The former Ravens safety encouraged everyone to keep encouraging each other.

"Everyone has their own greatness and you reach your own greatness depends on your environment, your structure, the company you keep and your attitude," Reed said. "There will be good and bad, right and wrong. Your reaction of choice -- good or bad -- has consequences that affects you and those around you. No matter what, encourage those around you and yourself.

"I stayed encouraged. That guy there, no matter what, was focused. He stayed encouraged. There was some hard times. There was a lot of tears. Even now. I tell you, each one of you, stay encouraged. Encourage each other. Help somebody. We should. We're supposed to. That's what being a human is about, leaving this place better than when we got it. That's all it's about y'all. Man I love y'all."

Reed also asked everyone to think about mental health issues and gun violence.

The first-ballot Hall of Famer was voted to the Pro Bowl a total of nine times in his career. Reed also racked up 64 interceptions in his career, which is the seventh highest total of all-time. If you want to see how impressive Reed was during his playing days, just watch the video below.

Reed's speech ran for just over 36 minutes, which made it one of the longest in Hall of Fame history, even though it wasn't even the longest one of the night.

Champ Bailey If Champ Bailey's goal was to take a few subtle shots at the Redskins, he definitely accomplished that on Saturday. Although Bailey started his career in Washington in 1999 after the Redskins made him the seventh overall pick in the NFL Draft, it sounds like he was pretty excited to leave.

"The best thing in my career happened in 2004. I was traded to the Denver Broncos," Bailey said during his speech. "I'm super proud to be standing here today as the seventh member of the Denver Broncos to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bailey didn't exactly go out his way to compliment the Redskins at all during his speech, which kind of makes sense when you consider this is the same team that didn't even call to congratulate him on his induction until three days before the ceremony (the Redskins found out in February that he was being inducted).

Bailey's Hall of Fame speech ended in a Hall of Fame way with the former Broncos cornerback making a plea to America.

"I'm a firm believer that if you want to create change is to start with your friends and your family," Bailey said. "We say this to all of our white friends: When we tell you about our fears, please listen. When we tell you we're afraid for our kids, please listen. When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color of our skin, please listen. And please, do not get caught up in how the message is delivered."

Bailey then encouraged everyone to start listening to each other.

"Most of us are athletes, but we're black men first," Bailey said. "Understand this, the things that make us great on the field -- like our size and our aggression -- are the same things that can get us killed off the field. I believe if we start listening, there's no telling the progress we can make. If we can't get our friends to listen, then no one will. To my black brothers, if you don't have anything positive to say about our social challenges, please keep your mouth shut."

Bailey's Hall of Fame career lasted 15 seasons. The former first round pick was voted to the Pro Bowl a total of 12 times, which is tied for the most ever among defensive backs.

Tony Gonzalez The celebration in Canton ended on Saturday with Tony Gonzalez. The former Chiefs and Falcons tight end gave an emotional speech that covered all aspects of his life. Gonzalez started off by talking about how he was able to overcome bullying and the fear of failure.

The most decorated tight end in NFL history then ended things by reading a letter to his children.

"True success is about more than making a lot of money or being recognized as one of the best at what you do," Gonzalez said. "True success is about giving back. It's about kindness. It's about quality of relationships. It's about finding joy in other people's joy. Trust me, I have learned these things the hard way at times. These principles combined with doing what you truly love to do will no doubt make you an all-star in the most important game there is and that's the game of life."

Gonzalez was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which was probably an easy decision for voters. When his 17- year career ended, Gonzalez retired with the most receptions (1,325), the most receiving yards (15,127) and the most 100-yard receiving games (31) among all tight ends.

Gonzalez added another record on Saturday with the length of his speech. The tight end spoke for roughly 39:05, which means Gonzalez now holds the record for longest speech ever given at an enshrinement ceremony. The previous record was held by Jerry Jones, who spoke for 36 minutes and 47 seconds.

If you missed anything from the ceremony, you can re-live the night by checking out all our updates below.

Best moments from the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony By Shalise Manza Young Yahoo Sports August 4, 2019

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019 was formally inducted on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio. Here are highlights from the speeches each of this year’s eight inductees gave.

Gil Brandt

Brandt began his career as a part-time scout with the Los Angeles Rams in 1955, and went on to spend nearly 30 years with the Dallas Cowboys, one of the key founding members of the franchise along with general manager Tex Schramm and coach Tom Landry.

Though Jerry Jones fired Brandt not long after he bought the team in 1989, Jones has become one of Brandt’s biggest champions, honoring him with a spot in the team’s Ring of Honor last year.

Brandt said, “My life has been an incredible journey, all inspired by football. I have been fortunate enough to see the growth of this game over the past 60 years.”

He mentioned the growth of the annual scouting combine, which Schramm and Brandt had a hand in creating. The first combine, in 1982, had seven media members present; this year’s had 2,000.

Now 86, Brandt recognized one of the lesser-known groups that make the NFL go: scouts.

“What you do in locating and securing talent is the lifeblood of the sport of football. All that time in random hotels and driving from one place to another...it pays off,” Brandt said. “Seeing that player with something special in his later moves or going to a D-3 campus and finding a diamond in the rough, that’s the magic that keeps us out on the road for half the year and in the film room the other half.

“Scouting isn’t always easy when you get into the nuts and bolts of following 500 new players every season, but it is so rewarding. I want every single one of you to look at my election into the Hall of Fame as a tip of the cap to the entire scouting industry and see yourself in my inclusion.”

Johnny Robinson

Robinson, the stellar Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs safety and this year’s Senior Committee selection, was presented by his stepson, Bob Thompson. Thompson, like Robinson, is a Louisiana native; both men grew up watching the Louisiana State Tigers football team.

“Johnny Robinson was an LSU legend,” Thompson said. “He was my childhood hero. I watched him on TV for the Kansas City Chiefs, and that’s who I wanted to be. I never dreamed that my childhood hero would become my stepdad.”

Robinson said there was a time he thought it just wasn’t meant for him to be in the Hall of Fame. “It’s been 47 years since I last played professional football. After all this time I thought I had been forgotten,” he said. “I can’t tell you how pleased I was to be notified that I had been selected as a senior finalist after all these years. But then to receive that knock on the door from [Hall of Fame president] David Baker seems surreal to me. ...

“I thought that after college I would join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot. But to my surprise, I was selected the No. 3 overall player in the 1960 draft. When I left for my first training camp I remembered some of my dad’s words of wisdom he shared with me: Be a gentleman when you win, be a man when you lose. If you lose, hurt so bad that you work harder so it won’t happen again. Prepare, sacrifice and give your best. Bring out the best in others. Have faith in the Lord and always respect your mother. “

Kevin Mawae

Mawae, the center who played for three NFL teams, had tears in his eyes even before he began his speech, as he walked toward his presenter, his wife Tracy.

A good deal of Mawae’s speech centered on those who have had the greatest impact on him: from his very first coach, on a flag football team in Germany (his father spent his career in the Army), to high school and college coaches, to teammates he had all along the way, and especially his family.

“I many ways, today is the end of a journey that started 40 years ago, and yet today signals the beginning of a new one that only God knows where this will take me,” Mawae said. “I reached this destination today because of the people in my life who supported me from the beginning and who have been with me throughout my entire career.

“To my mom and dad, David and Linda Mawae: people always ask me who are my greatest role models and who did I look up to growing up. It’s always been easy; the answer was you. My dad was a career solider in the US Army, serving 23 years. Dad, I watched you take pride in putting on your uniform...you never cut corners and you never looked unprepared.

“You’re the greatest lesson I ever had. Dad, the greatest thing you ever taught me was family. You taught me how to love your family. You taught me how to love my wife and love my children. Whether I stood on this stage tonight, know this: I’m proud to be your son. Mom, you’re tough and you demanded the best out of us.... You didn’t let us off the hook and I’m a better man for it.

“On May 5, 1996, our brother was tragically killed in an alcohol-related accident. Shortly after that, news came that my wife was pregnant with our son, Kirkland. Those two moments changed my life forever. My biggest regret is our brother John didn’t get a chance to see my play in the NFL and be with us tonight.

“To my kids, Kirkland and Abigail, being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor. But my two greatest joys are the accomplishments of you two. No football moment has ever equaled the days the two of you were born - the two greatest days of my life. There’s nothing, nothing that you guys can do that would ever take my love away from you. I love you and I’m proud of you.

“To my wife of 26 years, Tracy. There are not enough words that I could share with you or tell this audience how much you have meant to me on the greatest journey that we’ve had together. Every training camp, every free agent visit, injuries, surgery, every win, every loss, every contract negotiation, every home game and road games too...from LSU to Seattle, New York and Tennessee, you have been my horizon. The landscape has shifted and the scenery changed, but you have always been the constant in my life and you have always been my true north. ...You are the epitome of a Hall of Fame wife.”

Pat Bowlen

Bowlen, the longtime Denver Broncos owner, died in June after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Though he was presented by the Broncos’ head trainer, Steve “Greek” Antonopulos, all of Bowlen’s children were part of his introductory video. Six of the seven were on stage with Antonopulos to unveil the bronze bust, and the group shared a hug around the bust.

Ty Law

Law’s speech was reminiscent of Randy Moss’ last year. Both men are from small Appalachian towns - Moss, Rand. W. Va. and Law, Aliquippa, Pa. - and highlighted those roots.

Aliquippa, a former mill town in western Pennsylvania, hit a peak of 27,000 residents in the 1940 census but has produced three Pro Football Hall of Famers - Law, Law’s uncle, Tony Dorsett, and Mike Ditka. That number will reach four in due time, when Darrelle Revis joins them.

A three-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots and five-time Pro Bowl cornerback, Law began, “This isn’t about me; this is about us. This is about we.”

For each person he paid homage to, he punctuated it by saying, “We are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

Though he wore sunglasses on stage, Law couldn’t hide his tears. He cried the most as he mentioned his mother, Diane, his late grandparents, and his five children.

But he also highlighted Dorsett, and the impact he had on him.

“I’m a big believer in needing to see something before you can believe it,” Law said. “I remember spending summers, from eighth grade on through college, standing in Uncle Tony’s house, staring at that Heisman Trophy, staring at that Hall of Fame bust.

“I came back after that rookie season [with New England] and was staring at the Heisman. [Dorsett] said, ‘I don’t know why you’re staring at that; that ship done sailed.’ So I slid over to the Hall of Fame bust and stared at that.

“He said, ‘You have to raise hell to get one of these.’ I guess we raised hell. We are now teammates in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You were my inspiration, more than you know.”

Ed Reed

Reed, to many the greatest safety to ever play the game, has one of the best busts in the Hall. Blair Buswell, the sculptor who creates the bronze busts, did a wonderful job capturing Reed’s curly, sometimes unruly hair and full beard.

The nine-time Pro Bowler walked onto the stage with an unlit cigar between his teeth, and he wore a gold hat that matched his new gold jacket.

Reed’s speech wasn’t linear. He spoke a great deal about Baltimore, his adopted home, and the team he is so closely aligned with that it’s easy to forget he finished his career with two other teams.

“The NFL changed my life and put me in a place I never thought I would be,” Reed said. “Thanks to the Houston Texans for letting me be there for a couple of months. Thanks to the Jets, where I finished off at, but there’s no place like Baltimore! No place like Baltimore, baby.

“I’d like to thank the organization, [owner] Steve Bisciotti, [general manager] Ozzie Newsome, coach [Brian] Billick and his staff, coach [John] Harbaugh and his staff. That man there, he came in with a plan, and we executed it, coach. Iron sharpens iron.”

He finished with a message for all of us.

“There will be good and bad; right and wrong. Your reaction of choice, good or bad, has consequences, that affect you and those around you,” he said. “No matter what, encourage those around you and yourself. I stayed encouraged. ...

“I tell you, each one of you: stay encouraged. Encourage each other. Help somebody. We should. We’re supposed to. That’s what being a human is about - leaving this place better than we got it. That’s all it’s about, y’all.”

Champ Bailey

Bailey also had sunglasses on when he walked to the podium, but took them off and tucked them into his jacket “so you can see my joy - and because my wife said so.”

He flashed the confidence it took to be a shutdown cornerback, which he said he got from his mother, Elaine. As he acknowledged Hall voters he said, “thank you for getting it right the very first time.”

The 12-time Pro Bowler called his 2004 trade from Washington to Denver “the best thing for my career,” and said he was quickly sold on the franchise and its owner, Bowlen, who had all the qualities of a good leader: he led by example, he was accountable, he was competitive and he knew how to win.

As he closed his speech, Bailey noted that many of the men on stage with him, the other Hall of Famers, are also Black men. They are all accomplished athletes, but they are Black men first and have that shared experience. When others look at him, Bailey said, the first thing they see isn’t that he’s a father or an All- Pro cornerback - they see the color of his skin.

So he made a plea, his voice catching in his throat.

“When we tell you about our fears, please listen. When we tell you we’re afraid for our kids, please listen. When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color of our skin, please listen,” Bailey said. “And please don’t get caught up in how the message is delivered.

“Yes, most of us are athletes, but we are Black men first. Things that make us great on the field, like our size and our aggression, are things that can get us killed off the field. All of us are sons, dads, brothers - your friends.

“If we can’t get our friends to listen, then no one will.”

Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez told three stories, three times when he believed his life changed course. One was from eighth grade and ninth grade, when he let fear drive him, first to quit Pop Warner football and then to run and hide daily from a bully who wanted to fight him - though Gonzalez says he has no idea why.

He ran from the bully, even after setting a date to fight him, but he stopped running from football. One day early in his freshman season he was pulled from the line for Oklahoma drill, and though he was scared, he did it - because he’s made a decision to never be afraid again, regardless of the circumstances.

That story was to underscore that it’s not about where you start; Gonzalez, after his quitting football and being afraid, ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Another story was from his second season with the Kansas City Chiefs. He’d been the 13th pick in 1997, and in 1998, though he was starting, Gonzalez was struggling.

“It was the worst year,” Gonzalez said. “Booed by the home crowd, there was a writeup in the paper that this guy’s on the verge of being a bust. I remember being in my room crying, depressed, in a deep hole, and sometimes the more you get depressed the harder it is to get out.

“Until I get a letter from my brother, Donnie. He said, “I don’t know what that is out there, but it’s not you. He put a book of Vince Lombardi quotes, all his quotes. That stuff spoke to me. So I went out and I did something I hadn’t done since seventh grade: I bought a book. Every other book was required reading. I bought the biography of Vince Lombardi. I devoured this book; I learned what it takes to be great. And I started devouring [other] books - Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, coaches like Phil Jackson, Lou Holtz, Pat Riley.

“I started learning the process, what makes a player great. After that I was ‘that guy’ in practice.... I’d get ready and go out early, catch 100 balls before practice. Catch 15-20 balls when the defense was on the field. Success leaves clues; you have to learn them, you have to open your eyes.

“That season was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

Hall of Fame welcomes Class of 2019 in emotional ceremony By Staff Reuters August 4, 2019

The Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomed eight new members on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, with the inductees sharing emotional stories of the hard work, family support and unbreakable bonds with teammates who helped them reach football immortality.

Much of the emotion centered around the Denver Broncos, with cornerback Champ Bailey entering the Hall as a first-ballot inductee and longtime owner Pat Bowlen being enshrined posthumously, less than two months after his death.

Bailey, who shares the NFL record among defensive backs with 12 Pro Bowls, credited Bowlen's presence upon his arrival in Denver -- via trade from the Washington Redskins for running back Clinton Portis -- for taking him to new heights.

"The best thing for my career happened in 2004," Bailey said. "I was traded to the Denver Broncos. Once I began to learn about Mr. Bowlen and the Denver Broncos, I was sold.

.".. Mr. B was a great man, and a great leader. He will surely be missed, but he will forever be my teammate. I love you."

Bowlen, who bought the Broncos in 1984 and led them to seven Super Bowl appearances and three Lombardi Trophies, died in June from complications related to Alzheimer's disease at age 75.

Earlier in the evening, six of his children and longtime team trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos -- who presented Bowlen for enshrinement -- pulled the drape off his bust, which sat adjacent to his framed gold jacket. Bowlen's family will receive the jacket, after jackets had previously been given only to inductees who were living at the time of enshrinement.

After Bailey's speech, tight end Tony Gonzalez capped the night -- more than four hours after the ceremony started -- by reflecting on the aftermath of his own trade, which sent him to the Atlanta Falcons following 12 years with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I wasn't sure how the fans were going to treat me," Gonzalez recalled of his first game back in Kansas City with the Falcons. "So I was worried about it all week long. And then during pregame, they introduced ... me. Which I thought was very special.

"And then something happened that was one of the greatest moments of my career. The Chief fans started yelling at the top of their lungs. ... So you Kansas City Chiefs fans know how much I appreciated you."

Safety Ed Reed became the third homegrown member of the Baltimore Ravens to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining former teammates Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis. "The NFL changed my life and put me in a place I never thought I'd be," Reed said. "There's no place like Baltimore. No place like Baltimore."

He was one of four defensive backs to be inducted.

"I always said I wanted to become a master of my game, like Bruce Lee," Reed said. "I mastered my art of football, because that's what it truly is when you understand it."

Ty Law, who was part of the early wave of New England's Super Bowl greatness, remembered how when he was a first-round draft pick, the Patriots hadn't quite become "the Patriots" yet. He praised his former teammates in the crowd, telling him this moment belonged to them, too.

" know where it started fellas," Law said. "Together, we are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

Center Kevin Mawae, who played 16 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, thanked dozens of people. They included his wife, former teammates, the coaches who taught him the game as his father served in the military in Germany, and his brother, who was killed in a car accident. But his biggest thanks in an emotional speech were for his mother.

"Raising four boys, you learned to take the bumps and bruises along the way," Mawae said. "You were our other teammate in our odd numbers of front-yard football. What other mom plays tackle football in the front yard with her sons? True story. She hit hard."

Johnny Robinson, who played defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys and Chiefs, waited nearly five decades for his Hall of Fame moment. The 80-year-old, who was this year's senior nominee, expressed his appreciation in a pre-recorded speech.

"It's been 47 years since I last played football, and for this all time, I thought I had been forgotten," Robinson said. "I can't tell you how pleased I was to be notified that I had been selected as the senior finalist after all these years. But then, to receive that knock on the door from [Pro Football Hall of Fame president] David Baker seems surreal to me.

"I think back to when I was young boy, and all I wanted to do was play ball."

The architect of the early Dallas Cowboys, Gil Brandt drafted 501 players and signed countless more over the course of 29 years as director of player personnel. The 86-year-old packed more than 50 names into his nearly 20-minute speech, including Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Mel Renfro. Aikman, a Hall of Fame member, was Brandt's final first-round choice. Owner Jerry Jones, who presented Brandt for enshrinement, fired him after the draft.

HOF Recap: Ty Law: 'We started' Patriots' dynasty By Grant Gordon NFL.com August 4, 2019

Eight more NFL all-time greats took their rightful spots among the very best that have played or contributed to football in Saturday night's 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio. Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Johnny Robinson and Gil Brandt took center stage on a memorable day, while Pat Bowlen was posthumously recognized among the legends of the game.

Here's a recap of some of the highlights from Saturday's Hall of Fame enshrinement:

An incredible football journey

Having aided in the architecture of one of the most dominant and well-known franchises in all of sports, the Dallas Cowboys, Gil Brandt's greatest contributions largely came behind the scenes.

On Saturday afternoon, Brandt took center stage as the first honoree to speak at the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.

Brandt's drive down memory lane weaved in and out of a who's who of Cowboys greats, many of whom Brandt had a helping hand in bringing to the franchise.

"The lifeline of any organization is the players," Brandt said.

In his speech, Brandt looked back upon a truly revolutionary career as he developed innovative scouting and management of personnel systems and was an early advocate of computer analysis to evaluate talent. In addition, he was at the forefront of scouting players no matter where they played or the color of their skin.

"I'm extremely proud that with the backing of the Dallas Cowboys, during a highly volatile time in race relations in our country, I was able to be on the ground floor of scouting the emerging talent from America's historically black universities," Brandt said. "Places like Elizabeth State where we were lucky to find Jethro Pugh. Or Fort Valley State, where future Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright dominated the competition."

From colleges near and far, big and tiny, Brandt has traveled over the years. He surely isn't the only one, though, and he made certain to deliver kind words to all those who have shared his often tireless and thankless profession.

"What you do in locating and securing talent is the lifeblood of the sport of football," Brandt said of his fellow scouts. "All of the time in random hotels, driving from one place to another, it pays off.

"It's so rewarding and I want every single one of you to look at my election into the hall of fame as a tip of the cap to the entire scouting industry."

Still going strong at 86-years-young, it's been one heck of a ride for one of the greatest scouts in gridiron lore.

"My life has been an incredible journey," he said, "all inspired by professional football."

An enshrinement a longtime coming

A stellar safety with the Texans -- the Dallas Texans -- and later the Kansas City Chiefs, Johnny Robinson last played all the way back in 1971.

"Fifty-nine years ago was my first football game. That was a longtime ago," Robinson said via a pre-taped speech, though he was in attendance in Canton. "I remember it like it was yesterday." Robinson was an AFL All-Star Game honoree six times and a one-time Pro Bowler who played in three AFL title games and two Super Bowls. For all the big games and special achievements, a place in the Hall of Fame was most certainly monumental for Robinson.

After a long wait, Robinson was grateful to finally have a bust in Canton and a celebrated spot among football's elite.

"It's been 47 years since I last played professional football. After all this time, I thought I had been forgotten. I can't tell you how pleased I was to be notified as a senior finalist after all these years. Then to receive that knock on the door from David Baker seemed surreal to me," Robinson said. "I think back to when I was a young boy and all I ever wanted to do was play ball."

Kevin Mawae at home in Canton

Much as he moved defenders during his 16-season, eight-time Pro Bowl career, center Kevin Mawae moved those in attendance and watching all over with a stirring speech in which he thanked everyone that helped his career, beginning with his parents, his children, his siblings and his No. 1 fan, his wife.

He thanked Tom Flores for making his dream come true by drafting him with the Seahawks and then Bill Parcells for bringing him along to the Jets and what he did for his career and then Herm Edwards, who was his coach and who he now coaches along with at Arizona State.

Surprisingly, he also thanked Patriots coach Bill Belichick for challenging him.

"I never felt more challenged mentally in a game than when I faced your teams. I came to love the puzzle of figuring out your defenses," he said. "I still hate the Patriots.

"Congratulations to you and all your successes and thank you for making me a better player."

Mawae thanked myriad before and after, including all his teammates in attendance, stating it was them who were just as responsible for him being in Canton. It was a journey he was thankful for, as well.

"Today I stand at the doorstep of football immortality," Mawae said. "I knock on this door and I tell all of you, I am home!"

This one's for Pat, too

Less than two months following his passing, Pat Bowlen, the longtime owner of the Denver Broncos, was posthumously enshrined in Canton.

The Bowlen family emerged on stage and had a group hug around his bust during a teary celebration of one of the most successful and highly regarded NFL owners the sport has ever had.

They call it the Patriot way

As the Patriots dynasty defies time and carries on looking to defend its latest championship, Canton enshrined one of the architects of New England's dominance.

On an evening in which the greatest of individual accomplishments are celebrated, defensive back Ty Law delivered a tribute to those who helped him on his path to Canton, stating over and over that "we" are in the Hall of Fame to his mother, father, his hometown and others.

A veteran of 16 seasons who racked up 53 career interceptions, five Pro Bowls and a spot on the NFL All- Decade Team of the 2000s, Law began his days in the NFL with a first-round selection by the Patriots in 1995.

"They took a chance on me and I was going to give them all I had and I did," he said.

Law made sure to thank coach Bill Belichick and, in doing so, emphatically praised him for being the best who ever manned a sideline.

"Coach Bill Belichick. The GOAT. Thank you for believing in me," Law said. "Thank you for not trying to change who I was.

"There's no mistake, it's no coincidence that you are the greatest coach this game has ever seen. I love you Bill. I appreciate you."

Then it was time for Law to bring it all together, revisiting the "we" theme and shining the spotlight on the old school Patriots who began the dynastic ways that are carrying on through today's training camps.

"The old school/new school stand up," Law said. "It's about time. I'm not standing here alone. I'm on this stage, not because of statistical reasons. I'm here because I was a part of something special. We created a culture. A brotherhood in unselfishness that we displayed as we won three Super Bowl titles. Let's keep it real. We started this!

"They even gave what we created a name. They call it the Patriot Way. But we know where it started fellas. Together, we are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

No place like Baltimore for Ed Reed

A trademark thick beard with a fedora and cigar for good measure, Ed Reed, one of the most exceptional safeties to ever lace up a pair of cleats, was emotional from the start.

"There's no place like, Baltimore!" Reed bellowed before thanking Steve Bisciotti, John Harbaugh, Brian Billick, the Ravens organization and others.

He paid homage to Ronnie Lott, who inspired him as a kid, as he continued to battle through his speech, tears streaming down his face under and around a pair of shades.

He made an impassioned speech about mental health and gun violence.

He even thanked a police officer from his hometown who told him he had "something."

"We all are human beings, just make it home," Reed continued.

He covered it all, just like he did during a sensational career.

HOF got it right the first time with Champ

No defensive back earned more Pro Bowl nods than Champ Bailey did at 12.

He was a Pro Bowler with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos and thus was thankful to those from both organizations. However, there was something special about being a Bronco.

"The best thing for my career happened in 2004," Bailey said to a resounding applause by Broncos fans in the seats, "I was traded to the Denver Broncos."

Following that statement, Bailey made certain to thank his fellow Class of 2019 inductee, Pat Bowlen, who he referred to as Mr. B.

"He will forever be my teammate," Bailey said of Bowlen.

Thereafter, Bailey gave the trademark salute to Broncos fans and said he would always consider Denver his home.

Of course, Bailey, a first-ballot inductee, also had some praise for those who voted him in.

"I want to thank the Hall of Fame voters for getting it right the very first time," Bailey began.

Tony Gonzalez finishes strong

After a phenomenal 17-season career filled with Pro Bowls and All-Pro nods, it's hard to ponder that the 6-foot-5 Tony Gonzalez, one of, if not the, greatest tight ends of all-time, actually didn't want to play football at the onset and had to overcome his fears of the game and of bullies.

But he did.

As Gonzalez took the stage on Saturday evening, the day having gone to night and many spectators having departed, he made a joke about just how long the ceremony had been.

"I see the crowd has thinned out a little bit," the longtime Chiefs and Falcons standout said before joking. "I'm only going to be up here for about 52 minutes."

After a long list of thank-yous, Gonzalez began to tell his football tale.

It started out with the revelation of how he disliked football when he started playing and quit his first season of Pop Warner.

While Gonzalez returned, he soon dealt with bullying that wouldn't cease, but it was football and facing the fears of the game and of confronting his tormentors that was the lesson of the day.

"It ain't how you start out, it's how you finish," Gonzalez said to a resounding ovation. "First thing you gotta do is get through that fear."

Pat Bowlen’s children unveil his Hall of Fame bust By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk August 4, 2019

Pat Bowlen didn’t make it to his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. He died June 13 at the age of 75.

But Bowlen’s legacy was sealed this weekend in Canton.

On Friday night, his family accepted his framed yellow jacket. They celebrated with a party afterward.

On Saturday night, six Bowlen family members and Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos unveiled Bowlen’s bust. It quickly became the most emotional moment of the induction ceremony.

Bowlen was honored with a video presentation featuring Antonopulous, Bowlen’s presenter, and some of his children. It served as Bowlen’s acceptance speech and had many of his supporters in tears.

Bowlen shaped the Broncos into one of the most storied franchises in NFL history during his 35 years as owner, and he was remembered after a long wait.

Champ Bailey delivers a message encouraging more listening, less talking By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk August 4, 2019

Washington drafted Champ Bailey with the seventh overall choice in 1999. Bailey made four Pro Bowls there, but Washington traded him (and a second-round pick) to the Broncos for running back Clinton Portis.

Portis had a successful career in Washington with 8,164 yards from scrimmage and 49 total touchdowns in seven years, but he wasn’t Bailey.

Bailey, who said a day earlier he didn’t hear from anyone in Washington until this week, paid his respects to those who drafted him and helped him. But he dedicated most of his 30-minute, 35-second Hall of Fame speech on his 10-year career in Denver

“The best thing for my career happened in 2004,” Bailey said. “I was traded to the Denver Broncos. “Once I began to learn about Mr. [Pat] Bowlen and the Denver Broncos, I was sold. There are a few things I learned to appreciate from the good leaders: They lead by example; they’re accountable; they’re competitive; and they know how to win. That was what I learned and loved about Mr. B.”

After finishing with his long thank yous to everyone in Denver, which he said will always be his home, Bailey ended with a message. Bailey pointed out that most of the people he mentioned in his speech are black men.

“My brothers,” Bailey said. “Some of you are athletes; some of you are not athletes. But we are all black men first, something we have more expertise in than any aspect of our lives. I’m a firm believer that if you want to create change, you better start with your friends and your family. So I’m going to start here today. The first thing people see when they look at me is not a Pro Football Hall of Famer or a husband or a father. They see me first as a black man. So on behalf of all the black men that I’ve mentioned tonight, and many of you are out there, you’ve had most of the same experiences I’ve had in my lifetime, we say this to our white friends: When we tell you about our fears, please listen. When we tell you we’re afraid for our kids, please listen. When we tell you there are many challenges we face because of the color of our skin, please listen. And please do not get caught up in how the message is delivered.

“Yes, most of us who are black athletes are black men first. Understand this, the things that make us great on the field — our size and our aggression — are the same things that can get us killed off the field. I believe if we start listening, there’s no telling the progress we can make. All of us are dads, sons, brothers, your friends. We all understand that if we can’t get our friends to listen, then no one will. And to my black brothers, if you do not have anything positive to say about our social challenges, please keep your mouths shut.”

Bailey, who had 52 interceptions and seven forced fumbles, was a first-ballot Hall of Famer.