For all the awful moments Emmitt Smith had as a football analyst at ESPN, he erased much of it with his moving speech on Saturday evening in Canton. Expected to deliver the longest speech during the induction ceremony and hog the spotlight, Emmitt stole the show — in a good way.
Speaking last of the seven accomplished Hall of Famers from the 2010 class, Emmitt was just that in his speech — total class. He explained how he dreamed of playing for the Dallas Cowboys at the age of six, how he wrote down a list of goals he hoped to accomplish in the NFL, and he wound up making good on all of it with hard work and dedication. While Emmitt did talk about himself, he spent most of his time at the podium recognizing and thanking others. He talked about his family, his teammates, and his coaches.
Emmitt spent time thanking the other members of the triplets (Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman), all of his offensive lineman, and his lead blocker, Daryl Moose Johnston. In fact, Emmitt broke down while thanking Moose in what was the most emotional moment of the entire night. Here’s the Emmitt Smith crying video from his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech:
I may not give Emmitt his due based on what his career touchdown and rushing yardage numbers suggest, but I give Emmitt his credit for delivering a selfless, touching, and moving speech. Congrats to Smith for making it into Canton. There wasn’t a doubt that he would make it in, but he entered the right way — with class.
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Photo Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Video Credit: YouTube user yarbs2000
