Some great memories will glow this week, along with some tears, looking back at the times Son Brad and I attended the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony up in Canton, Ohio. We go way back to the day it was not the "spectacular" that it is today, more of an intimate little affair.
The ceremony took place in front of the building, people were sitting all around on anything they could find, we milled through the building, rubbed elbows with the "greats" ... "There is Ditka, having lunch, right there."
So many from my era were there, names I had only heard on the radio, or read about in the magazines, or read of in the newspaper. We would walk through and see all the displays, THERE .... Mack Hummon, his shirt and shoes ... "My teacher in school." The greatest part of the whole thing, sharing it with Brad.
After the ceremony we would walk down to the stadium and watch the game. One regret. I think the last time we were there, the game was over and we were walking around, and down by the buses, which were loading some of the teams, there stood a man, all alone, ready to get into his car or something. Brad and I saw him, we almost went over to talk with him, and shake his hand, which I am sure he most graciously would have done, but we didn't, but we had a chance to say hello to a legend, Eddie Robinson, who was still coaching at Grambling.
I think this was in the lat 80's and a whole passel of Pittsburgh Steelers were going in HOF, the crowd was a sea of black and gold, not that far of a drive from Pennsylvania, so they really turned out. Ham and Lambert, I forget the others, but for a couple of years .... and we saw most of them.
Great memories, I will shed a few tears this week .... thankful we made those memories when we did ..
